#New England Patriots

#New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are sporting a handsome 7-2 record after nine games, making even the rosiest predictions look tepid. One reason is that Mike Vrabel's first overall Patriots' draft pick, left tackle Will Campbell, is crushing Pro Football Focus's (PFF's) rookie ratings weekly. For some, it was a risky pick who'd project only to an NFL guard position. The reason was his shorter arms, which measured a whopping 3/8" shorter than the supposed requisite minimum.

The New England Patriots' Mike Vrabel undertook a major roster rebuild in the 2025 offseason. One position he addressed was the edge on defense. He signed free agents Harold Landry III, who has performed as expected, and also K'Lavon Chaisson, who has exceeded expectations after nine games and is headed for a career season with 5.5 sacks already. Chaisson's previous high had been five sacks in 2024.

Over the first eight games of the season, the Patriots have dealt with more than their fair share of questionable calls by NFL officials, as they have had the most flag-happy crews on hand for more than one of their games. It has made life difficult in more ways than one, like stripping away an impressive touchdown by DeMario Douglas against the Saints, which hasn't helped their early struggles with avoidable penalties.

Considering he hasn't had a good season and fell down the depth chart throughout the summer, it's almost shocking to see any team willing to give up even late-round draft capital to acquire him. But given the losses the 49ers have dealt with, like Fred Warner, it's not entirely surprising that they were interested in providing White a fresh start. The Patriots make their first big trade ahead of the 2025 NFL deadline