Offseason In Review: New England Patriots

The team’s return to the top of the AFC started with the hiring of Mike Vrabel as its new head coach. The former Patriots linebacker instantly instilled a culture that was absent during Jerod Mayo’s one-season attempt at succeeding Bill Belichick. Meanwhile, quarterback Drake Maye took a major step forward in his development en route to finishing second in MVP voting. And to top it all off, New England had to navigate one of the easiest regular-season schedules in NFL history while enjoying relatively good injury luck.

There was a notable fourth factor that contributed to New England’s return to relevancy. The front office committed more than $361MM to free agent acquisitions in 2025, including more than $197MM in guaranteed money. From Milton Williams to Carlton Davis to Stefon Diggs, many of those signings provided a much-needed talent infusion to the roster.

This offseason, the Patriots were tasked with carrying over momentum from their surprising 2025 run while being cognizant of past and future spending and future commitments. The front office still commanded some offseason headlines for their acquisitions. Both via the free agent market and the trade market, the Patriots found opportunities to upgrade several spots on their roster.

Vrabel (who commanded his own noteworthy offseason headlines) and Maye will play the biggest role in maintaining New England’s performance, but several of the team’s offseason moves will play a role in determining whether the Patriots maintain their top-level play in 2026.

Trades:

• Acquired WR A.J. Brown from Eagles for 2028 first-round pick, 2027 fifth-rounder
• Traded WR Kayshon Boutte to Texans for S Jaylen Reed, 2028 seventh-round pick
• Traded C Garrett Bradbury to Bears for 2027 fifth-round pick
• Traded LB Marte Mapu, 2027 seventh-round pick to Texans for 2027 sixth-round pick
• Traded OL Caedan Wallace, 2029 seventh-round pick to Dolphins for 2028 sixth-round pick
• Obtained RB Corey Kiner from Cardinals for 2028 seventh-rounder
• Added T Walter Rouse, 2027 seventh-round pick from Vikings for 2027 sixth-rounder

While the Patriots used free agency to make their big splash of the 2025 offseason (Milton Williams), the front office turned to the trade market to make its headline acquisition in 2026.

A.J. Brown seemed to be on his way out of Philly throughout the 2025 season. While the Eagles didn’t have a whole lot of immediate financial incentive to move on, the wide receiver was a consistent presence in trade rumors throughout the first few months of the 2026 offseason. A slew of distraction-based headlines consumed Brown’s Philly tenure, leading to the separation after four years.

The Patriots remained the main suitor for his services throughout the ordeal. The Rams negotiated with the Eagles on Brown — talks which included Davante Adams and eventually a first-round pick offered — but a Vrabel reunion long held pole position in the Brown sweepstakes. When the Patriots exited the draft without choosing a receiver — after the Eagles traded up for Makai Lemon in Round 1 — dots were even easier to connect.

The rumors dragged on for several months, which was expected since the Eagles were destined to take advantage of the post-June 1 cap relief. The Patriots pounced as soon as the calendar hit June, acquiring the star wideout. This wasn’t even the biggest trade of June 1, thanks to the Browns and Rams’ Myles Garrett blockbuster, but Brown’s arrival brought a much-needed No. 1 wideout for Maye to target post-Diggs.

A former Titans second-round pick (in Vrabel’s second year at the helm), Brown reached his statistical apex as an Eagle. Brown set the franchise’s single-season receiving yardage record — with 1,496 in 2022 — and helped the franchise to two Super Bowls. Prior to that stay, however, Brown was a Vrabel favorite. The two will likely pick up where they left off, and OC Josh McDaniels can scheme around the type of elite WR he lacked during the team’s run to the Super Bowl in 2025.

Brown, 29, is tied to a $32MM-per-year extension agreed to in April 2024. The six-time 1,000-yard receiver’s contract was not the main issue in the Philadelphia divorce. As the Eagles tailored their offense around Jalen Hurts strengths (and 2024 free agency addition Saquon Barkley), Brown target gripes became frequent. He went from two 1,400-yard years to not eclipsing 1,100 in 2024 or ’25.

Scoring a touchdown in both Super Bowls he has played, Brown saw his act wear thin in Philly. He engaged in a fiery exchange with Nick Sirianni during the Eagles’ wild-card loss last season. A trade had long been assumed, and while the Patriots and Eagles were not too close on terms by the draft, the teams had their ducks in a row by the pivotal June 1 date.

