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Patriots offseason priorities: Top-10 questions facing Mike Vrabel’s team
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- Patriots offseason priorities: Top-10 questions facing Mike Vrabel’s team
The season didn’t end how the Patriots wanted after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success.
After back-to-back 4-win seasons, Mike Vrabel changed the culture and the foundation in New England . The Patriots finished 14-3 in the regular season and then made an improbable run to the Super Bowl. They showed that with the right head coach and quarterback, anything is possible.
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The hope is that the arrow remains pointing upward for the franchise.
Vrabel’s culture, coaching staff and scheme gave the Patriots a fighting chance. The team also made ample upgrades in free agency and the draft. Now, it’s time to go to work again.
This offseason, the Patriots need to add reinforcements on both sides of the ball. They’ll have some big roster decisions to make. The goal for Vrabel is simple – get back to the Super Bowl and win it this time.
Here are the top-10 questions facing the Patriots this offseason:
Is Will Campbell a left tackle?
The biggest question for the Patriots following Super Bowl 60 revolved around their rookie left tackle. The NFL’s Next Gen Stats had Will Campbell down for 14 pressures. The first-round pick allowed one sack in the championship game and four total in the playoffs. Although social media may question whether Campbell should be a guard, the Patriots disagree.
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Vrabel stuck up for his rookie this past week, saying the Patriots won’t move Campbell to the inside. The team made a heavy investment in the LSU product, and he’s the team’s starting left tackle. That doesn’t mean the Patriots can’t add depth to the position, however.
Do you move Jared Wilson ?
With the spotlight on Campbell, Jared Wilson got off easy. The third-round pick ranked 72nd out of 81 guards by Pro Football Focus. He allowed two sacks in Super Bowl 60. Is he in the right spot? In college, Wilson played center and never started at guard. It was tough to ask the rookie to move to a new position in the NFL. The Patriots could move Wilson to center, but veteran Garrett Bradbury was solid this season. He played well, wasn’t a liability, and was a big-time leader in the locker room.
Should the Patriots upgrade their left guard position or allow Wilson to develop there? It’s a big question this offseason.
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How do you fix the offensive line?
That brings us to the main question – how do you fix the Patriots’ offensive line? Drake Maye was sacked 21 times in the playoffs. That’s unforgivable. The Patriots need to do a better job of protecting their most important asset. Fixing the offensive line was the top priority last offseason, and it remains at the forefront of the next few months.
Right tackle Morgan Moses brought a lot to the field and locker room. He was great this past season but turns 35 next month. The Patriots need to make sure they have a replacement on hand. One could argue that the team should spend a high draft pick on another tackle to plan for the future.
Keep Stefon Diggs on his current contract?
This is a tough one, as Stefon Diggs was everything the Patriots needed this past season. He became the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. If you don’t have Diggs, you don’t upset Buffalo in Week 5. He gave Maye a legitimate offensive weapon.
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However, next year Diggs has a $26.5 million cap hit. He’ll also turn 33. The Patriots can save $16.8 million by releasing him. In 2027, he also has a $26.5 million cap hit. The team saves $22.5 million by cutting him. Would Diggs agree to a restructure? The Patriots need a player like him, but it’s debatable if the money is worth it at his age.
Do they add a No. 1 receiver?
In Super Bowl 60, the Patriots’ leading receivers were Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas . Both are fine complementary pieces, but down the stretch, the Patriots lacked an explosive offensive weapon. The team could benefit from a legitimate No. 1 receiver in his prime. The problem is that it’s hard to acquire those players.
The Patriots could try to trade for A.J. Brown , who seems unhappy in Philadelphia . In free agency, they could target Alec Pierce . He caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards last season for Indianapolis . Another option could be George Pickens , but he will reportedly be franchise tagged by Dallas .
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Can you improve the pass rush?
The Patriots’ pass rush was improved last season, but was it enough? In the Super Bowl, it wasn’t, as Sam Darnold was sacked only once. The Patriots finished with 35 sacks last season. That tied for 22nd in the NFL. Part of the issue was that leading pass rusher Harold Landry (8.5 sacks) was hurt for most of the second half. He was very limited in the playoffs and didn’t make an impact. K’Lavon Chaisson (7.5 sacks) was a nice find and now enters free agency coming off the best season of his career.
The Patriots need to improve this pass rush. Finding a legitimate pass rusher should be one of their priorities. Free agents of note are Trey Hendrickson , Khalil Mack , Odafe Oweh , and Jaelan Phillips . If they want to trade away assets, Maxx Crosby would be the best player available.
Who is the defensive coordinator?
The Patriots will officially have a new defensive coordinator next season.
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On Thursday, a source told MassLive that the team is moving Terrell Williams to a high-ranking role on Vrabel’s staff.
This comes after Williams needed to step away from the Patriots following a prostate cancer diagnosis. He was declared cancer-free and medically cleared to return.
In his place, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr did an outstanding job as the Patriots’ defensive play caller. Under Kuhr, the Patriots had one of the best defenses in the NFL.
All signs point to Kuhr, 37, getting the defensive coordinator title. It’s also possible the Patriots need to adhere to NFL hiring rules and go through the interview process.
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Can you extend Christian Gonzalez ?
Christian Gonzalez showed why he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Super Bowl 60. Gonzalez was the Patriots’ best player on the biggest stage. Now he’s eligible for a contract extension. The Patriots lack elite talent and should lock Gonzalez up with a long-term contract. It won’t be cheap. The 23-year-old has a chance to reset the market at his position.
The Patriots aren’t in a position to let elite players leave. They should build their defense around the No.1 cornerback. They have a chance this offseason to do just that.
Which internal free agents do you prioritize?
The Patriots will return most of last year’s roster, but they have a decision to make with a small handful of internal free agents. On defense, the top players in need of new contracts are Chaisson, starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga . Linebacker Jack Gibbens is also a free agent. On offense, backup tight end Austin Hooper is a free agent, along with backup tackles Thayer Munford and Vederian Lowe .
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Chaisson and Hawkins were starters while Tonga played a big role. If you lose Chaisson, you need another bona fide edge rusher. If you lose Hawkins, you need a starting safety. The Patriots might want to move on from Hooper (31) to add another young tight end since Hunter Henry turns 32 next season.
Munford and Lowe are their top backup tackles. You need to make sure depth is in place at that important position.
Who are the cap casualties?
The NFL is a tough business. If the Patriots want to clear more cap space (they’ll have somewhere around $40 million), they can do it by cutting veteran players. Outside of Diggs, they have more options.
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Cutting Bradbury saves around $5.7 million, but you need another center (Wilson?). Veteran backups Antonio Gibson ($3.14 million) and Joshua Dobbs ($3.7 million) would clear up a little over $3 million each. If they want to get younger on offense, they could make surprise cuts with players like Henry ($9.25 million) or Hollins ($4.4 million). In either case, they’d create big roster holes, and it doesn’t seem to be worth it.
We’ll see how they approach it.
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