The first week of the 2025 offseason is over, and the Patriots made some big swings to kick off the start of free agency. From stealing Milton Williams from the Panthers and awarding him the biggest contract in franchise history to signing a perfect cornerback to pair with Christian Gonzalez in the secondary, Mike Vrabel made sure to spend a lot of the team's cap space to positively impact the roster before next season.
That inevitably makes it easy to pinpoint some of the biggest winners on the roster so far, based on those who have been signed and in some cases, those who haven't. However, their free agency activity, or lack thereof in some regards, also makes their shortcomings stand out far more than fans were hoping, which isn't the best position to be in heading into a slower part of free agency.
A lot of good moves have already been made, and it's clear the new regime is dedicated to turning the Patriots around and fast-tracking their path to becoming a competitive team again. That is certainly admirable and something to be excited about.
At the same time, though, there are reasons that bring some skepticism heading into the draft, leading to some players being considered the biggest losers of free agency so far.
Winners and losers from the Patriots' first batch of free agency signings
Winner: CB Christian Gonzalez
Perhaps one of the biggest winners of the first wave of free agency has to be star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Not because he received a new contract but because he will now have the pleasure of working with another impressive player at the position in Carlton Davis.
Since rising to stardom during his rookie season and putting together one of the best second years we have seen in a long time in 2024, Gonzalez has carried the secondary on his back. He got to work with longtime Patriot Jonathan Jones, which was a great pairing, but the addition of Davis boosts the cornerback room that much more and sets unlimited expectations.
The duo are already considered among the best in the NFL before even stepping on the field together, which will tell you everything you need to know about Davis' arrival. Gonzalez will ultimately be one of the biggest beneficiaries of his addition to the locker room and the field, and will take a significant load off his back on game day.
Winner: K John Parker Romo
Among the least discussed positions of need this offseason is kicker, despite being a nagging need for the Patriots since they decided not to re-sign Nick Folk in 2023. Well traveled Joey Slye was signed for the 2024 season and had an impressive start to his New England tenure, only to become more inconsistent as the season went on.
That puts finding his replacement among some of the most crucial points of action in free agency, but the new regime has yet to address it. And the latest reporting out of Foxboro suggests Mike Vrabel and Co. are intrigued by John Parker Romo, a kicker who was a late addition to the practice squad last year, for the job.
Because most of the remaining unsigned kickers appear to not appeal to the Patriots at this moment, it's fair to assume it's Parker Romo's job to lose at this point. They may add another young player through the draft, but right now it's his time to prove that they don't have to look elsewhere for a kicker.
Loser: CB Jonathan Jones
Although there has been a lot of excitement around the addition of cornerback Carlton Davis, that immediately put longtime Patriot Jonathan Jones on the outside looking in and eventually led to him leaving the team to sign with the Commanders.
Jones was among the few free agents that fans were interested in seeing return, mainly because he had become a staple of the defense since signing with New England in 2016. He was also one of the last remaining players from the Tom Brady era, making his departure that much more bittersweet.
At the same time, however, it felt inevitable that the 31-year-old's time with the Patriots was nearing its end, especially with a new regime in town that had no loyalties to players on the roster. That made it easier to oust him and sign a younger player in his place, but Jones will surely have an enjoyable time with Washington, as they hope to build upon their NFC Championship run last season.
Winner: QB Drake Maye
Although most of the free agency additions have been for the defense, and the signings for the offense haven't been all that game-changing, there have been a few moves that, at the very least, put Drake Maye in a better spot than he was one year ago.
The Patriots now seem to comfortably have a starting right tackle with the signing of Morgan Moses, which inevitably allows Mike Onwenu to hold down at right guard. That provides stability on the right side for the quarterback, which wasn't exactly the case for much of the 2024 season.
They also have some potential moves to make at center from the current roster, which is a plus, and they added an under-the-radar good option at wide receiver in Mack Hollins. He had a great season with the Bills and an even better year under Josh McDaniels with the Raiders, and that is expected to pick back up for their reunion in Foxboro.
Maye will benefit from all of the signings so far, and things should only get better with more signings and the draft just around the corner.
Winner: C Ben Brown/G Cole Strange
The release of two-time Super Bowl Champion center David Andrews was quite a shock for almost every Patriots fan this past week, and not just because he had been with the team since 2015.
Because the offensive line has been the weakest part of the entire Patriots roster over the last several years, the decision to move on from perhaps their best lineman was a shocking move, even if he's coming off a season ended prematurely due to an injury.
That puts his potential successors, Ben Brown and Cole Strange, at the forefront of the biggest free agency winners thus far, as they can potentially compete to become the next starting center for the 2025 season.
Brown did a solid job at the position in Andrews' absence last season and rose to stardom despite the absolute chaos among the offensive line. That could inevitably lead to him owning the position if he can keep that up. Strange has an opportunity to do the same, as he returned from an injury and took snaps at the center last year.
Loser: QB Drake Maye
Although he benefits from adding a starting right tackle and a new weapon to work with in the receiving corps, there's also plenty to put Drake Maye as one of the players who lost because of how free agency has gone so far.
David Andrews' release was a massive hit to an already weak offensive line, directly impacting Maye after he dealt with a subpar group during his rookie season. Couple that with the lack of left tackles signed and no real game-changing wide receivers added, either, so it's fair to say Maye has not been a winner of the Patriots' offseason signings in totality.
There are still some interesting names who could be great signings, and there's also the 2025 NFL Draft to look forward to. But Vrabel and Co. will need to work hard to put Maye in a better spot this fall than he was during his rookie season.
Loser: Linebacker group
With so many defensive players signed in the first week of free agency, many already rostered players have a more cloudy future now in New England. That is especially true for the linebackers, with the additions of Harold Landry and Robert Spillane last week.
There was already confirmation from the new regime that the roster at the start of the offseason would be drastically different by the time the 2025 season began, hinting at a lot of turnover and it appears the most changes will be coming to the defense.
With the newly signed players on the team now, it immediately highlights guys like Ja'Whaun Bentley, who is recovering from a season-ending injury from last season, Anfernee Jennings, who had his best season to date in 2024, and Jahlani Tavai, who had a bit of a controversial season.
Their performances from last year could lead to their eventual release, and the connections between the new coaching staff and most of the players signed last week only heighten those chances. But time will ultimately tell.