Good morning, and a happy Sunday to all. Here is your Patriots news for 03-15, along with NFL notes this week. The NFL’s new league year 2026 is off and running, and there was a lot to talk about.The biggest news of free agency was the shady way Baltimore handled the Maxx Crosby situation. They had him in the building on Tuesday while negotiating with Trey Hendrickson. And that cock-and-bull story by Eric DeCosta that their plan was to pair both edge rushers together? Tell me another one… As soon as Tyler Linderbaum signed that huge contract (3-years, $81million) with the Raiders, DeCosta hit the panic button and was looking for a reset. How would they have put all that salary cap cash on two edge rushers? “Picture if you will,” (Rod Serling voice) “a world where Bill Belichick and the Patriots pulled a move like this.” What do you think would happen? CNN would take a break from posting fake outrage over steak and lobster tails (that has been a military tradition for more than 40 years) to lead in with the “horror of it all.” There’d be a Congressional investigation, and Goodell would be harping on “the integrity of the game.” The Ravens did Crosby dirty. Oh well, Caveat Emptor.But to the Patriots… They had a very good week. There was a lot to take away from this week, but I’ll start with this…
(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
Vrabel And Wolf Really Liked The 2025 Team But Didn’t Love It:I don’t think you can look at this any other way. The team didn’t re-sign any unrestricted free agents. Not one. That was surprising, and quite telling. The team liked all of their players, but didn’t bring any of them back. K’Lavon Chaisson- Signed a one-year contract with $12 million with Washington.Jaylinn Hawkins- Signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Baltimore.Khyiris Tonga- Signed a 3-year, $21 million contract with Kansas City.Vederian Lowe- Signed a 2-year, $12 million contract with the 49ers.Austin Hooper- Signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with Atlanta.Thayer Munford- Has remained unsigned as of Saturday.Of the restricted free agents, only QB Tommy DeVito was re-signed, and the feeling here is that he’s going to compete for the backup job in 2026.CB Alex Austin, CB Miles Battle (ERFA), T Yasir Durant, LB Jack Gibbens, RB Deneric Prince (ERFA), and DL Jaquelin Roy all have either moved on to other teams or have not signed with anyone. Gibbens is a bit of a surprise. “Dr. Gibby” played 47 percent of the defensive snaps last year, and it seemed they’d bring him back for depth at least. Gibbens played in all 21 games last season and notched 100 tackles, eight TFLs, five passes defensed, a sack, a forced fumble, and eight QB hits. The team then released RB Antonio Gibson, WR Stefon Diggs, LB Jahlani Tavai, and Edge Anfernee Jennings, and traded C Garrett Bradbury to the Bears for a 2027 5th-round pick.That’s a lot of turnover for a team that just went to the Super Bowl in 2025. They obviously feel that they need to retool the roster and continue the rebuild in 2026. We’ll give our thoughts on each signing below, but they did a good job of bringing in players to replace those who left.
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A.J. Brown Deal Put On Hold Until June:The Patriots and Rams have been in negotiations with Philadelphia to bring in Brown to add to the wide receiver room. Having already signed Romeo Doubs, adding Brown would further strengthen the skill position and take it to another level.Eliot Wolf was asked about Eagles GM Howie Roseman and the ongoing trade talks involving Brown. “No. 1, I have a great relationship with Howie,” Wolf said. “I’ve known him for a long time. They actually put in a permission slip for me when I was in Green Bay as a young scout, and that got blocked, so I’ve known Howie for a long time. We have a good relationship. We talk often. He’s obviously a great resource and someone you can learn a lot from.”About the possible trade, Wolf added, “We’ll explore anything that we think can help the team.” However, on Friday night, the Eagles have decided not to trade Brown “at this time,” according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, after having “serious conversations” with the Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.Russini added that, “Both teams remain interested, but no move is imminent. If a trade were to happen, it would likely heat up closer to June 1.”The June 1 Factor: A trade is more likely to heat up closer to or after June 1, 2026, when the Eagles would save money on the cap, rather than incurring a $20M+ Dead Cap charge.Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:Forged In Foxborough Episode 4: The Patriots are releasing the next segment in their “Forged in Foxborough” series on March 17. They have already released a teaser trailer, and it looks very compelling. We may all have to delay our St. Patrick’s Day celebration until we get our first look at it. New Jersey Numbers: The Patriots announced the jersey numbers for seven new members of the team. Safety Craig Woodson gave up his #31 to new safety Kevin Byard, who has worn #31 for his entire NFL career. So, here are the eight new numbers on the Patriots.4: S Craig Woodson5: DE Dre’Mont Jones31: S Kevin Byard III33: S Mike Brown44: FB Reggie Gilliam75: G Alijah Vera-Tucker80: TE Julian Hill87: WR Romeo Doubs Apparently, Gilliam tried to get #41 from Patriots’ STs captain Brendan Schooler but Schooler dug in his heels about the change and will keep it.Christian Barmore: This week presented a lot of good news for the Patriots’ defensive tackle. On Monday, prosecutors dropped all charges against him in his domestic violence assault case, after the alleged victim told prosecutors that she now lives outside the state and was unwilling to travel to testify. And on Friday, since Barmore was on the roster at 4:00 p.m., his entire $12 million salary for the upcoming season is now fully guaranteed.Charles London: The Patriots hired former Jets’ QB coach London, it was announced on Thursday. London has worked with Vrabel in Houston, when both were on Bill O’Brien’s staff (London was the RBs coach), and in Tennessee, where he was the QB coach and passing game coordinator for Vrabel’s Titans in 2023.It hasn’t been released what his role will be in New England, as Thomas Brown currently holds the QB coach position. Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Mike, Derek, and I conducted our post-NFL Combine podcast on our new platform right off the PatsFans.com website. Derek and I took a look at early free agency on Friday afternoon as well. You can always check out our podcasts on our YouTube channel.Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review. Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
