The New England Patriots will face the 2026 cutdown day to their 53-man roster on August 30. The offseason had to be dedicated to improving the team that was drubbed by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Whether they have done enough to adequately add to star quarterback Drake Maye or not is subject to conjecture. Views are mixed.
Objectively, they still have major needs at the edge, tight end, linebacker, and defensive tackle. Now a top analyst, ESPN's Bill Barnwell has chosen the Patriots as one of five NFL teams he thinks will regress in 2026.
A key issue, if not the key issue, that looms large over the season, as it does any NFL season, is the roster depth to withstand injuries. The Patriots' starting 11s on both sides of the ball are solid. Behind them, for the most part, is not.
This issue has even been publicly flagged by Mike Vrabel, who said the team isn't deep. His comment may have been a shot across the bow of Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf, whose drafting has left little to be desired in recent drafts.
Yet, whether it was or not, it's a major issue that still needs to be addressed. No one knows that better than Vrabel, since he can only deploy whoever he has available during the long, 17-game season, and hopefully beyond.
The 2026 New England Patriots lack serious depth across the board
Injuries take their toll on every NFL team from the best to the worst. If you get lucky, there won't be too many serious ones. Yet, even for the best teams like the 2025 Patriots, they'll materialize as they did for two key players late in the season, Drake Maye and left tackle Will Campbell.
While no team will likely adequately rebound from losing a top quarterback or from one playing hurt, the lack of depth at left tackle also played a big part in the Patriots' dismantling at the hands of the Seahawks.
ESPN's Barnwell, in a lengthy treatise on why he feels the Patriots will likely regress, also cites that pivotal lack of depth as a potential Achilles' heel for the 2026 Patriots. And he's spot on with that specific observation.
"The defense looms like an obvious point of concern for the Patriots ... DVOA, after adjusting for opponent, ranked the Patriots 23rd on defense. The defense got better as the season went along...Though executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf hit on a number of free agent signings and appears to have landed his quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, there's just not a ton of depth behind the starters in New England...
Could the addition of A.J. Brown, a full offseason to work with Kuhr and an MVP-caliber quarterback in Maye help mitigate some of these concerns? In some ways, of course. But...the Patriots seem particularly vulnerable to injuries and a tougher slate of opponents. I would expect something in line with the 2000 Rams, but the Patriots have a lower floor than it might seem at first glance."
While Barnwell hit a key nail on the head on depth, his suggestion that the Patriots "appear(s) to have landed (their) quarterback of the future" is ludicrous.
"Appear" falls far short of the mark, as Barnwell himself points out by calling Drake Maye "an MVP-caliber quarterback." They have certainly landed their quarterback of the future, arguably the NFL's best passer right now, and likely more by the end of the 2026 season.
But all depends on if his thin offensive line can keep him healthy.
The Patriots' starters on offense and defense will be strong and ready to contend for anything in the NFL if they can stay healthy. The reality is that they all won't.
Then, the key issue of depth will come squarely into play. The team traded receiver Kayshon Boutte, a good player at a depth position, for a safety, instead of a player at a much thinner position.
It was a blunder, and barring them from being aggressive between now and the September 9 first game to fill needed positions will cost them.
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