Head coach Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots are counting down the days until their 2025 NFL season kicks off on September 7. The Patriots are one of the many teams making last minute tweaks to their squad in order to get the roster down to the league rule of 53 players.

Recently, it was announced that the Patriots would be two players initially thought to be trade candidates on their 53-man roster for the upcoming campaign.

“Source: #Patriots S Kyle Dugger is staying in New England on the 53-man roster. The front office had trade talks with multiple teams, but was not close on a deal as of this morning,” reported Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald on X, formerly Twitter.

“Kendrick Bourne, as well. Life is fluid. But both stick for now,” added NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on X.

Both Bourne and Dugger are veteran players whom some speculated the Patriots may try to move off of in order to continue the current youth movement they have brewing in Foxborough.

However, it seems that both players will be staying on board for the upcoming season, and could perhaps provide some nice veteran leadership for a team that is still young overall.

Can the Patriots compete?

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Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots brought in a new head coach in Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo, whose stint with the Patriots lasted just one season.

The Patriots are hoping that Vrabel, who has a history of wringing a lot out of teams that don't necessarily have premium talent, will be able to work his magic in New England as well. Coincidentally, it was Vrabel's Tennessee Titans who ended the Tom Brady era back in the 2019 season by eliminating the Patriots from the playoffs that year.

The Patriots are also looking forward to continued growth from quarterback Drake Maye, who took over midway through the season last year and flashed some of the star talent that allowed him to be the number three overall pick despite playing behind a shaky offensive line.

In any case, New England is set to kick off its 2025 season at home against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 7.

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