“Rough” might be the best word to describe the start of the New England Patriots’ offseason.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft made the painful decision to fire head coach Jerod Mayo after a single year, a dismal 4-13 season that not only relegated the Patriots to the bottom of their division but also moved them out of positioning for the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Kraft’s rationale that the hiring was a mistake that rushed a coach who wasn’t ready to take on head coach responsibilities affirmed that the dismissal was a reflection of the lack of infrastructure and support that New England provided for Mayo, rather than Mayo’s incompetence. The Patriots’ decision did not feel fair to Mayo, but the organization did not see their former standout linebacker as a part of their long-term plans and did not want to delay in building toward that future.
That week was brutal for all involved. Everything since has been a best-case scenario for the Patriots.
Through the head-coach hiring cycle, free agency period and NFL Draft, the Patriots have improved their immediate standing and their franchise trajectory more significantly than any other franchise in the league. New England prioritized two objectives — infusing the organization with coaching competence and experience and supporting second-year quarterback Drake Maye — and succeeded in addressing both.
While the phrase “there’s nowhere to go but up” applies to the Patriots’ approach to the 2025 season, New England now has the potential to do more than upgrade from terrible to mediocre or middle-of-the-pack. A great offseason takes years to bear fruit, but the Patriots’ start to the 2025 calendar year is poised to provide short- and long-term gains and reinvigorate the esteemed franchise.
Firing a head coach after one season is not ideal. When that happens, franchises need to learn from the mistake and avoid the same pitfall, while also not overcompensating by swinging in the opposite direction.
The Patriots accomplished both of those by hiring Mike Vrabel, who not only has an extensive record of regular season and playoff success (he knocked out Tom Brady in Brady’s last game with the Patriots) but also won three Super Bowls with the franchise and is a recent inductee of the team’s Hall of Fame. Vrabel is tactically brilliant and a passionate leader, and while Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is technically the Super Bowl-winning coach to be hired in the offseason’s head coach hiring cycle, Vrabel was the consensus best candidate available.
With quarterback Drake Maye already locked in as the Patriots’ quarterback of the future, the Patriots needed to get the head coach right in determining the trajectory of their next half-decade. Vrabel’s arrival bodes well in that sense, too, eliminating the questions about his bona fides as a respected voice in NFL locker rooms and potential learning curve in the role. Vrabel is a defensive guy from his playing and coaching days, but his hiring and overhaul of the Patriots’ culture will give Maye the best chance to succeed and help New England move on from the short-lived Mayo era.
With any 4-13 team that has the intention to improve (and not tank), free agency is a crucial piece of the roster-building puzzle. New England made its presence felt with high-profile signings on offense and defense, headlined by a three-year, $69 million deal with wide receiver Stefon Diggs and a four-year, $104 million contract with former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams. The Patriots also added two potential offensive line starters in Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, respectively, and signed linebacker Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis to respective three-year deals. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention former Wootton Patriots standout and journeyman receiver Mack Hollins, who will bring energy and experience to the offensive and special teams units.
New England’s considerable financial commitment signals that they are not waiting to contend for a playoff spot, and the free-agency haul brings in a range of talents that can infuse new life and leadership into the organization and elevate the Patriots from a four-win team to a more competitive squad in 2025.
Of the four prospective defensive starters that New England added, Williams is the most expensive and intriguing, a reigning Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles who will now need to prove he can be just as effective without All-Pro players lining up next to him. A nine-figure deal is a strong vote of confidence in Williams, but the Louisiana Tech product is just 26 years old and can help the Patriots establish their identity in the trenches. I sense Vrabel’s fingerprints on the linebacker signings, especially because of Vrabel’s connection with Landry from their shared time in Tennessee, but that investment is not a negative development at all.
Stefon Diggs (also another Rockville, Maryland guy to join Hollins) is the most polarizing move the Patriots made this offseason, and my initial impression was that it was the most impulsive, least rational signing of the free-agency period. I still don’t think Diggs is the best move the Patriots made in the offseason and see considerable risk in handing a 31-year-old receiver coming off a season-ending injury a three-year contract, but the deal has considerable upside.
Talent-wise, Diggs will be the Patriots’ best playmaker if healthy, and his addition addresses the Patriots’ most glaring roster need. Diggs was on pace to surpass 1,000 receiving yards with the Texans before his ACL injury, and he reached the milestone in each of his six previous seasons. Here’s a wild fact: New England has not had a single player record 1,000 receiving yards since 2019, and Diggs has four such seasons in that time span. This move is about providing Maye with a WR1 who can scare defenses, and if Diggs can stay on the field and be a positive locker room presence, the Patriots will be justified in their investment. The Diggs signing wasn’t the best move the Patriots made and has almost no chance of being a good value considering the cost, but it fit New England’s philosophy of supporting Maye in his first years.
New England capped off the offseason improvements with a stellar draft class that furthered its overall objectives and built around Maye. The Patriots’ first three draft selections came on the offensive side of the ball: LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell at fourth overall, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at 38th overall and Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams at 69th overall. All three will come in with an immediate role on offense and the intent of helping Maye feel comfortable and succeeding in his second year. Campbell and Henderson both ranked among the best talents at their position in the 2025 Draft and can take the burden off Maye in providing a reliable rushing attack. The sheer size of the draft class, 11 players, is advantageous in providing the Patriots with depth and in addressing a wide range of needs, even at kicker with Andres Borregales of Miami in the sixth round.
Obviously, the Patriots were not the only active team in the head-coaching cycle, free agency period and NFL Draft. Jacksonville’s trade for wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is one that can galvanize the franchise and look well worth the cost in a couple years, and the Ravens did well to keep left tackle Ronnie Stanley around and draft top defensive back Malachi Starks. In the NFC, the Commanders stayed aggressive after their surprise NFC Championship appearance and the Bears assessed Caleb Williams’ first season and took action to provide improved protection for his second year.
Still, the Patriots’ offseason stands in a league of its own. Do the moves by Baltimore and Washington position them for tangible improvements on their highlight-filled 12-win seasons in 2024? Can Chicago’s upgrades boost them from the bottom of the NFC North, in a division in which three teams made the playoffs last year? Can Jacksonville succeed immediately with a first-time head coach and first-time general manager?
New England faces no such questions and is poised to make a huge jump in 2025, thanks to the talent and experience they brought into their building and the opportunity in front of them. The Patriots wasted no time in ushering in the Mike Vrabel era and overhauled the roster with veterans and rookies with potential for immediate impact. If those additions pan out, New England has a great chance to move into the top half of the AFC East. Buffalo and reigning MVP Josh Allen seem like near-locks to win the division, but the Jets hit a full reset and the Dolphins regressed in 2024 and stayed quiet in the offseason. If the Patriots advance from last place into second in the division, they’ll be firmly in the hunt for a wild-card berth, similar to the Broncos and Commanders last season.
The Patriots’ ability to make that leap into contention hinges on Drake Maye’s progression in his second year, and not even an inspiring offseason can guarantee that Maye succeeds in his first full season as a starter. His success will be what actually entrenches New England as a playoff contender, not the notion of winning the offseason. But in providing Maye with improved infrastructure in the coaching ranks and support on both sides of the ball, the Patriots made the most of a pivotal offseason and were aggressive in addressing their needs and removing the stench of a 4-13 season. The Patriots’ second attempt at replacing legendary head coach Bill Belichick is well on its way to having more success and staying power than the first.
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