Are The Patriots Better TodayMike Vrabel stated that the team wanted to get better, younger, and cheaper. Are they better today than they were when they were embarrassed in the Super Bowl? I believe they are a better team with this Free Agent class.They took some swings at the fences with Alijah Vera-Tucker and Julian Hill. Romeo Doubs has some durability issues as well. I will give them a solid B for their Free Agency class because of those risks. If they hit, the grade ends up an A. Even the Contrarian from 98.5 the Sports Hub, Mike Felger, gave them solid marks. They didn’t cheap out and spent on Free Agents. They also cut some veterans to make more money available. Miguel Benzan reported over the weekend that the Patriots had $32M still available, but that didn’t include KJ Britt’s contract nor Julian Hill’s $18M contract. Remember, they still must extend Christian Gonzalez, and his signing bonus is all that will apply to this year’s cap. I also believe they need $16M if they want to trade for AJ Brown.
Departed
POS
Additions
Antonio Gibson
RB
Stefon Diggs
WR
Romeo Doubs
Alex Austin
CB
Yasir Durant
OT
Garrett Bradbury
C
Alijah Vera-Tucker
Jahlani Tavai
LB
KJ Britt
Austin Hooper
TE
Julian Hill
Khyiris Tonga
DT
Isaiah Iton
DT
Jaylinn Hawkins
S
Kevin Byard
K’Lavon Chaisson
EDGE
Dre’Mont Jones
Anfernee Jennings
EDGE
Jack Gibbens
LB
Jesse Luketa
S
Mike Brown
FB
Reggie Gilliam
Stefon Diggs vs Romeo Doubs – I believe they will get nearly the same amount of production from both players. Doubs is in his prime and considerably younger and cheaper. Doubs does have some durability question marks with concussion. Can the Patriots replace the leadership that Stefon Diggs provided last season with another player on the team, such as Mack Hollins? Doubs’ blocking is an underrated part of his game, too. In the Red Zone, that’s where Doubs does his damage. That was a weakness of the team in 2025. In his career, 20 of his 23 TDs are in the Red Zone.Alijah Vera-Tucker vs Garrett Bradbury – This is no contest! When healthy, Vera-Tucker is one of the best Guards in the league. Bradbury had a good bounce-back year after giving up 10 sacks the year before in Minnesota. The Vikings couldn’t get any team to bite on a trade for even a 7th round pick, and they released him. The Patriots traded him for a 5th-round pick in 2027. They also saved money on the cap. This trade frees up the move of Jared Wilson to Center, a more natural position for him. Vera-Tucker will be that veteran presence between the two-2nd year players. They can learn from his experience and knowledge and lean on him when movement and stunts occur on the line. Yes, they paid a pretty penny for him, but this could lock down what could be a very good Offensive line.Jahlani Tavai vs KJ Britt I think this will be a wash. Tavai never really fit in this Defense. Britt is also very good on Special Teams. He led Miami with 11 tackles in the kicking game as well as a team-high 76.9 % participation across all 5 ST units. Two years ago, he had 72 Tackles for Tampa Bay playing Right Inside Linebacker. His production may be more in line with what Jack Gibbens gave the team. Tavai turns 30 in season, and Britt will be 27. Britt is Younger and Faster than Tavai, not Cheaper.Austin Hooper vs Julian Hill – The Patriots couldn’t go into the year with two 32-year-old TEs. The risk of injury is too great. Hooper signed a contract with Atlanta for roughly what he made last season with the Patriots $3.25M. It was very surprising that the Patriots signed Hill for 3-years, and $18M. They must really like him and see something that I haven’t seen. Can Hill contribute 30 receptions like Hooper did last season? What if Henry gets hurt? Hill started 11 games last season for Miami. This is a wash with a more expensive, younger (25) backup TE that specializes in blocking. Blocking is a theme here if you didn’t notice. As Mike Reiss first stated, the Patriots must see more in Hill than meets the eye.
