The Patriots still have a lot of work to do this offseason
The New England Patriots took a bit of a victory lap at Gillette Stadium on Thursday as the team introduced four of its newest members. Robert Kraft expressed excitement for the upcoming season, and head coach Mike Vrabel sounds confident the team's offseason additions have them heading in the right direction.
While the Patriots went out and made some nice signings in free agency, there is still a lot of work to be done this offseason. The team is asking for some patience in this next wave of free agency.
The bulk of the team's signings have come on the defensive side of the ball. Milton Williams should be a beast along the defensive line, linebacker Robert Spillane can rack up a lot of tackles, and Carlton Davis will form a formidable corner duo with Christian Gonzalez. All of those additions will help Vrabel instill his new culture in New England, and the team is much better off with them in the mix.
But needs remain on offense. A lot of needs remain on offense.
Drake Maye is the future of the franchise, but the team's ability to protect the quarterback in 2025 remains a huge question mark. Morgan Moses will fill New England's vacancy at right tackle and the 34-year-old veteran sounded like the perfect leader for the locker room as he addressed reporters on Thursday. But with the release of veteran David Andrews, another hole opened up along the offensive line.
Then there's the matter of adding a legitimate No. 1 receiver for Maye. The team threw some real silly money at Chris Godwin, but he turned it down to return to Tampa Bay. Mack Hollins was signed shortly after free agency opened, but he's a complementary piece and not someone who will make opposing defenses change up their game plan when they play New England.
Thursday's show at Gillette made it seem like the Patriots are done with big-time acquisitions this offseason. Vrabel said the team is far from a finished product on Thursday, but they're going to play it smart as they navigate the remaining crop of free agents.
What is the Patriots plan on the offensive line?
Moses will lock down the right edge of the offensive line, and Mike Onwenu will occupy the right guard spot, so at least that side of the line is set. But the Patriots still need a left tackle, and now they have a need at center. Layden Robinson, Sidy Sow, and Tyrese Robinson are options at left guard, but that spot could use an upgrade as well.
The No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft could land the Patriots a new left tackle, with LSU's Will Campbell and his short arms and Missouri's Armand Membou potential selections. But locking down left tackle is a lot to ask from a rookie. It would also go against the team's objective to draft the best player available instead of drafting for need come April.
"We will target the offensive line," Vrabel said Thursday. "There's still quite a bit of time before we get to the draft, but there's also -- we don't want to just be careless. We talked about there's a difference. We want our players to play aggressive. We don't want them to play reckless. So we don't want to be reckless through this process. We want to be very intentional with the people that we bring on this football team, and we'll continue to target all those needs that we feel like and the players that can help us."
Fans -- and likely Maye -- would prefer not to see another season of Vederian Lowe as New England's starting left tackle. Ben Brown and converted guard Cole Strange are options at center, but the team needs to explore outside options in the wake of Andrews' release.
But the waiting game could become costly anyways with options drying up. Cam Robinson the only viable left tackle left in free agency.
Those needs along the line aren't the only holes to plug on the New England offense. And the other need could be even pricier.
Patriots still have a big need at receiver too
Godwin would have given New England a solid No. 1 option in Maye's receiving corps, but he took less money to stay in Tampa. Vrabel said the team will leave no stone unturned to find a top pass-catcher for their young quarterback.
"We'll continue to look at the wide receiver position as it relates to free agency, explore every option with other teams, and potentially then we'll get to the point where we're looking at the draft," he said. "There's just a lot of time, and I know that everybody is like, it's over in free agency. It's never over."
Vrabel said that senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith has been reminding him that players become available throughout the offseason and into training camp.
"He's like, 'I've seen it enough to know that there's going to be someone that's currently not on our roster that's going to help us win a game this year. He's just not in Foxborough,'" relayed Vrabel.
Cooper Kupp is out there, but the Patriots reportedly aren't interested in meeting his asking price at the moment. If he's not the Cooper for the Patriots, Amari Cooper would be a solid veteran addition with 10 years of experience catching passes in the NFL. Stefon Diggs remains available as well, but the 31-year-old is coming off a torn ACL last October and won't be ready to go until the summer.
While the Patriots may like those options, it doesn't sound like they love them. But if they truly want to put Maye in the best position to succeed in his second NFL season, New England shouldn't be opposed to overpaying a bit to get him a legitimate option at receiver.
