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!
Could/should the Patriots front office look at the rebuild in a two or even three year perspective and just go “best player available” in the draft no matter what happens during free agency? — Henning A.
Yes and yes.
Ideally, this is what the Patriots want to do. Last spring was a cautionary tale in what happens when a team reaches for need rather than taking the best player available. Beyond Drake Maye, the Patriots had one of the least impactful rookie classes in recent memory — and that was picking near the top of every single round.
Eliot Wolf and co. clearly wanted to rebuild weak spots on their offense, and wound up with Ja’Lynn Polk and Caedan Wallace as Day 2 picks, before drafting Layden Robinson and Javon Baker in the fourth round.
That can’t be the approach this year and the Patriots know that.
With long-term needs of varying degree at every single position on the roster except quarterback — and maybe safety? — they need to simply take the best player on the board, no matter the free agent class.
Hey, Chris! Do you find it likely that the Patriots pass on Mason Graham simply because of the depth/talent at the DT position in the draft (and free agency)? Thank you! – Carlos L.
A lot depends on what happens in front of them.
Presuming Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are both gone, I think Graham is a real possibility if the Patriots stay at No. 4 overall. Sticking with the best available mentality, the Michigan defensive tackle fits the bill, despite the depth of his draft class. Given the uncertainty along the defensive line — Christian Barmore’s health, Davon Godchaux seeking a trade, etc. — it’d satisfy a need too, as an ancillary benefit.
Graham is a consensus Top 5 talent in the draft. If Carter or Hunter falls, it’s a different conversation, but there’s a decent chance Graham is the best player available at No. 4.
The Pats had a terrible NFLPA report card, so how do they fix that? – Conor M.
Some of it will just take time.
The Patriots were slammed for their locker room (C-), training room (C-) and weight room (F), all of which are being redone with a $50 million renovation at Gillette Stadium. It won’t be finished until 2026, but those changes will certainly increase the GPA eventually.
The players’ dissatisfaction with Robert Kraft is really hurting the overall average though. Kraft was given a “D,” which put him 29th of 32 owners. Only New York’s Woody Johnson, Carolina’s David Tepper, and Arizona’s Michael Bidwill received worse marks. The grades for owners are weighted more heavily than anything else in the survey (15%), so until players feel better about Kraft, the overall grade will suffer.
How do you expect the Patriots to address the center position? – Miguel B.
Great question on an underplayed storyline. The Patriots need to start planning for the future here.
David Andrews is hoping to return in 2025, but coming off a torn labrum and turning 33 this summer, there’s no guarantee of his effectiveness — and even if Andrews returns to form, Father Time is unforgiving with linemen.
Mike Vrabel has a number of options here, but none are slam dunks. Cole Strange started the final two games at center, Ben Brown was a serviceable fill-in, and Jake Andrews is still hanging around, all have significant question marks.
As such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Patriots draft a center in the middle of this year’s draft.
Can the Patriots drop living in the past and move to the future? – @faircatch.bsky.social
Though Vrabel is firmly a part of past Patriots lore, I genuinely believe he’s totally focused on the future. In this vein, one thing from his introductory press conference stuck with me. When asked about following in Bill Belichick’s footsteps, Vrabel was cognizant that the path he’s walking is a different one.
“I think it is unique obviously,” Vrabel said. “Let’s just be real for a minute and just say having played for him and competing against him and then also having a friendship with Bill along the way, I think it’s special, it’s unique having played here, knowing Bill. We’re going to have to focus on things that are going to help us win now, help our players, and galvanize the building, and the team and our fan base.
“There’s things that are interesting and there’s things that are important. I think me having played for Bill is interesting, I just don’t know if it’s important to helping our players.”
What about T Jack Conklin? Seems like he could be a cap casualty in Cleveland. Vrabel worked with him in TEN and CLE. He’s elite when healthy (yeah, he’s been banged up). I’d love to see them add a quality, veteran T like this before the draft so they don’t feel pressured into reaching. – Jeb.
If he’s released, I think the Patriots would absolutely be interested.
Cleveland’s cap situation is an absolute nightmare — it’s not hyperbolic to say the Deshaun Watson trade might be the worst of all time — and the Browns can save $14.7 million by designating Conklin as a post-June 1 cut. A trade wouldn’t have the same cap savings, so I don’t think Cleveland would move him that way.
Conklin is a right tackle, so the Patriots would still need help on Drake Maye’s blindside, but he’d be a significant upgrade over what they trotted out there last season.
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