The New England Patriots could face a tempting trade decision ahead of the deadline, and it isn’t the direction most people expected. According to Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, the Patriots could be sellers, not buyers, before the deadline hits right after Week 9. That scenario involves defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

Barmore, 27, is a player New England has valued highly over the past few years, but he has lost ground in the defensive tackle rotation this season. According to Breer, Barmore could be had via trade in the coming weeks.

“The Patriots are deep in the AFC race, but veteran DT Christian Barmore could be had, having played only 41.9% of the team’s defensive snaps, falling behind Milton Williams and Cory Durden in the team’s rotation.” — Albert Breer.

Barmore’s role has shrunk

The snap counts explain why Barmore’s name is out there. He has played less than half of the team’s defensive snaps, third in the defensive tackle rotation.

Williams leads the defensive tackles at 67.82% of the defensive snaps. Durden sits at 50%, and Barmore comes after them. Joshua Farmer has played 23.61% of the snaps, and he could take on a heavier load if New England decides to move Barmore.

Production is part of the conversation too. Barmore has 12 pressures and only four stops. He remains a high-level pass rusher, but run defense has historically been a problem for him. Therefore, he looks like a good player who is probably more limited than his reputation suggests at this point.

The cap picture changed fast

The Patriots no longer have a comfortable salary cap situation. ESPN beat writer Mike Reiss pointed out that New England entered the league year in March with around $52 million in cap space. Right now, the team has $5.2 million, roughly 10% of that number.

That’s what happens after a busy offseason. The Patriots made several investments around the roster, so they don’t have the same financial flexibility they had seven months ago. This is where Barmore’s situation becomes intriguing.

If the Patriots traded Barmore now, they would carry $6.66 million in dead money spread through two years while getting his $7.341 million cap hit off the books. The bigger savings come later. A trade would also clear $20 million in 2027 and $21 million in 2028 in terms of cash. Because it would be a post-June 1 trade, the acceleration of the remaining prorated money wouldn’t hit before 2027.

That’s a lot of cash freedom for a team that has already spent aggressively to build its roster around a young core.

Selling in a playoff race is a tough decision

The timing is the complicated part. The Patriots are 4-3, second in the AFC East, and fighting for a playoff spot. They have a shot at the division against the Buffalo Bills and, at the very least, a real chance at a wild card berth.

Fans don’t usually expect a contender to trade away players at the deadline. But the financial situation gives New England a reason to think differently. Moving on from Barmore would cost the defensive line some pass-rush juice, but Williams and Durden already handle the bigger workload, and Farmer could absorb more snaps.

The difference between buying and selling here comes down to perspective. In the short term, keeping Barmore helps the depth of the rotation. For the long-term health of the franchise, though, turning an interior defender with a large future salary into cap flexibility might be the more enticing path for the Patriots before the deadline, especially if they can get a solid trade compensation.