DL Lawrence Guy Retires
Lawrence Guy‘s NFL career has officially come to an end. The veteran defensive lineman retired on Friday.
Guy finished his tenure on Friday by signing a one-day contract with the Patriots. That comes as no surprise, since 118 of his combined regular and postseason NFL appearances came with New England. The 35-year-old most recently played with the Bengals last season.
“I want to thank the Patriots organization and [owner Robert Kraft], it’s a full circle moment,” Guy said upon officially hanging up his cleats (via MassLive’s Karen Guregian). “I wanted to retire in New England because New England was my home. It’s a blessing that I get to be here to do this.”
A seventh-round pick of the Green Bay in 2011, Guy never wound up playing a regular season game with the team. His first action in the league instead came as a member of the Colts one year later, with his early years also including time spent as a member of the Chargers.
During a span from 2014-16, the Arizona State product took on a prominent role with the Ravens. He appeared in 11 games as part of the defensive line rotation in his first season in Baltimore. He posted 4.5 sacks in 2015 – his first since 2012 – along with eight tackles for loss. In 2016, his counting sacks ticked down to one sack and five tackles for loss, but he was a key cog in the Ravens’ fifth-ranked run defense.
That earned him a starting job with the Patriots for the next seven seasons. He never returned to his 2015 production level, but he started 103 games and played at least 500 snaps every year. After two four-year contracts with the Patriots, Guy was released before the 2024 season and eventually caught on with the Bengals for four games before he was released. Guy retires with $31,249,832 in career earnings, per OverTheCap.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Patriots Expected To Search For Edge Help
While it’s up in the air how much activity will take place before the trade deadline, pass rushers and wide receivers are the positions that are the most in demand leading up to Nov. 4, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. At 5-2 and leading the AFC East, the Patriots are among buyers expected to push for an edge rusher, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.
Led by new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have already surpassed the four wins they posted during Jerod Mayo‘s lone season at the helm in 2024. They’ve won four in a row to set themselves up as deadline buyers. With the most cap room in the league (around $55MM), the Patriots are in prime position to make a splash over the next couple of weeks.
The Patriots have been effective at taking down opposing quarterbacks this year, which has helped lead to their successful start. They rank 11th in the league in sacks with 18, but most of those have come from three players – offseason additions Harold Landry (5.5), K’Lavon Chaisson (4.5), and Milton Williams (3.5).
Landry and Chaisson have been among the league’s best edge players when it comes to pass run win rate, per ESPN Analytics. The same is true of Williams and fellow Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, though the latter hasn’t picked up a sack yet.
While it’s unclear which edge players the Patriots have targeted to join their pass-rushing group, it’s unlikely they or anyone else will pry prized defensive end Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals. Likewise, the Raiders aren’t trading Maxx Crosby.
The division rival Jets (Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald) and Dolphins (Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and former Patriot Matt Judon) could have edge help for sale, but they may be reluctant to deal with the Patriots. The Saints’ Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson have come up as trade candidates. Meanwhile, the Titans’ Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones might be part of a pre-deadline fire sale. Key played under Vrabel with the Titans in 2023.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/25
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: CB Arthur Maulet
- Elevated: CB Tre Flowers, S Loren Strickland
- Released: LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): LB Caleb Murphy
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Shaquill Griffin, S Jerrick Reed II
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: G Mike Jordan, RB Owen Wright
It didn’t take long for Arthur Maulet to earn a full-time spot on the Lions active roster. The veteran cornerback just joined the organization earlier this month, and he already had one promotion in Week 6. He’ll likely continue seeing a rotational role in Detroit’s secondary moving forward, although his addition is partly due to absences from Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed.
The Patriots snagged a linebacker from the Chargers today. Caleb Murphy has some familiarity with Mike Vrabel, as the former Titans coach added the linebacker as an undrafted free agent back in 2023. Murphy has gotten into 14 games in stints with the Titans and Chargers, compiling 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
AFC Trade Notes: Patriots, Colts, Chiefs, Ravens, Jaguars
The Patriots improved to 5-2 on the season with their win this afternoon. As a result, New England could be one of the teams inclined to pursue trade additions over the coming days.
The Pats have already made one in-season swap, sending Ja’Lynn Polk to the Saints. That trade left the team thinner at the receiver spot, but an addition at that position does not appear to be forthcoming. During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported New England should not be expected to pursue a receiver move compared to other positions (video link). Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas have each played a role in quarterback Drake Maye‘s strong start to the season; it seems that depth chart will not change in the near future.
On the other hand, New England’s pass rush room could be different shortly. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required) the Patriots are making calls about an addition along the edge. With a league-leading $55MM in cap space, the team could certainly afford a splashy addition. Meanwhile, New England is receiving calls about a number of internal players, per Russini. Anfernee Jennings could be on the move, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. The 28-year-old has lost his starting spot, so a change of scenery could be worked out allowing him to return to first-team action. Jennings – who would be an inexpensive target for interested teams – is under contract through 2026.
