The Opening of the Legal Tampering phase of Free Agency begins at noon today. Shortly thereafter is when reports of signings will start to ring out over the internet as Agents and Players announce who they will be signing with. These are a very important few days for the next Patriots season. The players they sign are the building blocks upon which this new team for the 2026 season will be built. The Patriots have some very big holes to fill, but have at $57M in cap space according to “Patscap” Miguel Benzan.The big question is, will Robert Kraft allow Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden, and Stretch Streicher to spend up to that amount? I doubt it! Kraft’s history is to spend to bring up his cash spending in one year to align with the minimum required by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), then not spend for the next two years. The Patriots also have Christian Gonzalez’s contract extension bonus money this year and Drake Maye’s bonus money next year to think about.The Patriots are now a destination that Free Agents want to come to. The Patriots improved their NFL Players Association ratings, and that will improve dramatically when the new practice facility is completed. The two big drawbacks are the Massachusetts Millionaires Tax and the Patriots’ travel on an antiquated aircraft that the team owns.Free Agent Priorities What is the biggest need on this team, OL or WR? I think it is clearly OL. Your starting Center from last season is gone via trade. Either Jared Wilson or Ben Brown will take that spot. I would love to see a veteran LG signed. Finding a future replacement for Morgan Moses can wait until the draft. Right now, Marcus Bryant is the backup Right Tackle. The team can afford to wait until the Draft to fill this spot. Perhaps a low-cost backup at Left Tackle would provide some competition in camp.Finding a #1 Wide Receiver to replace Stefon Diggs isn’t as much a priority as you think. Steven Smith, the former WR and NFL Analyst, stated that the duo of Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams may have had their growth stunted by Diggs. Pop Douglas surely saw his playing time, targets, receptions, and yards go down drastically because Diggs took his spot in the slot. The emergence of Efton Chism could also fill in the void of Diggs a bit. I would love to acquire a top WR without having to give up draft currency to do it.Safety and Defensive EDGE Openings What Jaylinn Hawkins and K’Lavon Chaisson do in Free Agency will force the Patriots to fill one or both of these slots. Unfortunately for both players, it’s a perfect storm against them. In Free Agency, both positions are loaded with good players that will probably drive down their markets. Further, it’s a great year in the draft class for both positions, further lowering their markets. Anything over $9M for either player is an overspend.In my previous Free Agency article, I talked about the Under-the-Radar Free Agents. These are the top Free Agents I feel are a fit for the Patriots, and the SPOTRAC Market Price (in parentheses) these players are expected to receive on an Average Annual Value (AAV). The terms, incentives, bonuses, and number of years are negotiable.Wide ReceiverAlex Pierce ($21M) – I think he gets closer to the $29M AJ Brown will get this year.Romeo Doubs ($12M) – Might be the best option for the Patriots.Offensive GuardJoel Bitonio ($12.5M) – A one-year contract with a chance to get to the playoffs. A veteran presence between 2nd year OL Wilson and Campbell and a mentor to groom a rookie to take his spot next year.Issac Seumalo ($9.6M) – Another veteran Guard in case they can’t get Bitonio to join them and postpone retirement.
(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
EDGEK’Lavon Chaisson ($8.5M) – Perhaps this is the best he can get. I know the Patriots want to retain him after having the best year of his career. He will be their 1st priority, but if he insists on chasing the top dollar in the market, the Patriots will be forced to look elsewhere and quickly.Boye Mafe (12.5M) – Not quite the top of the market. He only had 2 Sacks last year.Odafe Oweh ($19.3M) – He is the one edge player I would spend the money on. I believe he would be great in Zac Kuhr’s defensive scheme.Trey Hendrickson ($25M) – maybe I would have spent that last year on him. He is too expensive, and they have so many other holes to fill.Dre’Mont Jones ($10.3M) – The 29-year-old former Ohio State Buckeye had the same number of sacks as Chaisson. At 6’2”, 281 pounds, he is much better at setting the edge. He is 30 pounds bigger than the typical NE EDGE player.Jaelen Phillips ($17.5M) – he had 44 pressures in the last 9 games while playing for the Eagles after the trade from Miami. For the season, he only had 4 sacks, which will hold him down a bit, but those pressures are impressive. He also an 80.9 PFF grade with 31 run stops.Tight End Cade Otton ($8M) – At what price do you sign a backup TE? Otton is 26 years old. Austin Hooper’s one -year deal was for $7M.Chigoziem Okonkwu ($8M) – Mike Vrabel knows him well since he drafted him for Tennessee. At 6’3”, 238-pounds he is not much of a blockerCharlie Kolar ($1.6M) – I believe he is more than just a blocking TE. He had just 15 targets last season as the #3 TE. He caught 10 passes for 142 yards, 1.2 YPC, and 2 TDs. I think Kolar is the much better option here and would take a #2 TE in the Draft.Running backRachaad White ($3M) – The Patriots need a 3rd back, and White is a veteran. A solid #2 back with pass-catching skills. 