Musket Fire‘s Ryan O’Leary argued on Oct. 27 that the New England Patriots should trade for Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen before the NFL’s Nov. 10 deadline. Woolen is a 6-foot-4 boundary corner who has played 425 defensive snaps this season, the most among NFL cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
The availability question starts with ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who identified Woolen as a candidate to be moved before the deadline. O’Leary’s argument is that a Riq Woolen trade would give New England a third quality cover corner behind Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, a pair that has missed a combined six games this season.
Woolen joined Philadelphia on a one-year deal this offseason after a Seattle run that included a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie and a Super Bowl title. He now starts opposite Quinyon Mitchell for the Eagles.
Why Riq Woolen trade talk picked up before the Nov. 10 deadline
O’Leary’s case landed four days after New England’s Thursday night game against Chicago, when Caleb Williams and the Bears’ passing attack produced through the air. O’Leary’s focus was the depth chart behind Gonzalez and Davis when either starter is unavailable.
The wider trade market, he wrote, has most analysts connecting New England to defensive line or offensive skill-position help. His view is that cornerback is the more urgent need, specifically a boundary defender with size who can hold up if a starter misses time.
The Patriots cornerback depth question after the Bears game
Gonzalez and Davis have missed a combined six games this season, the figure O’Leary cited as the core of the problem. Those absences have pushed Marcus Jones, normally a slot corner, onto the outside at a rate Pro Football Focus projects to be his highest since his rookie season of 2022.
At 5-foot-8, Jones has been matched against bigger tight ends and wide receivers. Per Pro Football Focus, he carries the highest missed tackle rate of his career and is allowing a 114.2 passer rating when targeted. O’Leary’s point is that the secondary functions best when Jones is locked on slot receivers rather than chasing boundary assignments.
Behind the starters, New England has young corners in Charles Woods, Channing Canada and Karon Prunty. O’Leary described them as promising young pieces and argued Woolen would represent an upgrade over that group for a team with playoff expectations.
What Woolen would bring to the New England Patriots secondary
Woolen’s workload is not in question. His 425 defensive snaps lead all NFL cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus, and he ranks 21st among 102 cornerbacks in the site’s grading system.
Barnwell’s assessment, quoted by O’Leary, weighs the profile against the risks:
“During his time in Seattle, he allowed a 70.6 passer rating in coverage, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie,” Barnwell wrote. “While Woolen can be susceptible to double moves and is tied with L’Jarius Sneed for the most penalties committed by a defensive player since the start of 2022, cornerbacks with his coverage ability and size (6-foot-4) aren’t easy to find, especially in the middle of an NFL season. He’s going to be best in a zone scheme where he can use that frame to take away throwing lanes on quick routes and make it difficult for quarterbacks to fit passes over the top.”
The scheme note matters in New England. O’Leary noted the Patriots play man coverage at the third-highest rate in football but still use zone on 63% of their snaps, a split that would give Woolen a defined role. Evan Lazar noted that Williams went 7-of-10 for 117 yards against New England’s zone coverages against Chicago, with the Patriots in zone on 66.7% of snaps.
A No. 3 corner with a specific job
O’Leary’s projection is a No. 3 boundary corner who doubles as veteran depth and a matchup piece when the game plan leans zone or calls for size. That role would let Jones return to the slot and soften the strain created by any future absence from Gonzalez or Davis.
Estimated salary and why Barnwell’s Carolina proposal is not a Patriots offer
Money is the first constraint. Over the Cap estimates the Patriots have about $2.5 million in available cap space, a figure O’Leary acknowledged would require a corresponding move to fit Woolen’s contract.
The contract itself is lighter than the headline $12 million base salary suggests. Per Spotrac, the bulk of Woolen’s 2026 base salary has already been paid, leaving an acquiring team with roughly $3 million in remaining base salary after Week 9.
The compensation framework needs a clear label. Barnwell’s hypothetical proposal on ESPN sent Woolen and a 2028 sixth-round pick to Carolina for tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and a 2028 fifth-round pick. That construction centered on the Panthers, not the Patriots.
O’Leary also raised a practical caution about negotiating with Eagles GM Howie Roseman, while noting the two teams already completed a significant deal this league year: New England acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown from Philadelphia on June 1.
What to watch before the NFL trade deadline
The deadline is Nov. 10. Any New England move would require cleared cap space and a decision on how much draft capital to send for a player on an expiring one-year deal. Readers tracking other conversations can follow the Patriots trade rumors tracker.
