5 biggest question marks facing the Patriots ahead of training camp

The Patriots seem to be everyone’s favorite sleeper team.

Locally, and nationally, Mike Vrabel & Co. have already generated considerable buzz around the NFL and altered the view of the team.

After back-to-back four-win seasons, there are expectations for the Patriots to make a considerable leap in 2025.

With Vrabel now at the helm, a promising young quarterback in Drake Maye, and improvements made on both sides of the ball, there are reasons for optimism.

So what might burst the bubble? What might derail the Patriots from meeting enhanced expectations?

Here are the 5 biggest question marks surrounding the team ahead of training camp.

Offensive line

One of the top off-season priorities was improving an offensive line that’s been hazardous to a quarterback’s health, not to mention psyche, the recent years.

Making moves to protect Drake Maye was the first order of business on Vrabel’s to-do-list.

The Patriots were hoping to land veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley in free agency, but that goal was squashed when he wound up re-signing with the Ravens.

With a free agent class that was considerably weak after Stanley, they focused their attention on the draft, taking LSU star Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick.

They also signed veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, who was with the Jets last season.

And after releasing center David Andrews, who ultimately retired, they countered with Garrett Bradbury, who was let go by the Minnesota Vikings.

So they added two new starting tackles and a center, but they all come with warning labels.

Campbell is a terrific prospect, but he has a physical red flag – short arms.

Left tackles with short arms don’t typically make the cut at the position. So while Campbell is promising, there are no guarantees he’ll be able to handle the position.

As for Bradbury, he’s coming off a rough final season with the Vikes. Statistically, he was one of the worst centers in the league according to Pro Football Focus. So he’s not exactly a sure-thing.

Ditto whoever winds up at left guard. Cole Strange appears to have a leg up on the competition but that starter will be determined during training camp.

As for Moses, he’s already had a positive impact mentoring the younger players, Campbell in particular. But at age 34, it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank.

Bottom line: There are still more questions, than answers, with this group.

Stefon Diggs

Along with the offensive line, the Patriots made it a priority to surround Maye with a better cast of receivers.

Landing a No. 1 receiver was the hope. They threw a ton of money at free agent Chris Godwin, but he signed for less to remain in Tampa Bay.

After striking out there, as well as a few other places, they settled on Stefon Diggs, who certainly has the credentials, but is coming off a torn ACL.

So while Diggs might return for the start of the season, how close to peak will he be?

And, will he behave?

The 31-year-old star seems to be a little too fond of the spotlight, as he missed OTAs to party with his then-celebrity girlfriend Cardi B.

That landed him in Vrabel’s doghouse.

A healthy and committed Diggs, however, would boost a receiver room that doesn’t scare anyone.

In short, Diggs is a bit of a wild card. It’s anyone’s guess when he’ll be ready, how good he’ll be when he does return, and if he can make smarter decisions.

And even if he turns out to be what was hoped, the rest of the receiver cast still needs to prove all of its detractors wrong.

Pass rush

The Patriots did little to harass, bother, or take down opposing quarterbacks last season.

They finished with the fewest sacks (28) in the league.

Deatrich Wise, who along with Keion White led the team with five sacks, wasn’t re-signed.

Instead, they signed Harold Landry, who had been with Vrabel in Tennessee. He had a 12-sack season in 2021, his best. Last season, he finished with nine. So he should provide a bit more of a pass rush presence.

Same with Milton Williams. The Patriots made a huge splash with Williams, signing the former Philadelphia Eagle to a $104 million deal. He was a royal pain to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Williams, however, has never been an every-down player.

Can he still be as effective in a full-time role? After that big of a pay day?

Then, there’s Keion White, who last year voiced a lack of confidence in his coaches. Will he make the leap under Vrabel as a pass rusher?

And will Christian Barmore, who can be a force on the inside, be able to stay healthy and avoid the blood clots that derailed him last year?

With all of those potential hiccups, it remains to be seen if this group can do any better getting to the quarterback.

Drake Maye/Josh McDaniels union

Second year. Second offensive coordinator. Second new offense.

That’s not usually a recipe for success for a quarterback.

But that’s what’s facing Drake Maye in Year 2, a year where he’s expected to make an important leap.

It’s no secret. Josh McDaniels’ system is fairly complex. There are no guarantees Maye will be able to master it so quickly.

McDaniels, of course, doesn’t seem to think it’ll be a problem, but that’s what you’d expect him to say. He believes the narrative about how difficult his offense is has been largely overblown.

“There will be a period of adjustment,” McDaniels acknowledged, “but I don’t think that will be a big deal.”

Maye, who recently hosted his receivers in North Carolina for few days of throwing sessions, seemed to improve with every OTA and mini-camp practice the media was allowed to see.

His adaptation and ultimate Year 2 leap, however, remains a wait-and-see proposition.

The kicker

Heading into training camp, the Patriots are still in the midst of a kicker competition.

Through the early camps, rookie sixth-round pick Andy Borregales had the edge over John Parker Romo, a veteran who has spent time with five different NFL organizations.

Should Borregales win out, it’ll be interesting to see how the Miami Hurricanes kicker handles the job.

Last year, he was one of the best kickers – if not the best – in college football.

The Venezuela native had a terrific career with the Hurricanes, making 74 of 86 field goals (86%) and going 18 for 19 as a senior (94.7%) with a long of 56 yards.

Even with that, it tends to be a crapshoot when it comes to rookie kickers in the NFL.

In New England, the weather also plays a factor. Let’s just say Miami is nothing like Foxborough in the winter.

There will be a lot of pressure on Borregales, who was the first kicker taken in the 2025 draft. So he’s a natural question mark.

Then if Romo wins out, it’s hard to predict that his sixth team will finally be the charm.