It remains to be seen whether the New England Patriots will be one of the most improved teams in the NFL and compete for a playoff spot next season. But the franchise did make a strong effort to get better, based on its offseason moves.
The Patriots wasted no time upgrading their roster in free agency. They spent huge on Day 1, adding defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis and right tackle Morgan Moses, among several other players. They also signed veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who, if healthy, could be a fantastic target for franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
Did the Patriots overpay for Williams (four years, $104 million), and maybe a few other players? Yeah, maybe. But when you’re a 4-13 team in back-to-back seasons and have one of the worst rosters in the league, sometimes you need to overpay a bit to bring top-tier talent through the door.
And it’s not like these signings have decimated the Patriots’ salary cap picture. They still have $60 million in cap space, per OverTheCap, which is the most in the league. And they’re not paying Drake Maye or Christian Gonzalez huge money yet.
The Patriots also did well in the 2025 NFL Draft. They made four picks in top 95, and their class as a whole received mostly high grades from experts.
The Patriots had a ton of roster holes to fill, and they bolstered many different positions on both sides of the ball through free agency and the draft. Combine these upgrades with a pretty soft 2025 schedule, and making the playoffs next season might actually be a realistic goal for New England.
What do the experts think of the Patriots’ offseason moves? Here’s a roundup of grades.
“The Patriots had a stellar offseason. They completely revamped and upgraded their coaching staff with Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels coming in, both proven forces at head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively.
“They also added a ton of new talent in free agency and the draft after finishing last season ranked 24th in PFF defensive grade (64.4) and 30th in PFF offensive grade (63.2). This is an easy A grade, and one that was bumped to an A+ for the moves in the front office and coaching staff.”
“If you dock them a bit for overpaying players that’s fine. But a team that needed an infusion of talent got plenty of it, especially on defense. Offensively, Drake Maye has a veteran target in Stefon Diggs.”
“New England’s offseason began with the firing of Jerod Mayo and subsequent hiring of Vrabel. While Mayo got a quick hook, it was the right call: There’s no time for sunk cost fallacy, and there’s strong reason to believe that Vrabel is an upgrade. Vrabel has demonstrated success getting the most of his past rosters.
“There’s no question that the Patriots significantly improved their roster, spending big in free agency to bring in Williams, Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry III, Robert Spillane, Carlton Davis III and Morgan Moses. The Patriots needed this upgrade — there’s no sense in waiting when you have a good QB under a rookie contract. At the same time, I disliked the value on almost every deal.
“Williams earned a contract that, after adjusting for cap inflation, is comparable in fully guaranteed money ($51 million) to what Chris Jones received in 2020, Jonathan Allen in 2021 and Javon Hargrave in 2023. Although he’s a nice player, Williams also played only 47% of Philadelphia’s snaps in 2024 while playing next to other stout defensive linemen.
“Diggs gives quarterback Drake Maye a badly needed playmaker, but he is 31 and coming off a torn ACL. Landry has a history of consistent sack production but is 29 and received $26 million fully guaranteed. I believe Davis is a worse player than the man who replaced him in Detroit (D.J. Reed), yet he still cost $18 million per year.
“These inefficiencies could cost New England in the future — money not spent in 2025 can be saved for 2026 and beyond — but the additions also unquestionably made the team better.”
“It’s entirely fair to say that head coach Jerod Mayo never got a fair opportunity in New England. However, it’s also fair to say that hiring Mike Vrabel as soon as possible was a brilliant move by the Patriots. Vrabel, after all, knows the Patriots Way as well as anyone, having spent eight seasons with the franchise as a player. He’s also a proven head coach who helped the Tennessee Titans make three playoff appearances in six seasons.
“Hiring Vrabel kicked off what might be the most impressive offseason of any team in 2025. Vrabel and executive vice president Eliot Wolfe added multiple impact players in both free agency and the draft.
“While the Patriots may have taken an unnecessary risk in signing Stefon Diggs, who is coming off of a torn ACL. However, players like Milton Williams, Garrett Bradbury, Carlton Davis, Harold Landry, Morgan Moses, Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson should all boost New England’s roster immediately.
“In some ways, this feels a lot like New England’s 2021 offseason, which saw an aggressive approach in free agency yield a playoff season with rookie quarterback Mac Jones behind center. However, the Patriots have already seen more from second-year quarterback Drake Maye than they ever saw from Jones, and they haven’t simply added pieces for a one-year run.
“New England has its quarterback, and it has given him a supporting cast that is significantly better than it was in the early spring. Don’t be surprised if the Patriots make a push for the playoffs in 2025.”
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