Mike Vrabel Breaks Silence on Patriots Trade Deadline Plans

The New England Patriots are 5-2 going into Week 8, making them a strong candidate to be buyers ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

The Pats lead the AFC East, but they may need to make a move or two in order to keep their spot atop the division. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the team's process in figuring out what's best for them for the trade deadline, but revealed that he is focusing more on how to improve with the players currently on the roster.

"We'll always continue to try to do that," Vrabel said when asked about looking for ways to improve the team.

"I would say that the players that are here, we ask to prepare as a starter mentally so that they're ready to go, they're not just checked out and they're not just reading a card. I mean, again, our coaches will watch, they'll have breakfast with our young coaches.

"It's a great opportunity for them on Saturday morning to tell those guys, "Hey, the front seven –" Milt [Milton Patterson] and Vinny [DePalma] will be in there watching their defensive snaps from the week, grab some breakfast, come in, have a little meeting before they work out.

"Same as on offense, whether that's Kugs [Robert Kugler], Riley [Larkin] or Chuckie [Keeton], to be able to get those players in there so that they feel like there's feedback and they're getting coached the same way that anybody else would. And then, as far as the roster, any opportunities that we have to improve it, whether that's the practice squad or the 53-man roster, we'll probably always try to do that."