The initial reaction to the Patriots' 2025 offseason was that the new regime led by Mike Vrabel made nearly all the right moves to improve the roster and their chances of legitimately competing for the first time in years. The improved defense and the upgraded offense around Drake Maye could give the former most dominant team in the league enough of a boost to potentially give the Bills a run for their money, even if it doesn't come down to winning the division.
If Buffalo is destined to stay atop the AFC East for the sixth season, the Patriots appear to be equipped to make their path a bit more difficult. With Vrabel in as the head coach and Josh McDaniels back as the offensive coordinator, it certainly won't be the cake walk Josh Allen and Co. have had in the past, especially with the newest defensive players the Patriots added.
That could be even more of a talking point based on the recent prediction of who will be the Bills' biggest bust of the 2025 season. With a drastically different offense from just two years ago and a hopefully improved defense, they hope to compete for the AFC title once again.
But that might not be the case if their defense is supposed to run through Joey Bosa, who Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes has a good chance to be a regrettable signing for the Patriots' divisional foes.
The Bills potential free agency mistake could be a big reward for the Patriots
The Bills were in need of a pass rusher going into free agency this year, and they felt signing Bosa was their best choice, despite his injury-plagued history with the Chargers.
That could become a significant problem this fall, according to Knox, on top of his age seemingly impacting his output during his final years in Los Angeles.
"Even if the Buffalo Bills get respectable production out of pass-rusher Joey Bosa, the five-time Pro Bowler could be viewed as a bust. This is because name recognition largely outweighs production at this point in the 30-year-old's career.
Bosa had solid numbers with the Los Angeles Chargers last season (5 sacks, 19 QB pressures), but he's still an aging defender who has appeared in only 28 games over the past three years. Bosa may struggle to live up to his $12.6 million price point in 2025, and those expecting him to be the regular game-wrecker he was early in his career will likely be disappointed."
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Given the Patriots' need for any edge over their biggest in-division competition, the possibility that Bosa could negatively impact the Bills is a strong indicator of their chances against them. The Patriots have an improved offensive line, plus running backs who can block to make them even stronger.
So if Bosa is already struggling even before he lines up against them, there's good reason to believe he won't get to Maye.
Making it even better would be the money the Bills wasted by signing Bosa, essentially indicating their plan to rely on the veteran to lead their defensive line. Although he was once a top-tier pass rusher, he hasn't been that caliber of player for some years, hence the Chargers' releasing him after a long tenure.
Buffalo already tried this with another aging defender with Von Miller, who never produced the kind of performance they were likely hoping for. Now they're banking on the same type of player in Bosa to outperform his recent output, which seems incredibly unlikely given how he's looked over the past few seasons.
This could all work in the Patriots' favor, ultimately helping their chances in the division. That would be the best-case scenario of a failed Bills signing, and another reminder of why the new regime in New England was wise to pass on possibly signing Bosa in free agency.