Day 1 of the legal tampering period of free agency was fairly uneventful for the Patriots. Several of the free agents that they were supposedly interested in signed elsewhere, and the team lost more free agents than were brought in. After missing out on the Maxx Crosby deal, where the Ravens went against their normal M.O. and gave up two first-round draft picks for the Raiders’ talented edge rusher, the Patriots were reportedly in on getting Drake Maye some more talented receivers. They were rumored to be toward WR Alec Pierce and TE Isaiah Likely. Neither signed with New England. They did add two players, one each on offense and defense. We’ll break that down below.Patriots Still Looking For That #1 WR and TE Help:Pierce stayed with the Colts in a four-year, $116 million contract, with $60 million fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They still need a quality wide receiver, now that Stefon Diggs has been released. Tom E. Curran shared what he’s hearing regarding Eagles’ WR A.J. Brown.“How are you going to make things better for Drake Maye in 2026 than they were in 2025? It has to be A.J. Brown,” Curran said on his podcast. “My understanding is they are absolutely playing the waiting game with him.” … To me, it’s very clear it’s an A.J. Brown-or-bust situation for the Patriots, but they don’t control the ability to extract the player.”This is the kind of nightmare scenario the Patriots didn’t want to face. With Pierce and Mike Evans off the board, Curran’s “Brown or bust” scenario is exactly what Howie Roseman wants to hear. The Eagles are in no hurry to trade Brown, and frankly, probably don’t want to trade him. If you think the price is coming down by the June 1st date, where his dead money hit lowers, you’d be sadly mistaken. If anything, Philadelphia will probably dig in its heels for wanting a first-round draft pick, knowing that the Patriots are desperate for a #1.Mark Daniels reported that the Patriots had “checked in on and shown interest” in Green Bay’s Romeo Doubs, but he’s not even on the same level as the released Diggs. He’s good, but not a game changer, and certainly not a #1. They could also try to swing a deal with the Jaguars for WR Brian Thomas. The Jaguars are surprisingly “entertaining” trade offers for star wide receiver Brian Thomas, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. He’s only 23 and had 1,287 yards and 87 catches as a rookie in 2024. It might be worthwhile to kick the tires on a young WR who certainly fits the bill as a #1 WR.But barring that or a trade for Brown post-June 1st, the Patriots may be better off waiting until April and drafting the best WR available, and hope that Kyle Williams makes a big Year 2 leap. At tight end, Likely signed a three-year $40 million contract with the Giants. This was surprising considering what the Patriots had spent earlier (more below). Several other free-agent tight ends, Cade Otton, Charlie Kolar, and Daniel Bellinger, also signed elsewhere. Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged by the Falcons.Patriots Departures:Earlier in the day, before the noon kickoff of legal tampering, the Patriots released LB Jahlani Tavai. Tavai, who will turn 30 this fall, was a versatile piece for the team, playing inside and on the edge. His release saves the Patriots $3.5 million against the salary cap. Other departures via free agency include:Vederian Lowe OT 2 yrs, $12M to the 49ersKhyiris Tonga DT 3 yrs, $21M to the KC ChiefsAustin Hooper TE 1 yr, $3.25M to the FalconsLowe played well last year for the team after Will Campbell was injured in Week 12. He’s going to a Niners team that was decimated by injuries in 2025, and has a good chance to compete for some playing time, with a nice payday. The Patriots will be looking for a new swing tackle.Tonga was close to signing before the season ended and earned himself a really nice payday with the Chiefs. The Patriots will miss his run-stuffing ability in 2026. He surprisingly showed good interior pressure as a pass rusher. Cory Durden, who came on last season, will be looked at to make big contributions next year.Hooper was a good 2nd TE for the Patriots, but it was clear that they wanted to get younger and more athletic at the position, which will probably now come with the draft.Patriots Additions On Day 1:The Patriots only signed two players thus far in free agency, but remember it is only Day 1. So, with plenty of money to still spend they may yet make some moves.The Patriots Get An Edge Rusher:The Patriots signed Ravens edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who reports that it’s a three-year, $39.5 million deal. He’s getting $14.5 million in 2026.The Patriots need a lot of help at the edge in 2026. K’Lavon Chaisson is a free agent and now, with the news of Jones’ signing, probably won’t be returning. Chaisson is three years younger and had better production than Jones. So, the market for Chaisson must be very high at this point.Jones turned 29 in January and spent last season with the Titans and Ravens. He notched a career high of seven sacks last year, but just 2.5 sacks in nine games with Baltimore. He’s a bigger edge player, he’s listed as 6’3”, 281, but it was reported he played at 265-pounds last year. This is intriguing because it seemed like the Patriots were gearing toward smaller, more athletic guys at the edge.He has some versatility and can play on the edge or kick inside as an interior 3-technique pass rusher. The Patriots tried to trade for him at the deadline last year, but couldn’t make it work. The bottom line is that despite paying him a really good amount of cash, Jones is a complementary piece. He doesn’t move the needle as a game-changing edge rusher, he’s a middle-of-the-road pass rusher. Getting an explosive pass rusher is still very much needed, and they will have the opportunity to draft one of several really good edge players in the draft.The Patriots Land A Big-Time Fullback: The Patriots agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with former Bills’ FB Reggie Gilliam. The Patriots badly needed a run blocking upgrade at fullback, and get their upgrade with Reggie Gilliam, who was one of the best run blockers among all skill players last season with Buffalo.They weren’t able to generate anything in the running game with a fullback in the backfield in 2025, and Josh McDaniels loves having a versatile fullback in his offense. They have a very good one now. Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson have to be smiling at this news. And an even better aspect is, they got better, and the Bills got weaker in the deal. This was a very good deal by the team. Earlier in the day, the Patriots decided to keep fullback/tight end Jack Westover by tendering his exclusive-rights deal in free agency, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. With Gilliam in the fold, Westover and Brock Lampe will be hard-pressed to earn a roster spot…at least for now.Remaining Patriots’ Free Agents:The Patriots still have several free agents who have not yet been signed by the team or others. Chaisson, Hawkins, and Gibbens are the three biggest names on the list. We’ve read that Hawkins isn’t getting the interest that he’d hoped to find in free agency. We expect the team to bring back Gibbens soon. K’Lavon Chaisson LB Jaylinn Hawkins S Jack Gibbens LB Thayer Munford Jr. OT Yasir Durant OT Alex Austin CB Jaquelin Roy DL Isaiah Iton DL Deneric Prince RBChristian Gonzalez Extension News: While no impending news is expected right away, there was a development that will definitely impact Gonzalez’s next deal.Trent McDuffie has signed a four-year, $124 million contract with the Rams, setting the floor for a Christian Gonzalez extension.Stay tuned for the comings and goings on Day 2.Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]Listen to our PatsFans.com Patriots No Huddle podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Derek Havens, Mike D’Abate, and I discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
ð Questions Answered in This ArticleWhat players did the Patriots sign on Day 1 of free agency?The Patriots signed edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones to a three-year, $39.5 million deal and fullback Reggie Gilliam to a three-year, $12 million deal.Which key free agents did the Patriots miss out on during Day 1?The Patriots missed out on wide receiver Alec Pierce, who re-signed with the Colts, and tight end Isaiah Likely, who signed with the Giants.What is the Patriots' biggest need after Day 1 of free agency?The Patriots still desperately need a #1 wide receiver. The article suggests an 'A.J. Brown-or-bust' situation, with other targets like Brian Thomas also mentioned. They still need help at the edge, OL, LB, TE, and SafetyLike this article?Support Steve and buy him a coffee.
About Steve BalestrieriA former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)View all posts by Steve Balestrieri
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