Patriots Urged To Make Trade Amid Struggles At This Key Position

The New England Patriots have a linebacking problem.

Offseason signing Robert Spillane played well the last two weeks after struggling in the first two contests. However, the Patriots are brutally thin at linebacker after Spillane, with few, if any, starting-caliber players on the depth chart. So, how can they fix the issue?

Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard suggested a trade in his detailed breakdown of New England’s Week 4 home win over the Carolina Panthers. In the piece, which was published on Wednesday, Bedard identified inside linebacker as the “biggest” problem that the Patriots must address.

“Robert Spillane has settled down after a rough start (he hasn’t missed a tackle the past two games), but the spot next to him has been a disaster,” Bedard wrote. “Christian Elliss was by far the worst defender on the field against the Panthers against the run and pass. They’ve played Jack Gibbens some as part of an apparent competition — and Marte Mapu in passing situations — and that’s been a little better.

“I would go with Gibbens and Mapu, but you’ll have to watch if the Bills try to exploit Mapu against the run (he got shoved back once really bad on Sunday). The bottom line is the Patriots have a bunch of special teamers next to Spillane, and they’re getting exposed. This has been an issue going back to the start of camp. Might be time to start looking for a trade.”

The good news for the Patriots is that versatile linebacker Jahlani Tavai returned to practice this week after beginning the season on injured reserve due to a calf issue. The bad news is that Tavai might not represent a big upgrade over most of New England’s linebackers and probably shouldn’t start on a good defense. We also have no idea how head coach Mike Vrabel views Tavai, who started 16 games under Jerod Mayo last season and 28 games under Bill Belichick from 2022 through 2023.

Regardless, even at his best, Tavai won’t solve New England’s linebacking woes. As Bedard suggested, the Patriots might need to make a trade — and in a hurry.