As the November 4 deadline approaches, here are some other trade notes from around the AFC:
- Injuries (along with Xavien Howard‘s retirement) have ravaged the Colts’ secondary in 2025. In spite of that, Indianapolis has managed to start the season 5-1. It would thus come as little surprise if the team operated as a buyer ahead of the deadline. Per Russini, cornerback is a position being targeted as part of the general aim of adding on defense. Finances could be a challenge since Indianapolis has just $4.7MM in cap space, but the team will be one to monitor regarding at least a modest acquisition.
- After a shutout win against Vegas, the Chiefs are 4-3. Kansas City has been named as one of the top suitors for a backfield addition, but it appears nothing is imminent on that front. Russini reports the Chiefs are making calls about a defensive line acquisition but not doing so for running backs. Most of the team’s incumbent backs are pending free agents, although the second half of the campaign could convince Kansas City to retain one or more of them. The Chiefs’ passing game has thrived this year, but they sit mid-pack in rushing production.
- Second-year Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has drawn criticism for his unit’s poor play early on. Orr is safe in his current position, and he could soon have one or more new players in the fold. According to Rappoport, Baltimore is in the market for a defensive addition. General manager Eric DeCosta has a history of being aggressive on the trade front, and the Ravens have the cap space ($14.65MM) to swing at least a rental move ahead of the deadline.
- Both Rapoport and Russini point to the Jaguars as another team to watch. Jacksonville has made a pair of trades since the start of the campaign, and more could be coming. Defensive help is being sought out, and Rapoport specifies the D-line as an area which could be targeted. Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Rams dropped Jacksonville to 4-3; the team leads the NFL in interceptions but ranks just 22nd in scoring defense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/25
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Placed on IR: CB Clark Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer
- Elevated: DT Jonathan Ford, K Jake Moody
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: G Jacob Monk
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby, RB Pierre Strong
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Kendall Sheffield
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Miles Battle, RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Nephi Sewell
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: OLB Victor Dimukeje
- Waived: DL Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Ja’Markis Weston
- Signed to active roster: WR Isaiah Williams
- Elevated: CB Korie Black, LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: LB Mark Robinson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: TE E.J. Jenkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, WR Mason Kinsey
As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.
Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.
Patriots Looking For Help At Cornerback
Surprisingly atop the AFC East at 4-2, the Patriots may buy before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They’re looking for help at cornerback, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.
After a second straight 4-13 finish, New England made it a point to upgrade at corner during a busy offseason. The Patriots signed former Buccaneer and Lion Carlton Davis to a three-year, $60MM contract in free agency. Davis has begun his Patriots tenure with six straight starts, and he easily leads their cornerbacks in snap share (92.4%).
The Patriots had to wait a little while to see Davis start alongside No. 1 corner Christian Gonzalez, who missed the first three weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. Since the 2024 second-team All-Pro debuted in Week 4, the Patriots have won three straight.
Along with Gonzalez and Davis on the outside, the Patriots boast a solid slot corner in Marcus Jones. The problem is that the team is lacking quality depth after that trio.
Having taken 144 defensive snaps this season, Alex Austin ranks in fourth in playing time among Pats CBs. However, on 12 targets this season, Austin has allowed 10 completions and a 143.7 passer rating. Pro Football Focus ranks Austin’s 2025 performance 104th among 107 qualifiers at his position. Aware of Austin’s struggles, head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff limited the defender to special teams duty in last week’s win over the Saints.
Charles Woods, a late-August waiver claim from the Rams, rounds out the Patriots’ CB group. Woods has totaled just 44 snaps this year, and a knee injury could keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Titans.
With the Patriots thin at corner, they rank 25th in the NFL in pass defense through six weeks. A significant injury to Gonzalez, Davis, or Jones could spell disaster for a team trying to end a three-year playoff drought and snap the Bills’ five-season run as division champions. While it’s not clear which corners the Patriots are pursuing, they’re in obvious need of improvement beyond their top three.
Patriots OC Josh McDaniels Downplays Future HC Interest
Josh McDaniels has served as an NFL head coach on two occasions. A third opportunity could arise depending on the success of his latest Patriots offensive coordinator stint, but that is not something receiving consideration at this time. 
“I love living in New England,” McDaniels said when speaking to the media about any future head coaching aspirations (via MassLive’s Karen Guregian). “That’s the short of it. I just try to focus on now, I’m really enjoying coaching for [head coach] Mike [Vrabel], and the staff and the guys we have here in the organization. That would be surprising if I moved my kids out of Westwood.”
McDaniels has worked as the Patriots’ OC on three separate occasions during his career. The 49-year-old has also been the head coach of the Broncos and Raiders, although neither of those gigs went according to plan. With Denver in 2010 and then again with Vegas in 2023, McDaniels was fired midway through his second season in charge. Overall, his head coaching record sits at 20-33.
For the time being, McDaniels’ attention is focused on overseeing an offense which has made notable strides compared to last season. Central to that development, of course, is the progress shown by second-year quarterback Drake Maye. 2024’s third overall pick has increased his production across the board during his first campaign working under McDaniels. The Patriots sit at 4-2 on the year and rank 11th in the league in scoring with an average of 25 points per game.
