The New England Patriots improved quite a bit — at least on paper — over the first full week of NFL free agency.
However, there’s still a lot of work to be done in Foxboro, Mass., in terms of roster building.
Despite being one of the league’s most active teams last week, the Patriots didn’t address arguably their two biggest needs: left tackle and high-level wide receiver. Mike Vrabel doesn’t seem overly concerned about New England’s chances to improve in those areas, but there definitely should be a sense of urgency at One Patriot Place.
If there is, it could lead to New England becoming more aggressive in pursuit of crucial contributors.
“The Patriots are preaching patience, but the options left in free agency aren’t plentiful (LT Cam Robinson, WR Keenan Allen et al), so they might have to get creative, which could mean trying to entice a team to make a trade,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Wednesday.
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The Patriots are in a tricky spot when it comes to trading. At this point, it’s probably the approach that presents New England with the best chance of bringing in legitimate difference-makers. That said, rebuilding teams typically aren’t in the business of giving up valuable draft capital.
Thus, Eliot Wolf and the rest of the Patriots front office probably will find themselves taking on a balancing act as the offseason unfolds.