Entering NFL free agency, no team has clearer needs than the Patriots.
Multiple positions have dogged them for three straight losing seasons. As the Patriots remake themselves in Mike Vrabel’s image, other positions now need updating.
No longer will the defense be built on big, two-gapping defensive tackles. No longer will they look for lumbering linebackers to clean up behind them. Even the cornerbacks room is expected to undergo an overhaul.
But are those their top needs? Not even close.
Here are the Patriots’ top six positions of need heading in free agency, when they will have a league-leading $127.7 million in cap space.
You know the names by now: Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley, Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. Vikings left tackle Cam Robinson.
If the Patriots execute their free agency plan, they will walk away with one of them under contract. Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson was among their targets before he signed an extension with Los Angeles on Friday. The left tackle position has been a revolving door of replacement-level players since 2022, during which time the Patriots’ offensive line has also ranked among the worst pass-protecting groups in the league.
Look for the Pats to also explore the guard and center markets. As one team source said, the team’s ideal scenario involves 2024 draft picks Caedan Wallace, a tackle, and Layden Robinson, a guard, working as backups. Veteran center David Andrews is also working his way back from experimental shoulder surgery.
Not since the days of prime Julian Edelman have the Patriots fielded a receiver who commanded extra defensive attention.
Officially, Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins and Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin are set to hit the market, though the Bengals have signaled they intend to place the franchise tag on Higgins for a second straight season and effectively take him off the board. Godwin, team sources expect, will return to Tampa Bay, which would leave zero No. 1-caliber receivers available.
Nonetheless, the Patriots must add to a wide receivers room that struggles to separate and may not include even a No. 2 target. Bills wideout Amari Cooper and Texans receiver Stefon Diggs are not expected to draw interest from the front office, per sources, leaving players like the Giants’ Darius Slayton and the Chargers’ Josh Palmer potentially drawing extra attention in free agency.
Inside the Patriots’ free agency and draft plans at the NFL Scouting Combine
Even though the Patriots won't be pursuing Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat, one of the best edge defenders available, they recognize a real need to boost their pass rush.
The Pats finished dead last with 28 sacks last year, including a nine-sack performance during a midseason win at Chicago. It's unclear if the team intends to retain veteran defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, who's scheduled to hit free agency, but the front office is not looking at edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to a team source. Other names to know include Colts' defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (47 pressures last year via Sports Info. Solutions), Saints defensive end Chase Young (66 pressures) and Cowboys edge rusher Chauncey Golston (7 sacks last year).
By granting defensive lineman Davon Godchaux permission to seek a trade, the Patriots are openly pivoting to a new prototype at the position.
In Mike Vrabel's defense, they will employ smaller, penetrating defensive tackles who will shoot upfield and try to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage. This marks a significant philosophical change for a defense that has long played two-gapping techniques intended to occupy offensive linemen so the linebackers can run freely and make tackles. Defensive tackle will become an even more dire need if Christian Barmore, presently working out in Tampa, cannot return to a playing career as he continues to recover from a recurrence of blood clots.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, rumor had it the Patriots are in hot pursuit of Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Sherwood would never have been a target for past Patriots front offices, but now, like the defensive tackles, he fits the prototype Vrabel seeks.
Accordingly, thumping veterans like Ja'Whaun Bentley (6-2, 245) and Jahlani Tavai (6-2, 255) could be on the way out in seasons to come. Behind them, the Patriots have virtually no depth, especially after cutting Sione Takitaki last month. Look for the front office to also target this position in the draft.
According to league sources, the Patriots are seeking bigger corners opposite Christian Gonzalez, specifically those with experience in zone-heavy defenses. Vrabel also highlighted nickelback as a dynamic spot in modern defense, a position they could address in the draft or free agency. One former Patriots coach described Marcus Jones, the team's current nickelback, as a poor fit for Vrabel's scheme, and while there's mutual interest in a return for veteran corner Jonathan Jones, he is more likely to fill a utility role in the back nine of his career.