Consider this week the unofficial start to the 2025 offseason for the Patriots.
The new league year doesn’t officially begin until March 12 at 4 p.m., when free agency opens, but Monday marks the start of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, where Patriots brass, including head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, will descend upon Indianapolis with 31 other teams to meet with NFL Draft prospects and player agents to map out the acquisition phase of the offseason.
It’s already been a busy winter for the Patriots, who fired head coach Jerod Mayo after a 4-13 season in his debut campaign. Most of Mayo’s coaching staff is also gone, so the Patriots hired new offensive and defensive coordinators in Josh McDaniels and Terrell Williams, respectively, and brought on a new-look positional staff.
The Patriots’ personnel staff remains largely intact under Wolf, but the Patriots did hire Ryan Cowden, who worked closely with Vrabel in Tennessee with the Titans, as vice president of player personnel. Vrabel also brought on John Streicher as vice president of football operations and strategy.
The Patriots have made minor moves this offseason, adding fullback/tight end Giovanni Ricci, releasing linebacker Sione Takitaki and re-signing defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr., center Ben Brown and offensive tackle Demontrey Jacobs on low-cost extensions.
Vrabel, Wolf, Cowden and Streicher appeared to work closely with one another in Mobile at the Senior Bowl late last month.
Vrabel will be among the first head coaches to address the media Tuesday at the combine, holding his press conference in the Indiana Convention Center at 10:15 a.m. Wolf will speak on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.
The combine primarily serves as an information-gathering convention of sorts for NFL teams, since 329 2025 NFL Draft prospects have been invited to the event.
Kickers, punters, defensive linemen and linebackers arrived at the combine starting on Sunday. After registration, pre-exam and orientation, they’ll meet with teams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday while also undergoing a general medical exam, pre-ordered studies, an ortho exam and an NFLPA meeting. They’ll meet with reporters on Wednesday before working out on Thursday and doing bench press and departing Indianapolis on Friday.
Defensive backs and tight ends will arrive on Monday and meet with teams Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, work out on Friday and bench press and leave on Saturday. Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will meet with teams Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, work out on Saturday and bench press and leave on Sunday. Offensive linemen will meet with teams on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, work out on Sunday and bench press and leave on Monday.
A special focus should be placed on wide receivers, offensive linemen and defensive linemen, since those are potential targets with the Patriots’ No. 4 overall pick in the first round. The Patriorts also have needs at running back, tight end, linebacker and cornerback.
It’s important to interview prospects and scout them in on-field workouts, but medical exams are also paramount to NFL teams’ responsibilities at the combine.
Teams are granted 45 formal 18-minute meetings with prospects. Players will also meet with teams off to the side in an “informal” setting. Between the college season, All-Star games, the combine, pro days and visits, every team will meet with every player at some point in the pre-draft process. The combine is a good setting for teams to talk to underclassmen who might not have been at a college All-Star game or available during the college season.
Nearly every NFL agent will be at the combine to support their draft prospects but also to meet with teams before free agency starts the week of March 10.
The Patriots’ top impending free agents are cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive end Deatrich Wise, tight end Austin Hooper and quarterback Jacoby Brissett, among others. This is a good opportunity to touch base with those players’ agents in person to see if a deal can get done before players hit the open market. The Patriots don’t have any obvious franchise tag candidates. The Patriots have until March 5 at 4 p.m. ET to decide if they will use the tag.
Initial conversations will also be held with agents of outside free agents. Wide receiver Tee Higgins, linebacker Zack Baun, guard Trey Smith, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, defensive end Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams are among the top impending free agents.
Teams can officially begin negotiating deals with outside free agents on Monday March 10 at noon. The new league year begins March 12 at 4 p.m., when players can officially sign with new teams.