The New England Patriots have several glaring needs on their roster and an abundance of salary cap space. There is no excuse for them not to go all-out to improve the team via free agency this spring.
Fortunately for Pats fans, it sounds like the team is entering the offseason with a real sense of urgency following another letdown 4-13 campaign. NFL Media's Tom Pelissero has high expectations for New England when free agency begins on March 12.
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"I would anticipate that they are very active," Pelissero said Tuesday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger & Mazz. "And I know that (executive vice president of player personnel) Eliot Wolf was working it on every receiver. It didn't work out last year, but whether it was Calvin Ridley or Brandon Aiyuk or other guys who came up, they were in on everything.
"Listen, it's hard when you're bad. And people didn't know if the quarterback was going to be any good. The good news this year is you're still bad, but people now know this quarterback is good. Are the Patriots gonna have to overpay in free agency? Probably. That's just the nature of it. But you're gonna have a much better selling point that, 'Hey, we're gonna pay you a little extra, and you get to play with this dude who if we can just make this thing competent, has a chance to be really good.'"
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Unlike last spring, free agents could be enticed by the Patriots' encouraging QB situation. Drake Maye impressed in his rookie campaign and has star potential if New England can surround him with weapons and protection up front.
Wide receiver, offensive tackle, and edge rusher are three positions the Patriots must upgrade this offseason. They'll have intriguing options in free agency with Tee Higgins leading the list of wideouts, Ronnie Stanley among the top tackles, and Josh Sweat leading the list of pass rushers. Each will be pricey, but New England leads the league with approximately $120 million in cap space.
Eliot Wolf and Co. should be champing at the bit at their opportunity to build a winning roster for 2025. Maye seems excited for the future of the franchise as he's already recruiting Pro Bowlers to join him for next season and beyond.