How Patriots’ Salary Cap Could Impact New England At Trade Deadline

The New England Patriots could add to their roster ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. But a blockbuster addition is unlikely.

Why? Well, for one, the Patriots rarely acquire star-caliber players at this time of year. Their biggest deadline add in recent seasons was wide receiver Mohamed Sanu in 2019. Before that, it was cornerback Aqib Talib in 2012.

But even if the Patriots wanted to make a big splash, their salary cap situation would make doing so difficult.

Following a series of minor roster moves this week, the Patriots entered the weekend with just over $2.9 million in available salary cap space, according to cap expert Miguel Benzan. An internal NFL salary cap report shared Thursday by The MMQB’s Albert Breer had that number even lower — closer to $2.5 million, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the league.

New England could create additional space by trading players, releasing players, extending players or restructuring current contracts. But acquiring a player whose remaining 2021 salary is significantly higher than their current cap number — someone like Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson, who’s still owed close to $10 million — wouldn’t be realistic.

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This is important to keep in mind when considering potential Patriots trade targets.

Denver Broncos cornerback Kyle Fuller, for example, is one of the hottest names in the pre-deadline rumor mill, but he has a remaining salary of more than $5 million. Combine that price tag with his on-field struggles — he’s Pro Football Focus’s third-lowest-graded player at his position this season — and Fuller probably isn’t a viable option for the corner-needy Patriots unless Denver agrees to eat a significant portion of his salary.

That doesn’t mean every recognizable player is off-limits, though. There are some notable ones on cheaper deals who could be moved, including Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks. Thanks to an offseason restructure, Cooks would only cost a team that acquires him about $1.5 million against the salary cap.

The Texans reportedly aren’t eager to trade Cooks, and it’s unclear whether the Patriots, who employed the speedy wideout in 2017, would be interested in a reunion. But if they are, they could fit him under their cap.

Including one of their own players in a trade — top candidates include receiver N’Keal Harry and cornerback Joejuan Williams — would free up more cap space for the Patriots. They’ll also need to save some for the inevitable roster moves that will ensue over the final 11 weeks of the season.

The trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.