The trade deadline has come and gone. The Patriots roster is what it is the rest of the way.
While Eliot Wolf & Co. had lines out trying to lure prospective buyers, no one wanted what they were selling. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
As one NFL executive told MassLive recently: “I’m not sure there’s much to move there.”
It’s tough to dump fair to middling talent to contending teams looking for pieces to put them over the top. And mediocre was pretty much the extent of what was available in the Patriots cupboard.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
Some teams were reportedly hoping to pry away Christian Gonzalez, Keion White and or Kyle Dugger, but the Patriots weren’t about to trade off any of their young talent.
As Jerod Mayo said Sunday, those rumors were “silly.”
They received a 2026 sixth-round pick for one-dimensional pass rusher Joshua Uche, but that was it. On the flip side, Wolf didn’t want to trade off draft assets in exchange for talent to bolster the roster in the immediate. In some ways, that’s understandable.
So here we are.
The rest of the way, it’s the Drake Maye Show, and that’s about it.
The rookie quarterback has energized the team, elevated the talent, and made the team much more fun to watch, but that can’t be the narrative in 2025.
Now for the mission.
It’s on the personnel trio of Wolf, Matt Groh and Alonzo Highsmith to build a powerhouse team around Maye. It’s on them to fix the offensive line, and find legitimate playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Given what Maye has already shown in four starts, the heat’s on the braintrust fortify the outfit.
They can’t shoot and miss, like they did in free agency. They can’t sign more Chuks Okorafors. They need to score plug-and-play talent.
They also need to hit it out of the park with the draft. Right now, the 2024 draft class isn’t looking great outside of Maye, but there’s still time for that to come around.
The book isn’t closed on Ja’Lynn Polk, Caedan Wallace, Javon Baker, Layden Robinson, Marcellas Dial or Jaheim Bell. But the early returns haven’t been very good.
On the offensive side especially, the Patriots have to figure out what they have in receivers Polk and Baker, and tight end Bell in particular.
No matter how that trio turn out, that won’t change the need for a top-of-the-line wideout. They still need to find a No. 1 stud. A cast of 2s-and-3s, mostly 3s, doesn’t get the job done. That won’t help Maye take it to the next level.
Now that the Patriots know they have the quarterback, they can’t flunk another offseason. Breaking even also doesn’t cut it. They need to crush it.
It’s not like they aren’t armed with the necessary tools. They have tons of money and an abundance of cap space to work with next year.
According to OvertheCap.com, the Patriots are third in cap space at the moment ($37.2 million) and lead the NFL in projected cap space for 2025 ($131.85 million). So there’s no excuse not to spend.
They still might not be a preferred landing spot for top free agents, but the appeal of receiving top dollar, and getting to play with Maye should make them more attractive than they were during the last free agent cycle.
The Patriots also have a slew of draft picks, with 17 in the next two drafts. That breaks down to nine in 2025 and eight in 2026. Next year, they have an extra third round pick (from Matthew Judon deal with Atlanta) and three seventh-round picks.
Even better, they’re currently in line for the first overall pick. That might turn into a top-five pick, but that’s fine, too.
As for bettering the coaching staff, Mayo isn’t going anywhere. As Robert Kraft’s hand-picked selection, and given the roster he inherited, it would be stunning if Mayo was one-and-done.
Mayo’s staff might need some tweaking, but that’s still up for debate. On the offensive side, while Alex Van Pelt hasn’t proven to be the best play caller, it’s hard to imagine the Patriots giving Maye a second offensive coordinator and offensive playbook to learn in two years. That in itself isn’t a recipe for success.
Van Pelt and the offensive staff (QB coach T.C. McCartney, senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo) also get points for Maye’s development, so it hasn’t all been bad on that side.
Injuries and outside issues with players have also factored into the Patriots plight.
Bottom line: Once the season is over, upgrading the worst roster in the NFL has to be the priority. Surrounding Maye with the necessary arsenal to fully capture his talent is a must.
Failure isn’t an option for Wolf & Co.
