Analyst Exposes Surprising Priority for Patriots

The New England Patriots have a plethora of needs up and down the roster heading into the offseason, but most would agree that wide receiver and offensive line should be at the top of their list.

Well, count Travis Thomas of NESN as someone who would say otherwise.

During a recent episode of the Foxboro Rush podcast, Thomas said that he felt running back should actually represent a bigger priority for the Patriots than wide out.

Thomas specifically made the point after the news that Tee Higgins was in the process of being franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals, noting that New England may be better off creating a dynamic running game.

While Thomas is accurate in his assertion that the Pats could stand to upgrade from Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson at halfback, it seems hard to pin that down as the team's biggest priority in the coming months.

Repairing the offensive line should trump pursuing better running backs, as better blocking up front should lead to more production from the Patriots' backfield.

Plus, Drake Maye needs weapons in the aerial attack. Yes, it's important to establish a rushing attack, but if Maye doesn't have any legitimate playmakers at his disposal in the passing game, a stronger ground game probably isn't going to matter that much.

The fact of the matter is that New England has the cap space to address its offensive line and receiving corps in free agency. It could then try and add another halfback through the NFL Draft, as there are going to be plenty of interesting ones available in April.

Remember; the Pats handed Stevenson a three-year contract extension last offseason and also gave Gibson a two-year deal, so they are kind of stuck. They can cut Gibson, but he was actually pretty productive in 2024.