(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
K’Lavon Chaisson vs Dre’Mont Jones – Chaisson is a better pure speed pass rusher on the outside. However, he lacks the ability to set the edge against the run. They each had the same number of sacks, but the majority of Jones sacks came when he moved into the DT position. Jones was listed at 281 lbs, 20 lbs heavier than Chaisson, and that is why he is a better run defender.However, he reported at the team Press Conference that he is 265 as a stand-up Edge player. Quicker/ Faster? The big difference comes in the form of a cap hit in 2026. On the surface, the AAV is the same at $12M. But Chaisson is betting on himself again and took a 1-year deal. The 3-year deal Jones signed is backloaded and is only a $4.5 M against the cap in 2026. Chaisson is all-in this year. Jones is 29, and Chaisson is 26, so they didn’t get younger. They will have to look to the draft to get younger, and it’s a very good draft for Edge players.Khyiris Tonga (FB) / Jack Westover (FB) vs Reggie Gilliam (FB) – Gilliam is a proven Fullback and part of the reason why Buffalo had such a good run game. The Patriots want to be more physical on Offense and establish the run game. Last season, the Patriots were 31st in the league in Short Yardage. They were also 7th in short yardage stuff rate. A true road grader Fullback and a “Y” blocking TE will go a long way to helping that. Add in AVT at guard, and I could see a big improvement in this area.Jaylinn Hawkins vs Kevin Byard – This is no contest! 3X All-Pro that led the league with 7 INTs. Hawkins was still negotiating with the Patriots before the Byard signing. The 33-year-old Byard has not slowed down. He has never missed a game in his career!!! This is not a case of getting younger, but Hawkins turns 29 in August. This is also a great year to draft a Safety. So Byard’s replacement will have a year to learn under the savvy veteran. Hawkins signed with Baltimore for just a 2- year $10M contract. He had no market.What the Patriots Still NeedThese are the positions they will prioritize in the Draft.EDGE (2) – They need a speed rusher and a developmental rusherLinebacker – Spillane is over 30 and they need more help there with Gibbens and Tavai gone.Tight End – Henry will be 32 and Hill is mostly a blocking TE.Safety – Byard will be 33 and I expect another good season from him but given the depth in this draft finding a replacement for him after next season is a priority.Cornerback – Carlton Davis played the whole season and that’s the 1st time in his career he played a full season. Expecting that again is wishful thinking.RT and LT (2) – Morgan Moses is 34 and finding his replacement is a top priority. Giving that rookie a year behind Moses while learning the NFL from him is a huge bonus. Getting a Left Tackle as a backup to Campbell is also huge.Guard – Currently Ben Brown is the backup. Finding another Guard for depth late in the draft is also a need.Runningback – they currently have Terrell Jennings, Elijah Mitchell and Lan Larison as the 3rd RB.Wide Receiver – this is a low priority but if a player pops out at them in their draft position on day 3 I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a shot at one.Defensive Tackle – They need a big body D lineman for Goal Line defense but if they don’t get one they should be good shape with what they have on the team now.Patriots Didn’t Sign Their Own Unrestricted Free Agents – K’Lavon Chaisson and Khyiris Tonga signed one-year “show me” contracts in 2025, betting on themselves and winning. Tonga was nearly signed late in the season when someone (either his agent or another team) convinced him he was worth more and squashed the deal. Chaisson had a very high opinion of himself and priced himself out of the Patriots market. He ended up signing another one-year contract for $12M, with nearly all of it guaranteed. This was a sizable increase over the $7M contract he signed with the Patriots in 2025.Jaylinn Hawkins, on the other hand, had no market. It was the wrong year to be a Safety in Free Agency. There were so many other better Safeties in Free Agency, combined with a plethora of good safety in the draft. His value was low, as evidenced by the 2-year $10M contract he signed. The Patriots were negotiating with Hawkins right up until they signed Kevin Byard. I believe Byard was their plan all along, considering he had played for Vrabel before.Vederian Lowe signed elsewhere, as did Austin Hooper. Thayer Munford is the only Unrestricted Free Agent who hasn’t signed. He was on practice squads last year, plucked by Cleveland for 3 games, and put on their Practice Squad. The Patriots, in turn, snatched him from the Browns. He was active in the last 9 games, including the Super Bowl, because he was a true swing tackle that could play both Left and Right Tackle. Mike Reiss reported, “Munford’s return is also still possible, but that wouldn’t come until a bit down the road as a source said he’s recovering from surgery after playing through a knee injury.”Restricted Free Agents not offered a tender became immediate Unrestricted Free Agents. They were Alex Austin (MIA), Yasir Durant, Deneric Prince, Jack Gibbens, and Jaquelin Roy. The Patriots did sign Restricted Free Agent Tommy DeVito (a good signing). Myles Battle was either not offered or refused a futures contract with the Patriots and became a Free Agent after the Super Bowl, where he signed with Miami.Bottom line is the Patriots’ depth wasn’t good enough, and when injuries came calling, they collapsed. They were just not good enough when playing against better opponents. Yes, they made quite the run in the playoffs, but that was just good fortune. The Offense bogged down when playing against top Defenses. They did enough to win the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl, but were blown out on the biggest stage.
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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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