Illustrating the issues that emerged between Brown and the Eagles, the NFC East club took on a receiver-record $48.94MM in dead money. Trading Brown after 4pm ET on June 1 allowed the Eagles to split that money between 2026 and 2027. The Patriots are on the hook for a $29MM Brown guarantee this year, but if the fit proves poor, only $4MM in guarantees remain on the deal beyond this season. Brown is tied to the Pats through the 2029 campaign.

The Brown acquisition (along with the Romeo Doubs signing) naturally impacted the roster status of the team’s other WRs. Considering his role and expiring rookie contract, Kayshon Boutte remained New England’s likeliest trade candidate, and the rumblings only got louder once the former sixth-round pick requested a trade.

The Patriots held on to him for the majority of the preseason, with the front office ultimately settling on a deal that netted them safety Jaylen Reed and a seventh-round pick. Entering his contract year, Boutte (1,140 receiving yards from 2024-25) has a chance to make a bigger impact in Houston; Vrabel said the 24-year-old WR would have likely been a game-day inactive in New England to open this season.

Elsewhere on offense, the Patriots moved on from a key offensive lineman in Garrett Bradbury. The Patriots’ entire offensive line was more than serviceable last year, although they showed significant cracks throughout the postseason. Bradbury wasn’t necessarily a weak link, but the organization seemed intent on moving 2025 third-round pick Jared Wilson from guard to his natural center position.

When considering the team’s subsequent moves along the offensive line, Bradbury only would have been a highly paid backup on this year’s iteration. The Patriots anticipated his role and picked up an extra late-round pick by moving his two-year, $9.5MM contract at the start of the offseason. Bradbury, 31, is in line to open the season as the Bears’ starter ahead of second-round pick Logan Jones.

Coaching/front office:

• Mike Vrabel missed Day 3 of draft while attending counseling
• Hired Shane Bowen as defensive analyst

While we covered Zak Kuhr’s promotion to full-time defensive coordinator our New England Offseason Outlook piece, Vrabel later added his former Titans DC in Bowen. When Vrabel’s staff was ousted with the Titans, his DC caught on with the Giants, where he spent two years running the defense. He will now help Kuhr run New England’s.

Another major coaching storyline had nothing to do with the on-field product, as Vrabel found himself embroiled in a notable off-field controversy surrounding former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. The saga, which produced weeks of headlines (and brought Russini’s resignation from The Athletic), resulted in Vrabel stepping away from the third day of the draft to spend time with his family.

The New York Post published multiple sets of photos nearly six years apart that launched this saga. The first showed Vrabel and Russini holding hands at a resort in Arizona earlier this year. Both parties (each married to other people; Vrabel, 51, has been married to his wife since 1999) initially denied wrongdoing, but the tone shifted soon after.

Vrabel announced just before the draft he would be away on Day 3 — when the Patriots held eight selections — to spend time with his family. Shortly after that announcement, the Post released a second batch of photos that showed Vrabel (then the Titans’ HC) and Russini (then at ESPN) kissing at a New York City bar in March 2020.

“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said before the draft. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”

This scandal cooled as the offseason progressed, and the 2025 NFL Coach of the Year was in attendance throughout the Patriots’ offseason program. The storyline did thrust EVP Eliot Wolf into an interesting position considering Vrabel’s organizational power. The Pats ended up making six picks on Day 3 of the draft.

Extensions and restructures:

• Gave CB Christian Gonzalez four-year, $135MM extension ($102MM in total guarantees)
• Handed TE Hunter Henry two-year, $16MM extension ($14.5MM guaranteed)

Perhaps the offseason move that commanded the most attention was the one that almost didn’t get done. Christian Gonzalez emerged as an elite cornerback through his first three years in the NFL and was expected to join Devon Witherspoon in resetting the positional market in 2026. While the Seahawks CB earned his contract last month, Gonzalez had to wait a bit longer for his.

The Patriots took a Belichick-ian approach to their negotiations with the star defensive back. While the organization initially claimed they offered a contract that would place Gonzalez atop the CB list in AAV (which ultimately proved to be true), the player’s camp pushed back on guarantees and cashflow.

The situation appeared to take a turn for the worse in recent weeks. A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated team and player had never been particularly close to the type of agreement that would tangibly move the bar for CB compensation. The player also aired his frustration with the lack of a swift agreement (while also voicing some displeasure with public remarks made by Wolf and owner Robert Kraft).