27-years-old and a 4-year veteran.Michael Carter ($3M) – 27-year-old entering 5th season.Brian Robinson ($3M) – Check, 27 years old, 4-year veteran.Fullback Patrick Ricard (???) – The 6-time Pro Bowl selection will be 32 in season. You can’t argue with his production.Alec Ingold (???) was just released for salary cap reasons by Miami. The 30-year-old has 7 seasons in the NFL.Offensive Tackle Thayer Munford ($1.6M) – The Patriots chose to keep him active over rookie Marcus Bryant because of his experience and the ability to play both Tackle spots. He is a cheap backup.Jedrick Wills (Vet Minimum) – The former 1st round pick # 10 selection in 2020 missed 13 games over 2023 and 2024 and then sat out all of 2025. Just 27, he has the size and quickness but does he have the desire and is he over his injuries. A “low cost” show me contract might be the answer.Defensive Tackle Khyiris Tonga ($3M) – A fan favorite, Tonga took a chance on himself and had a spectacular year. He was the biggest surprise on the roster last season. The fact that he played some Fullback surprised everyone. It was thought he was close to signing an extension near the end of the season. What happened? Could the PatriotsDavid Onyemata ($8.5M) – He is the best value on the market. The Patriots will cut Christian Barmore if he loses his court case, which I expect he will. If they sign Onyemata, that would be a indication that Barmore is not long for the Patriots, and a hedge against losing Tonga.Linebacker Jack Gibbens (RFA) – We are unaware of what level the Patriots have tendered Gibbens, but I am confident the Patriots will retain his services.Matt Milano ($4.6M) – He is a player I have always liked. I would be surprised if he leaves Buffalo. In 2026 he will turn 31. All he does is make plays and that’s what you want from a Inside Linebacker. Leo Chanal ($4.6M) – The Wisconsin grad is a dark horse after completing his 4th year in the league. He will be 26 in 2026.SafetyJaylinn Hawkins ($8.3M) – If the Patriots offer close to this, he should be re-signed. The Patriots want him back, and as Eliot Wolf stated, Hawkins deserves to test the market in Free Agency. The market for Hawkins doesn’t seem very strong, and with a strong Safety class in the Draft, that has further diminished his market.Kevin Byard ($7.8M) – The drawback with Byard is that he will be 33 during the season. A 1-year contract in this range could reunite Byard and Mike Vrabel while a draft pick is groomed to replace him in 2027.Cornerback Kader Kohou ($2M) – Kohou missed all of 2025 for Miami. A 1-year show-me contract would add depth at the position for the Patriots.Comings and GoingsCharles London a former member of Mike Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee will be joining the Patriots in an unidentified position. Last season, he was the QB coach for the NY Jets.Jeremy Springer has signed a two-year extension to remain as the Patriots Special Teams coach. Springer is reportedly dating WBZ Sports Anchor Steve Burton’s daughter, Kayla, a reporter for NBC Sports Boston. She is also the granddaughter of the 1st ever Patriots Draft pick, Ron Burton.The Patriots have non-tendered RFA DT Isaiah ItonThe Patriots have announced they have re-signed QB Tommy DeVito. “Tommy Cutlets” was claimed off waivers at the Cut Down day and served as the Emergency 3rd QB. Hopefully he will get a true opportunity to challenge Josh Dobbs for the #2 QB.The Patriots also signed LB Jesse Luketa from Arizona. The 6’3” 260-pound backer has played in 31 games with 3 starts, 31 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 FF. He is very slow with a 4.89 40-time and I believe he will be nothing but camp fodder.Garrett Bradbury was traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2027 5th-round selection. The Patriots picked up Bradbury after he was released by Minnesota last year, after the Vikings tried to trade him coming off a bad year. Bradbury had a good year and cleaned up his pass-blocking to the point that the Patriots were able to get a 5th-round pick for him. This opens the position for Jared Wilson to move to Center and compete with Ben Brown as the starter.Tom Brady Influential in Maxx Crosby Deal Reports have surfaced that Tom Brady nixed any discussion about Maxx Crosby going to the Patriots. The reasoning is that he didn’t want to give Mike Vrabel the premier pass rusher.
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About Mark MorseMerrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.View all posts by Mark Morse
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