While the New England Patriots immediate focus is going to be on their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the NFL Trade Deadline is right around the corner. The Patriots definitely have some spots that could use upgrading, and if they end up pulling off an upset victory out west, there could be an increased urgency to make a move before 4 PM on Tuesday afternoon.
With a 3-4 record, the Pats are still in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. Even if they end up losing this upcoming game, the team could still consider bringing in pieces to help them make a late push. The AFC isn’t nearly as strong as the NFC this season, meaning the door is still wide open for New England to emerge as a wild card team.
But in order to do that, they are probably going to need to bring in another face or two to help out down the stretch. They have already seen guys like James White and Jonathan Jones get lost for the season, and have sent a star player in Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers for next to nothing.
If it wasn’t abundantly clear already, the Patriots could use a boost to their secondary, particularly at the cornerback position. J.C. Jackson has been reliable as the top cornerback, but everyone behind him on the depth chart has struggled to find any sort of consistency. Let’s take a look at three cornerbacks from around the league that could potentially become trade targets for the Patriots.
New England Patriots trade target No. 3: Vernon Hargreaves III
The Houston Texans probably aren’t going to be contending for a championship anytime soon, and it seems like they may be on the verge of a full-on firesale at the deadline. They already sent Mark Ingram to the New Orleans Saints, and Deshaun Watson is reportedly close to being traded to the Miami Dolphins. Another name that could be added to that list is Vernon Hargreaves III.
Hargreaves, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, began his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and struggled to stay on the field. He was eventually released and picked up by Houston, where he had his best season as a pro in 2020. He started all 16 games as Houston’s slot corner, and picked up 72 tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception.
Hargreaves hasn’t picked up from where he left off last season, and has only seen the field sparingly in recent weeks for the Texans. He’s come off the bench in three of the last four games, and even then he’s barely been used. Houston’s usage of Hargreaves has been odd, and if they don’t intend to use him down the line, they may look into moving the underrated corner.
If the Pats were to move for Hargreaves, he would slide right into the slot corner spot left vacant by Jones. Hargreaves proved last season he can hold his own when called upon, and the Pats really don’t have a true replacement for Jones in the slot.
Considering the state of Houston and the fact that Hargreaves hasn’t really been utilized much of late, New England could probably pick up Hargreaves for a late round draft pick. Hargreaves certainly has a lot of untapped potential, and even if the move doesn’t pan out, the Pats would only lose a lower level pick. Of the corners that could be available, Hargreaves is probably one of the safer options out there.
New England Patriots trade target No. 2: Cameron Dantzler
Cameron Dantzler has had a bit of an interesting start to his career. He was eased into the action during his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings, but still managed to be one of their best corners on the season. It seemed like he was set for starting action this season, but surprisingly enough, that hasn’t been the case.
Dantzler has only played in four games this season, and even then he hasn’t started any of them. In his limited action Dantzler has been good, but Minnesota seems reluctant to give him snaps for some reason. If they ultimately decide he’s not a part of their future, the team could look to move on from him at the deadline.
Dantzler has proven to be a solid corner during his time on the field, but his addition would require the coaching staff to switch things up a bit. Jackson and Jalen Mills have been the two outside corners for most of the season, with Jones playing in the slot. The problem is Dantzler doesn’t really profile as a slot corner, which could ultimately deter the team from moving for him.
Mills could be switched over to the slot, as he profiles as more of a slot corner than outside corner, which could ultimately be what the team decides to do. Mills has been getting torched recently on the outside, so maybe a move to the inside could be for the better for the undersized corner.
Similar to Hargreaves, Dantzler could probably be picked up for a late round draft pick. Despite being drafted just last year, Dantzler appears to have already fallen out of favor in Minnesota. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure though, and as we have seen countless times during his tenure as the head coach of the New England Patriots, no one is better at turning trash into treasure than Bill Belichick.
New England Patriots trade target No. 1: Kyle Fuller
Kyle Fuller signed a one year deal with the Denver Broncos this past offseason, and he may not even make it to the end of that deal. Fuller has gone from being an All Pro corner in 2018 to getting benched at times this season because of how bad he has been. The Broncos seem to be getting frustrated, and Fuller has been the subject of tons of trade rumors over the past few weeks.
With Jones now out for the season, adding Fuller makes more sense than ever. Fuller has made his money as one of the best man-to-man corners out of the slot his entire career. Teams often would make the mistake of trying to pick on the undersized Fuller, and where they failed in recent years, they have succeeded this year.
Fuller has faced 32 targets this season, and has allowed 20 completions so far. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 116 when they attack Fuller, which just isn’t good enough for a player of Fuller’s stature. He hasn’t been good enough this season, and the Broncos could be looking to move on from him.
The Patriots have constantly been one of the top teams associated with landing Fuller, and for good reason. He has a track record of being one of the best corners in the game, even with this dud of a season he has put together so far. And with no slot corner to speak of, Fuller would be able to slide in there and hopefully find his form.
Fuller’s price will certainly be higher than the previous two names on this list because of his reputation around the league, but the New England Patriots shouldn’t shy away from him as a result. Based on the way things are trending, a middle round pick may just do the trick. Fuller offers the potential to shore up New England’s secondary in the second half of the season, and could end up being the key that helps them pick up a wild card spot this season.