The two sides ultimately took it down to the wire, with Gonzalez inking his extension on the eve of the team’s season opener. Gonzalez indeed set the positional record for guarantees and AAV, although the finer details will prove how it compares to the league’s other highly paid cornerbacks.

Either way, the Patriots managed to avoid a potential holdout with one of their best players ahead of the AFC title defense. At the same time, they notably completed their first extension with a homegrown first-round pick since Dont’a Hightower re-signed with the franchise in 2017.

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Belichick’s final first-round pick as Pats czar, Gonzalez is a one-time All-Pro who was connected to wanting a deal notably north of Witherspoon’s $33MM-per-year Seattle accord. While the two have comparable resumes, Gonzalez — at 24 — is nearly two years younger. That and the threat of missing regular-season games probably helped the 6-foot-1 perimeter CB, though his $33.75MM-per-year deal did not create too much distance from the pack. Still, a Patriots franchise that did not extend Stephon Gilmore, Malcolm Butler or Asante Samuel has a market-setting cornerback contract on its payroll.

Hunter Henry initially joined the Patriots during their 2021 spending spree. Despite having to endure three different head coaches, he’s remained a key part of New England’s offense throughout his tenure. While the 2025 campaign represented his age-31 season, Henry actually had one of the most productive campaigns of his career. The tight end finished the year with 60 catches for a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns.

While the organization seems to be high on third-round TE Eli Raridon, the team showed its commitment to the veteran by giving him an almost-fully guaranteed extension. Of course, Henry’s deal barely cracks the top 20 in positional AAV, and it contains an out after the 2027 season. That makes the contract a relatively low-risk gamble that the tight end will continue to produce.

Free agency additions:

• Romeo Doubs, WR. Four years, $68MM ($35MM guaranteed)
• Dre’Mont Jones, LB. Three years, $36MM ($23.1MM guaranteed)
• Alijah Vera-Tucker, G. Three years, $42MM ($21MM guaranteed)
• Julian Hill, TE. Three years, $15MM ($7.5MM guaranteed)
• Kevin Byard, S. One year, $7MM ($6.17MM guaranteed)
• Reggie Gilliam, FB. Three years, $12MM ($6MM guaranteed)
• Greg Van Roten, G. One year, $3MM ($1MM guaranteed)

Following the Patriots’ spending spree in 2021, the organization was much more conservative the following offseason, handing out only one guarantee that exceeded $10MM ($16MM to JuJu Smith-Schuster). The Patriots spent big during the 2025 offseason, so there was some belief that Robert Kraft may tighten the belt this year. Coming off a Super Bowl loss, Kraft was still willing to open up the wallet.

The team used free agency to provide rookie-deal QB Drake Maye with a key receiving weapon. Months before the team acquired A.J. Brown, the Patriots agreed to a lucrative deal with former Packers WR Romeo Doubs. The 26-year-old topped 600 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons in Green Bay, and he’s coming off a campaign where he compiled a career-high 724 receiving yards.

Doubs likely would have been underqualified as a WR1, but he can now serve in a similar ancillary role in New England. After being part of a crowded Packers receiving crew, Doubs will likely see his $17MM-per-year deal firmly establish him as New England’s No. 2 wideout.

The front office also turned to free agency to shore up the offensive line. Alijah Vera-Tucker famously struggled to stay on the field during his stint with the Jets, as the former first-round pick missed 42 games across five seasons. That includes a 2025 campaign that was completely wiped out thanks to a second torn triceps injury.

When Vera-Tucker has been on the field, he’s been among the league’s top-performing guards, with Pro Football Focus consistently ranking him in the top 10 at his position. Vera-Tucker is clearly a major upgrade on New England’s offensive line, but it’s tough to definitively count on him in 2026.

While Ben Brown was serviceable as a backup guard in 2025, the team added some additional AVT insurance in Greg Van Roten. The veteran has established himself as a league-average guard at this point of his career, but he has stayed remarkably healthy. Van Roten hasn’t missed a game in any of the past three seasons, and he hasn’t missed a snap since 2023.

The Patriots are hoping they won’t have to lean on the 36-year-old free agent acquisition — who started at right guard for the Giants over the past two seasons — in 2026, but they can rest easy knowing they have a serviceable backup.

For some additional protection, the team added Reggie Gilliam on a three-year deal. The longtime Bills fullback has never been an offensive threat, compiling 149 yards in six seasons with Buffalo. But he did emerge as a fan favorite for his blocking prowess, and considering Josh McDaniels’ previous ability to properly utilize the position, he should hear similar praise in New England.