If New England can maintain that level of production through the remainder of the season, a return to the playoffs could be in store. That would no doubt help McDaniels’ coaching stock, and it could leave him in a situation not unlike Kliff Kingsbury‘s last year. During his return to the NFL, Kingsbury helped guide Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense to an impressive showing, leading to questions about a second attempt at head coaching duties. Kingsbury was linked to multiple openings, but the presence of Daniels helped inform his decision to remain in place.
Similarly, McDaniels could draw interest on the coaching market if his third Patriots stint continues on an encouraging path. His past shortcomings would give suitors plenty of pause, on the other hand, and it remains to be seen if he would seek out another chance to lead a coaching staff anyway. At this point, it appears as though that would not be the case.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DB Trevian Thomas
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Jalen Cropper
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
- Released: DL Keith Cooper
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Thomas Odukoya, DL Leonard Taylor
- Released: TE Marshall Lang, DL David Olajiga
Patriots On Radar For RB Trade?
Considerable optimism about the Patriots’ rushing attack existed entering the season, as second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson impressed consistently during the summer. But the Pats’ bounce-back start to the season has brought ground-game concerns.
New England leads the AFC East for the first time since December 2021, sitting 4-2 with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills. But the Pats’ rushing attack ranks 26th, increasing Drake Maye‘s degree of difficulty in what has been a promising start to his sophomore season. The Henderson-Rhamondre Stevenson tandem has not found much success, with the latter’s fumbling issues a hindrance for a second straight season.
Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric ranks both players in the bottom quartile among qualified RBs. This comes as Pro Football Focus ranks New England’s offensive line ninth through six games. Some buzz about the Pats being RB-curious ahead of the trade deadline has emerged, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicating teams have a buyer’s move here on the radar.
Unlike last season, the Pats have not disciplined Stevenson for his fumbling issue. He bounced back from another giveaway to score twice in the Pats’ upset win over the Bills and leads the team with 157 rushing yards. Henderson is not far behind, at 148, with the two respectively logging 51 and 41 carries. Though, Stevenson has averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per rush; Henderson is at 3.6. The Patriots lost Antonio Gibson to a season-ending ACL tear in Buffalo.
One of the top RB trade chips, Breece Hall, is highly unlikely to be dealt within the AFC East. Another option, Alvin Kamara, has said he would contemplate retirement if traded out of New Orleans. Kamara being stuck on a rebuilding team does not seem to be an issue for a player who has signed two Saints extensions; his current deal (two years, $24.5MM) runs through 2026. Next year, though, does not include any guaranteed money. The Saints also have Kendre Miller as a successor, in the event Kamara is moved.
Would the Titans consider moving starter Tony Pollard as their rebuild takes shape post-Brian Callahan? Tennessee has been mentioned as a prepared seller, while Fowler colleague Dan Graziano predicts the Browns will trade Jerome Ford due to the arrivals of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the draft. Ford is tied to a one-year, $1.75MM deal, though he would not be a clear upgrade over the Pats’ current coalition. Stevenson’s contract runs through 2028, and a $3.25MM guarantee is in place for 2026.
The Chargers and Chiefs have also surfaced as teams to watch for a running back move. Cap space is not an issue for the Pats, who hold an NFL-most $54.7MM (per OverTheCap) ahead of Week 7. They have nearly three weeks to further evaluate this situation, with this year’s deadline looming Nov. 4.
Patriots Sign S Richie Grant
Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins‘ hamstring injury may be worse than reports so far have shown. After missing last week’s game because of the injury, Hawkins did not participate in practice today, and in a move that may be linked to the situation, New England signed former Falcons starting safety Richie Grant, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. 
Grant’s contract with the Patriots will reportedly be a practice squad deal, continuing a downward trend for the former second-round pick out of UCF. Grant served almost two years in Atlanta as a full-time starter following his rookie campaign. Late in 2023, though, he got passed up on the depth chart, and last year, he only started one game in the Falcons secondary.
As a free agent, Grant signed with the 49ers and even made the initial 53-man roster, but he was waived two days later. Once again a free agent, Grant was able to work out with the Colts in the days leading up to the regular season, but ultimately, no deal came along.
Hawkins has been part of a new-look defensive backstop for the Patriots this year. The team released Jabrill Peppers before the start of the season, and trade rumors had been surrounding Kyle Dugger for some time. Hawkins, a waiver claim during the 2024 season, and Craig Woodson, a fourth-round rookie who hails from the same alma mater as Hawkins, opened the season as the team’s starting safeties.
With Hawkins’ absence stretching into the early days of practice this week, there’s a chance New England pursued Grant because of his starting experience. Dugger struggled in last week’s start, second-year defender Dell Pettus has been working in a minimized box safety role this year, and Brenden Schooler is an All-Pro special teamer. Grant’s two years of starting experience may give him a shot at filling in until Hawkins can overcome his ailing hamstring.