The Patriots turned down enticing offers from the Vikings and Giants for the No. 3 overall pick, then used it on quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots turned down enticing offers from the Vikings and Giants for the No. 3 overall pick, then used it on quarterback Drake Maye.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Coming out of the bye week, let’s take a look at some of Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf’s best and worst offseason moves.
Starting with the best . . .
▪ Drafting Drake Maye. Wolf turned down enticing trade offers from the Vikings and Giants to stay at No. 3 overall and select Maye. Acquiring additional draft capital could have been defensible, given the Patriots’ extensive needs, but Wolf recognized the organization was in a position to draft a franchise quarterback — and did. Eight starts into his rookie year, Maye looks the part.
▪ Extending Hunter Henry. The Patriots re-signed Henry to a three-year, $27 million deal, preventing him from hitting the open market as the top available tight end. Henry, whom offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called Maye’s “security blanket,” leads the team in receptions (68), targets (83), and receiving yards (610) this season. His reliability has made him a valuable piece in both the offense and Maye’s development, especially with an inconsistent receiving corps. Now in his fourth season with the Patriots, Henry also has stepped up as a captain in a locker room that’s lost several influential voices.
Tight end Hunter Henry leads the Patriots in receptions (68), targets (83), and receiving yards (610).
Tight end Hunter Henry leads the Patriots in receptions (68), targets (83), and receiving yards (610).Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
▪ Trading Matthew Judon. After Judon made it clear he wasn’t interested in playing without a contract adjustment, the Patriots shipped him to Atlanta in exchange for a third-round pick. Losing Judon, who registered career numbers in his first two seasons as a Patriot, was a blow to New England’s pass rush. But trading a 32-year-old linebacker coming off a biceps injury and entering the final season of his contract was smart. Judon has been on the field for 59.1 percent of the Falcons’ defensive snaps, recording 3½ sacks, 6 quarterback hits, and 33 tackles.
Moving on to the passable . . .
▪ Signing Antonio Gibson and Austin Hooper. Gibson and Hooper have shown an ability to be productive. Gibson, who is under contract through 2026, could probably benefit from an uptick in designed targets, but he’s generally made the most of his touches behind a struggling offensive line. The Patriots weren’t going to pay any of the top free agent backs because they extended Rhamondre Stevenson, so Gibson is an affordable complementary piece. Hooper has proven to be a nice addition alongside Henry, recording 31 catches for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (above) has been a nice complement to Rhamondre Stevenson.
Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (above) has been a nice complement to Rhamondre Stevenson.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
▪ Signing Jacoby Brissett. Brissett made sense as the team’s bridge quarterback because of his familiarity with Van Pelt’s offensive system as well as his high character. The offense looked stagnant in Brissett’s five games as the starter, the Patriots going 1-4. The other options, though, wouldn’t have been much of an upgrade (Gardner Minshew, Drew Lock, Jimmy Garoppolo) or wouldn’t have been a good fit with Maye as the starter in waiting (Russell Wilson). The Patriots hoped for better results under Brissett, but he’s been a positive influence for Maye.
Closing with the worst . . .
▪ Drafting Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Wolf double-dipped at wide receiver in the draft, with hopes of at least Polk emerging this season. Polk flashed as a dependable piece during training camp, but the regular season has been a different story. He has just 12 catches for 87 yards, with three catches for 13 yards over the last eight weeks. That stat line doesn’t reflect Polk’s second-round billing, nor the organization’s hopes for his potential. Baker, meanwhile, has been on the field for just 32 offensive snaps and is still looking for his first catch. It’s possible both players bounce back in their second seasons, but it sure looks as though the Patriots once again missed at this position.
▪ Signing Chukwuma Okorafor. The Patriots knew they needed help at tackle, so Wolf signed Okorafor to a one-year, incentive-laden deal to play on the left side opposite Mike Onwenu. Okorafor, who played predominantly on the right side prior to signing with New England, started Week 1 and was on the field for just 12 snaps before getting benched for poor performance. He then left the team in Week 2 and never returned. The Patriots whiffing on such a critical position resulted in a shuffling, substandard line for the majority of the season.
Offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor left the Patriots in Week 2 and never returned.
Offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor left the Patriots in Week 2 and never returned.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
▪ Signing Nick Leverett. Leverett signed a cheap, one-year deal to bolster the Patriots’ interior line depth and serve as their backup center. When David Andrews suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4, Leverett filled in the remainder of that game and started Week 5. Then, the Patriots released him in favor of Ben Brown, whom they signed off of the Raiders’ practice squad ahead of Week 6. Although Leverett was not as much of an investment as Okorafor, he’s yet another failed signing on the line. Of the offensive linemen on New England’s 53-man roster, only four (Vederian Lowe, Onwenu, Layden Robinson, and Sidy Sow) practiced with the team during training camp.
▪ Signing K.J. Osborn. The Patriots pursued Calvin Ridley, last offseason’s top free agent wide receiver, but the Titans ultimately offered him more money. Osborn was the Patriots’ lone external signing to the receiver room, inking a one-year, $4 million deal. Based on his production in Minnesota — average of 53 receptions and 615 receiving yards over three seasons — Osborn projected to be a solid contributor. He ended up being a healthy scratch far too often, leading to dissatisfaction over his role and eventual release on Tuesday.
▪ Signing Armon Watts. The Patriots signed Watts to a one-year, $2.2 million contract in hopes of shoring up their defensive line depth behind Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore. Watts never appeared in a game, going on injured reserve at the end of camp before getting released in October. He’s now with the Giants.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.