The Patriots were hoping for similar blocking ability from tight end Julian Hill, but the free agent acquisition suffered a knee injury in early June that will knock him out for the entire upcoming campaign.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots used free agency to add a pair of starters. The organization continued to add former Mike Vrabel favorites by signing safety Kevin Byard. A Vrabel Titans charge from 2018-23, the veteran had one of his best statistical seasons in 2025. The two-year Bears starter finished with a league-leading seven interceptions en route to a first-team All-Pro nod. Pro Football Focus backed up the numbers, with the advanced metrics site ranking Byard 14th among 91 qualifying safeties.

Byard’s success did not lead to a big market, though, as he is entering an age-33 season. Still, he has plenty of familiarity with Vrabel, Kuhr and Bowen and represents a plug-and-play starter. He’ll be replacing Jaylinn Hawkins, who was an unexpected contributor for New England in 2025 before inking a two-year deal with the Ravens.

For some pass-rush help, the Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones. The former Broncos and Seahawks defender started the 2025 campaign in Tennessee, and his one-year deal made him one of the more obvious trade candidates ahead of the deadline. He was ultimately shipped to the Ravens for a fifth-round pick, and he compiled 17 stops and 2.5 sacks in nine games down the stretch.

Pro Football Focus has traditionally not been a fan of Jones. Even after finishing with one of the best PFF scores of his career, Jones still only ranked 64th among 119 qualifying edge defenders in 2025. The Patriots were in desperate need for some edge help this offseason, and while Jones may be able to give them some reliable snaps — and versatility, as the edge rusher is a converted interior D-lineman — he lacks the high-level pass-rush prowess that the defensive line sorely needs.

Re-signings:

• Tommy DeVito, QB. Two years, $7.4MM ($2MM guaranteed)

The Patriots anointed Tommy DeVito as Drake Maye’s primary backup when they handed him a new two-year pact, thus making Josh Dobbs expendable. DeVito made a name for himself with the Giants in 2023, when he led the team to a 3-3 record while under center. He didn’t show that same magic during his cameos in 2024, leading to him being waived. He spent the past year as New England’s QB3 and didn’t get into a game, but he apparently showed enough in practice to earn a promotion to the primary backup role.

Notable losses:

• K’Lavon Chaisson, DE
• Stefon Diggs, WR (released)
• Josh Dobbs, QB (released)
• Jack Gibbens, LB
• Antonio Gibson, RB (released)
• Jaylinn Hawkins, S
• Austin Hooper, TE
• Anfernee Jennings, LB (released)
• Vederian Lowe, T
• Jahlani Tavai, LB (released)
• Khyiris Tonga, DT

While the defending AFC champs mostly accounted for their key subtractions this offseason, they might find themselves missing a handful of departures. In particular, the Patriots made the surprising decision to not bring K’Lavon Chaisson back. The former first-round pick had his best statistical season during his lone year in New England, finishing with career-high numbers in sacks (7.5), TFLs (10), and QB hits (18). Chaisson then added three playoff sacks to help drive the Pats to Super Bowl LX.

Chaisson ended up settling for a one-year, $11MM deal with the Commanders this offseason, a contract the Patriots surely could have matched. Instead, the team opted to add Dre’Mont Jones on a far more lucrative contract. While Chaisson doesn’t bring the same starting experience as his replacement, he was just as productive in 2025.

Chaisson, who at 27 is two years younger than Jones, struggled to live up to his first-round pedigree to begin his career. And perhaps the Patriots thought they squeezed all they could out of the edge rusher. Still, considering the financial commitment (and the contract they gave Jones), the player’s departure rightly deserved some skepticism.

Khyiris Tonga also played a surprising role for the Patriots in 2025. The journeyman defensive lineman filled in admirably alongside Cory Durden whenever Christian Barmore and Milton Williams were forced out of the lineup. Tonga finished the 2025 campaign having appeared in a career-high 337 defensive snaps while starting eight of his 14 appearances. That performance earned him a three-year, $21MM deal from the Chiefs in free agency. Considering New England’s investment elsewhere at the position, it always seemed unlikely that it would match a sizable offer.

Less surprising was the departure of Jaylinn Hawkins, although the former Falcons draft pick played a surprisingly productive role with New England in 2025. New England still returns one half of its Super Bowl safety tandem, in 2025 fourth-rounder Craig Woodson.

