What 2025 Patriots teach about roster construction

Other times, however, the money spent on the front office goes to waste. The Miami Dolphins have not won a playoff game in over 25 years, despite having seven different general managers and hundreds of front-office executives.

With the money, pressure and stakes involved, front-office employees ought to be constantly searching for new roster-building methods. 

Currently, the team that front offices should be referencing is the New England Patriots. The team has made a sudden turnaround since Tom Brady's 2020 departure, and it is one of the AFC's best teams. Here's what New England did to rebuild itself in a few years.

Free agents complement the draft, not the other way around

The majority of New England's key players, like quarterback Drake Maye, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, offensive tackle Will Campbell and cornerback Christian Gonzalez, were acquired through the draft. 

Although a few integral starters were added through free agency (defensive tackle Milton Williams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, cornerback Carlton Davis III), the draft has proved to be the most reliable source of talent.

In 2021, the Patriots showcased why splurging on free-agent talent is not a formula for long-term success. That offseason, they spent an NFL-record $160 million in guaranteed free-agent contracts, but had just one playoff appearance in the subsequent three seasons. The 2025 Patriots are proof that using the draft to build a team's core is the best rebuilding strategy.

Don't be afraid to ditch the plan; make bold decisions

After parting ways with six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick in January 2024, owner Robert Kraft hired 37-year-old head coach Jerod Mayo, the team's linebackers coach, as a replacement. 

In a news conference after the hiring, Kraft claimed that he'd been scouting Mayo for the role since 2019 and worked succession-plan language into a contract extension Mayo signed in 2023.

Despite Kraft's high praise for Mayo, the Belichick successor fell short. In 2024, the Patriots went 4-13 and had one of the league's worst offenses (30th in TDs, 32nd in yards). The team's future looked bleak.

Despite believing for half a decade that Mayo was the answer, Kraft quickly admitted his miscalculation. Hours after the final game of the regular season, Kraft fired Mayo and later hired 2021 Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel.

Adding Vrabel to the mix was one of Kraft's best-ever decisions, but it first required ditching a plan that took several years to execute. Abandoning ship at the last moment may have been frightening, but the situation teaches that in the NFL, fortune favors the bold.

Don't throw young quarterbacks into the fire

Mayo deserves some credit for New England's current success, specifically the growth and development of Maye. To begin the 2024 regular season, Mayo started veteran QB Jacoby Brissett over a then-rookie Maye. Brissett only lasted five games as a starter, winning just one game and tossing two TDs, but the team still benefited from his time at signal-caller.

Watching Brissett from the sidelines, Maye had over a month to mentally prepare himself for NFL action. By staying out of the spotlight to begin his rookie season, Maye was able to witness the nuances and challenges of professional football without making any confidence-shattering mistakes.

Additionally, the mere presence of Brissett, an experienced player who entered the league in 2016, provided key advice and help when Maye eventually took the starting job. Maye is living proof that a slow approach to QB development works. In the future, teams that acquire young QB talent should consider adding a veteran signal-caller first.