The New England Patriots entered free agency with a lot of needs on both sides of the ball. From the obvious deficiencies on the offensive line and edge to the subtle ones at inside linebacker and defensive tackle, a lot of holes had to be filled. Whether they did or not is subject to evaluation and analysis.
One analyst, ESPN's Ben Solak, has the Patriots class leaps and bounds ahead of any other team in the AFC East. If he's right, it bodes well for their chances to keep the divisional crown.
Analysts' opinions are nice to see if they favor your team, but are they "take it to the bank" analytics? The clear answer is ... maybe. Some may be on target and others not so much. In the case of free agency, the only real determinant should be whether your team has improved enough at positions that needed improvement or not. Nothing else really matters.
For the Patriots, free agency has been underwhelming. They improved one position this offseason with a better player. That's Kevin Byard III, an All-Pro safety who had seven interceptions last season for the Bears. If he gets anywhere close to that number in 2026, he's a massive improvement. Other than Byard, the jury is still out.
Is ESPN's evaluation of the Patriots' free agency on target?
Solak has rated the 2026 Patriots' free agent class as the sixth best in the NFL. If he's right, it will help them stay on top of the AFC East, where Solak has rated the Jets No. 18, the Bills No. 29, and the Dophins No. 31 in free agency.
"I loved: The value plays. The Patriots are taking high-upside swings without paying big salaries. Doubs is being paid like an every-down WR2 but might have a higher ceiling as a WR1 ... Vera-Tucker got a bigger financial commitment than I expected, but he was nearly an All-Pro talent at guard with the Jets...Even the Gilliam signing stands out as an example of the Patriots' continued excellence in evaluating their own roster...
"I didn't love: The results of the defensive carousel. The Patriots replaced Jaylinn Hawkins with a Vrabel favorite in Byard, and I'm not sure betting on the 33-year-old to maintain his All-Pro form from last season is a reasonable alternative. And although Jones is certainly a step up from K'Lavon Chaisson in run defense, I think the Patriots will miss Chaisson's speed off the edge."
Solak's first comment that he loves the "value plays" is an ominous sign. If you're trying to improve your roster, value isn't the way you want to go. The place to spend your limited resources is on better players, not on "value" options. On most occasions, less costly in the NFL will usually mean not as good. It's the wrong approach.
He also speculates that receiver Romeo Doubs may have No. 1 receiver potential. He may be right, but nothing in his first four seasons indicates that. He's never had a season with more than 59 receptions or 724 yards in his four-year career. Having Drake Maye as his quarterback will be a plus, but expecting him to dramatically increase his catch total is far-fetched.
Vera-Tucker is a guard whose injury history suggests he can't be relied upon. You don't take that type of risk with Drake Maye. On fullback Reggie Gilliam, he's an upgrade, but he's also a one-dimensional blocking back who had two carries for four yards and two catches for 24 yards in 2025.
Byard's addition does not enthrall Solak, yet he's the Patriots' best free-agent signing. He correctly points out that swapping edge K'Lavon Chaisson for Dre'mont Jones is a lateral move and may actually be detrimental. That he based his evaluation largely on those moves he noted is telling. One thing it says is that the free agencies of the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins were truly atrocious.
Hopefully, Ben Solak's take is right, and everything the Patriots did in free agency will be as successful as 2025's version. The gist of the matter is this: if you ask how many positions of need the Patriots have improved in free agency, the answer is not many.
That's the key determinant, and they now have only late free agency, trades, and the draft to get the numerous upgrades they still need.