The Patriots were a clear suitor for A.J. Brown throughout the offseason, and while the star acquisition doesn’t play the same exact receiving role as Stefon Diggs, the financials made the incumbent expendable. Diggs was productive during his one-year stop in New England, finishing with 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. However, he was limited to 27.5 yards per game in the postseason, and even during the regular season, he was serving as a part-time player.

New England gave Diggs a three-year, $63.3MM contract in 2025 — as the team had been chasing marquee receivers for a while at that point — but only guaranteed him $16.6MM at signing. The Pats cut Diggs before he was due a $6MM guarantee on his 2026 base salary, creating some cap space as a Brown pursuit loomed.

Diggs, 32, still delivered his seventh career 1,000-yard season and bounced back from the ACL tear that ended his 2024 season in Houston. A big market did not form for the 12th-year veteran, who was found not guilty on a felony charge of strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery (the NFL then determined it would not levy a suspension). The Commanders gave Diggs a one-year, $8MM deal that came almost fully guaranteed.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 28 (from Texans via Bills): Caleb Lomu (T, Utah) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 55 (from Chargers): Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 95: Eli Raridon (TE, Notre Dame) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 171: Karon Prunty (CB, Wake Forest) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 196 (from Colts via Vikings, Panthers and Jaguars): Dametrious Crownover (T, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor (LB, TCU) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 234 (from Vikings): Behren Morton (QB, Texas Tech) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 245 (from Rams via Texans and Jaguars): Jamarion Miller (RB, Alabama) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins (EDGE, Boston College) (signed)

After investing the fourth overall pick in Will Campbell during last year’s draft, the Patriots used a 2026 first-round pick on another long-term Drake Maye protector. Caleb Lomu brings the size and athleticism to succeed as a professional, but scouts were wary of his lack of mechanics and short-term potential. He landed in an ideal spot for his development in New England, where he won’t be counted on right away.

The 2026 campaign will represent right tackle Morgan Moses’ age-35 season, and the organization can easily get out of the veteran’s three-year, $24MM contract in 2027. Lomu can prepare for his eventual role as starting right tackle, although he also provides some insurance at LT if Campbell’s postseason struggles carry over into 2026 (although to Campbell’s defense, he did play through a torn knee ligament throughout the playoffs).

The Gabe Jacas selection drew unintended attention when the Patriots took months to sign the second-round edge rusher. It was assumed the front office was seeking protection from the prospect’s extensive injury history, and it sounds like the organization ultimately got their way with a unique pact.

Of course, while the team sought some injury protection, it would rather the rookie is contributing on the field in 2026 and beyond. The Illinois product showed his pass-rushing prowess over the past two years, when he tallied 19 total sacks. Considering the Patriots’ current OLB depth, the team may be reliant on Jacas sooner than they anticipated.

We might not hear a whole lot from the team’s mid- to late-round picks in 2026, with most of the rookies projected for backup roles. Eli Raridon drew praise for his training camp performance, although he’s blocked for the foreseeable future considering Hunter Henry’s recent extension. Still, Josh McDaniels has shown that he can scheme for multiple tight ends, and at the very least, the 6-foot-6 rookie provides Maye with another red zone target.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Milton Williams, DT: $28.50MM
2. Carlton Davis, CB: $22.00MM
3. Michael Onwenu, G: $17.50MM
4. Christian Barmore, DT: $17.10MM
5. Hunter Henry, TE: $13.60MM
6. Robert Spillane, LB: $12.32MM
7. Morgan Moses, OT: $10.40MM
8. Drake Maye, QB: $9.99MM
9. Will Campbell, OT: $9.92MM
10. Kevin Byard, S: $9MM

From Mike Vrabel’s off-the-field escapades to Christian Gonzalez’s head-scratching extension slog, the Patriots didn’t necessarily command offseason headlines for the right reasons. When focusing on just the on-the-field product, though, the front office added enough reinforcement (including some top-level upgrades) that should keep the Patriots plenty productive in 2026.

A tougher schedule awaits, and the AFC features some new powers — though, the Pats beat both the Chargers and Broncos (granted, with Jarrett Stidham starting) in last year’s playoffs — and could have more depth in 2026 if Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes stay healthy this season. But the Patriots have reinserted themselves into the contender conversation after one of the more interesting worst-to-first seasons in NFL history.