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 a new defensive scheme in place who are some cut candidates, who might regress and who may take a step forward? – Conor M.
Breakout candidate is simple: Keion White.
Still raw, it feels like White has a ton of untapped potential and this could be the coaching staff to unlock that. Speaking to reporters in Detroit last year, new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams said he was looking for one type of player in particular.
“Violent,” Williams said. “That’s it. That’s it. I’m not gonna give you a dissertation about, ‘Hey, we have to do this …’ You gotta play violent, and you gotta play with effort. The violent element of it, that’s a big part of playing that position. You want guys that accept that. You have to accept that’s just what that position is.
“(Defensive line is) a violent, high-collision position, and you’ve gotta play with effort, and if you can’t do that, you’re gonna have a hard time playing. I haven’t seen very many high-level starters that aren’t violent players. That just doesn’t work, it doesn’t go hand-in-hand… I don’t know any other way to explain it other than we’re looking for violent players. That’s just what it has to be.”
Sure sounds like White, doesn’t it? He has a violent bull rush and hit quarterbacks 16 times last season, but still needs some refining. Williams — who has coached Jeffery Simmons, Ndamukong Suh and even Richard Seymour — could take White to the next level.
As for cut candidates, there really aren’t many big names. That’s a reflection on how thin the personnel is more than anything. There will be significant turnover on the bottom half of the roster, but I wouldn’t expect any headline-grabbing cuts on the defensive side of the ball.
Kyle Dugger has the highest cap number on the defense in 2025 ($15.3 million), but his lackluster season can be explained by a misdiagnosed injury. Beyond that, the Patriots really aren’t in position to cut any good players for cap savings. They already have the most room in the league.
As for regression, there aren’t many players that could take a major step back.
Who consistently played well on defense in 2024? Christian Gonzalez? Sure, he could regress with new coaches, but I wouldn’t bet on it given what he’s shown thus far. With only 20 games on his NFL resume, it makes more sense that he’ll continue getting better in Year 3. He’s an ascending player.
With the new coaching staff in place do you think free agents are more drawn to New England or will they have to trade for players? – Miller
It’s still an uphill climb to sell players on Foxborough, but free agency should be easier this time around for two reasons: Coach and quarterback.
When players agree to contracts with a Mike Vrabel team, they know exactly what they’re signing up for. It’s going to be a demanding program, but one with a track record of success. The same couldn’t be said for Jerod Mayo at this time a year ago.
Even more importantly is the emergence Drake Maye.
Players around the league — particularly on offense — have already seen the potential Maye flashed as a rookie. With Josh McDaniels, better players around him, and a Year 2 leap, New England is a far more attractive destination than with Jacoby Brissett under center a year ago.
“(Maye is) putting the league on notice,” Kendrick Bourne said in November. “I love playing with Drake, so I can see the potential. So if anybody else can’t see it, I don’t know what they looking at.”
In an interview with FOX Sports, Eliot Wolf was also confident Maye’s rookie season would make it easier to lure free agents to Foxborough.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Wolf told Henry McKenna. “Player X from another team is like, ‘Yeah, rookie quarterback, great. You know, we’ve all seen rookie quarterbacks come in and struggle, so that doesn’t really mean a lot now.’ Drake’s actually playing well. It’s on film for everyone to see.”
The Patriots obviously have a wealth of cap space (again), too. Money talks with the right salesmen.
Of course there are still obstacles — weather, “Taxachusetts,” and back-to-back 4-13 seasons — but with Vrabel at the helm and Maye established, the Patriots are in far better shape to attack free agency than a year ago.
Mike Vrabel already seems more involved in developing the teams roster (Senior Bowl presence with himself and more staff) compared to Jerod Mayo. How do we stay excited about the future while also tempering expectations? Do we think Vrabel agrees with fans on what our greatest needs are? – Jesse O.
Astute observation with Vrabel and the Senior Bowl. Mayo didn’t make that trip a year ago.
I think attainable goals are key to keeping expectations realistic. This roster is still an absolute mess. There might be 25 players that finished the 2024 season on the 53-man roster coming out of training camp. So I think a realistic goal is a competitive team, and perhaps, a winning season. Playoffs and real contention feel like more of a 2026 target.
As for the greatest needs, I’m confident that Vrabel is looking at the exact same roster the fan base is: They need help in the trenches, and an infusion of high-end talent would help regardless of position.
Can a team like the Patriots have too many former NFL head coaches on its staff? What’s your take on this? – Ed H.
With Vrabel running the show, I don’t think so.
If the current head coach was less sure of himself, I could see too many established voices being an issue, but that’s not a problem with Vrabel. Everybody in the building knows the buck stops with him and I don’t think Josh McDaniels or Doug Marrone will be angling for his job. They know what the setup is here. It’s Vrabel’s show.
How isn’t Byron Leftwich on a coaching staff? – Vin P.
Great question.
Leftwich went from one of the hottest coaching commodities on the market in 2022 to out of the league for two seasons (and counting now). His story is why I don’t fault Liam Coen much for his roundabout path to the Jaguars.
Consider how similar Leftwich’s situation was. A coveted offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay’s offense, Leftwich was seen as a serious candidate in Jacksonville before Doug Pederson was hired in 2022, but pulled his name from consideration. A year later, Leftwich was scapegoated for a Buccaneers offense that had regressed as Tom Brady dealt with personal issues during his final season, and hasn’t found a job since.
Up-and-coming coordinators are wise to strike when the iron is hot. There’s no guarantee it’s going to stay scalding.
- 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.