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Patriots’ New Faces For The 2026 Season:The Patriots signed several new players to the roster this week, and one can make the argument that they are all upgrades over the players that they have replaced. But ultimately, we won’t truly know that until the season starts. Eliot Wolf said, “We’re all excited about the guys that we added, we spent a lot of time evaluating these guys… and feel like we’re getting the right kind of people again.”When it came to Kevin Byard, Wolf said, “To say the coaching staff is ecstatic is an understatement.” “I know he’s an older player, but I haven’t seen any real drop-off from him. He proved that last year by obviously making All-Pro.”Despite the signings, they still need help at Edge, WR, RT, LB, and TE. But there are still free agents out there, as well as the upcoming NFL Draft in April. So, here are the current additions, along with some brief thoughts on each.The only in-house swing tackle prospects remain Marcus Bryant, who they brought in during last year’s draft, Caedan Wallace, and the unsigned Thayer Munford.K.J. Britt, LB, Former Miami Dolphin: Britt was primarily a STs player in Miami, and that is where he projects here in New England. He did start 11 games for the Bucs in 2024. But he will be a depth guy behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss. Mike Brown, S, Former Tennessee Titan:Brown is a solid 6’1, 222-pound safety who will back up Woodson and Byard. He was limited to just nine games last year due to an injury. But he’s another Vrabel guy from Tennessee. Kevin Byard, S, Former Chicago Bear:Byard is another guy who played under Vrabel in Tennessee, and although he will turn 33 in August, he was a 1st Team All-Pro with the Bears in 2025, leading the league with seven interceptions.He’s an established veteran with a ton of leadership experience and expertise to elevate the position for 2026. And he’s already familiar with the system. Romeo Doubs, WR, Former Green Bay Packer:Doubs was primarily an “X” receiver in Green Bay, but that will probably change here in New England. He will probably play more out of the slot in Josh McDaniels’ offense, where his ability to separate off the line and threaten the intermediate part of the field will definitely pay dividends. He’s got the size (6’2”) that the team hasn’t had in the slot.Doubs caught 55 passes for 724 yards last year, but he’s most productive in the red zone, an area the Patriots struggled in all season. Of Doubs 21 TDs, 18 of them have been red zone scores. While not as prolific as Stefon Diggs, he’s seven years younger and should see an uptick in his production.Eliot Wolf said Doubs was already diving into the Patriots’ playbook.“I don’t know if you guys saw him; he was already in the playbook,” Wolf said. “He was on his iPad, learning the formations while I was trying to get him to sign his contract this morning. So, it was pretty cool.”Reggie Gilliam, FB, Former Buffalo Bill:Gilliam is an under-the-radar excellent signing. McDaniels’ offense has always featured a fullback, and Gilliam is an outstanding blocker in the running game. That’s an area where the team struggled in 2025, where converted TE Jack Westover had a rough go of it most of the time. Gilliam’s three-year deal shows how much they value him, and at the same time, his loss weakens the Bills, a divisional rival. He’ll help in those red zone situations as well as Doubs, but as a blocker.Julian Hill, TE, Former Miami Dolphin:Hill is more of a blocking tight end than a pass catcher. He did catch 15 passes a year ago, but as a blocker, he should be an upgrade over Austin Hooper. Wolf said the team sees Hill’s role as more of a receiving target than it was with the Dolphins. DreMont Jones, Edge, Former Baltimore Raven:Jones had his most productive season (7 sacks) with the Titans and Ravens last season. He’s not going to be a prolific pass rusher, but he’s got good size, 6’3, 265, and brings versatility; he can rush inside and outside. The Patriots are hoping he can fill some of what Chaisson brought in the pass rush, as well as set the edge that Anfernee Jennings did. The Patriots will probably try to draft a speed rusher, such as R. Mason Thomas from Oklahoma in April, and pair him with Jones and Harold Landry.Jesse Luketa, LB/Edge, Former LA Ram (PS):Luketa was on the Rams’ practice squad but appeared in 31 games with the Cardinals. He’s strictly a depth player with the ability to compete and produce on Special Teams.Alijah Vera-Tucker, Guard, Former NY Jet:Tucker is, by far, the most intriguing signing of the Patriots’ early free agency. When he’s healthy, he’s considered one of the better guards in the league, but he’s been beset with injuries. He’s torn an Achilles tendon and his triceps in both arms.He’s extremely versatile and has played every offensive line position except center. But the Patriots see him as a left guard, and with Jared Wilson moving to his natural position at center, Vera-Tucker will play between Wilson and Will Campbell on the left side. If he can stay healthy, he’s a slam-dunk improvement for the offensive line. But that is a big “if.”We’ll continue to update the comings and goings of the roster and start posting draft profiles of potential Patriots’ fits on the roster. Those will be coming up very soon. Stay tuned._______________“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike VrabelFollow 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 was the Patriots' approach to early free agency?The Patriots had a very good week, making significant roster turnover by not re-signing any unrestricted free agents and bringing in several new players to retool for the 2026 season. They focused on upgrades and continuing the rebuild.Is an A.J. Brown trade to the Patriots imminent?No, a trade for A.J. Brown is not imminent. The Eagles decided not to trade him 'at this time,' but both the Patriots and Rams remain interested. A trade is more likely to heat up closer to or after June 1, 2026.Who are the Patriots' key new additions in early free agency?The Patriots signed several new players including S Kevin Byard, WR Romeo Doubs, FB Reggie Gilliam, G Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Edge Dre'Mont Jones. Eliot Wolf expressed excitement about these additions, seeing them as upgrades.Like 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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