We’re running a weekly mailbag throughout the offseason. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want to gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or ask @bychrismason on Twitter or Bluesky. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
With Mike Vrabel coming in and all the recent coaching staff hires, do you think that the Patriots look to change from their draft and develop strategy and spend a little more on free agents this offseason? – Jon G.
I think they’ll spend more, but that doesn’t mean totally eschewing the draft-and-develop approach.
Drafting well is always at the core of successful football teams. Consider Vrabel’s Titans group in 2019 that made a run to the AFC Championship. The best player on the team was Derrick Henry, who Tennessee drafted. Their 2019 draft featured Jeffrey Simmons (1st round) and A.J. Brown (2nd round), both of whom are downright dominant players. The nucleus of that team was homegrown. That should always be a goal.
But while the draft-and-develop approach alone is great in theory, New England’s 2024 season illustrated the pitfalls of it. If those picks aren’t developing, the holes on the roster only get bigger.
There are a few good pieces in Foxborough right now — Drake Maye, Christian Gonzalez, etc. — but by and large, the current Patriots roster stinks. Vrabel knows it stinks. Eliot Wolf knows it stinks. And (perhaps most importantly) Robert Kraft knows it stinks.
Yes, the Patriots want to hit on the draft and work to develop players, but they’d be aided by an infusion of talent now. Proven talent. Free agency can help with that.
I’d expect Vrabel’s front office to take a few major swings in March, and that’s not just at wide receiver. Yes, if Tee Higgins makes it to free agency, I’d be surprised if the Patriots aren’t heavily involved. But even beyond that, guys like Ronnie Stanley, Josh Sweat, and Zack Baun should get calls from New England. They have a quarterback on a rookie deal and over $100 million to spend. Spend it!
Free agency is often a Band-Aid, but right now, the Patriots should be doing everything in their power to stop the bleeding no matter the method. They’re starved for talent. It’s okay to overspend and satiate that hunger while looking for longer-term answers in the draft as well.
Do you think they sign any marquee wideouts this year given the fact that they have have the most cap space in the league and if so who is a realistic target? – Dan C.
I think they’ll try.
Higgins is the most logical target, but it’s still not a sure thing he’s going to leave Cincinnati, and if he does, Washington is also lurking. What’s a better situation for Higgins right now? Clearly heading to Jayden Daniels’ team.
From there, Chris Godwin could be on the market coming off a dislocated ankle. He’d be the second best wideout on the market, but would he want to come to rebuilding New England at 29 years old? He’s banked over $40 million already and might want to stick with a contender.
After that, things get thin quickly. Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen are all north of 30 years old, while Hollywood Brown and Darius Slayton aren’t beacons on consistency.
Long answer short: I think they’ll make a real play for Higgins and/or Godwin, but landing them might not be terribly realistic.
I know the draft is a ways off but do you think Mike Vrabel will want best available player in first round or trade down? – Miller
This would be far simpler if the Patriots had tanked correctly in Week 18.
Now it depends on who is there at No. 4 overall.
If Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter is still on the board, I think it’d be hard to pass on either of them. This team needs talent and both players have game-breaking potential. If they’re gone and a quarterback-needy team wants to jump up, a trade down is more realistic.
With new coaches with the Pats and Jets, how are you now liking the competitive balance in the AFC East for next season? – Ed H.
It’ll be more competitive for sure. Heck, it’d be hard not to after Buffalo won the division by 5 games last season (and actively didn’t try in their season finale).
I believe the Patriots will be significantly better under Vrabel. The season is eons away, but it wouldn’t shock me if they flirted with .500 in 2025. As for the Jets, I think Aaron Glenn has the potential to be a really good coach, but that organization has been such a clown show for so long that seeing will be believing. The Dolphins will remain the Dolphins.
Ultimately, I’d bet Buffalo still wins the division, but it won’t be over in November like it basically was this season.
How many rookies do you see the roster being able to bring in this coming season? – @nh-gooner.bsky.social
A bunch. Could be as many as a dozen.
I’d expect the bottom of the roster to really turn over next season. When the 53-man roster is finalized at the end of training camp, there might be 25 players that finished the 2024 season in Foxborough on there.
Do people around the league see a big gap between LSU‘s Will Campbell and Texas’ Kelvin Banks and the rest of the Tackle/OL class? – @mikenh603.bsky.social
Depends on who you ask.
Draft projections are all over the place with this offensive line class. It’s the most polarizing group since I started covering the league in 2019. Some scouts aren’t even convinced that both Campbell and Banks will stick at tackle at the next level. Suffice to say, there’s no consensus Joe Alt in this class.
On a lighter note, will the Pats be changing their uniforms for the 2025 season? Bring back Pat the Patriot or a variation thereof! – Nate G.
A full-time return to the Pat Patriot reds would be great, but I fear you’re going to be stuck seeing him once or twice as season. The primary home jerseys will likely remain the same.
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