Packed with the most cap space to use in this year's free agency, the Patriots will have plenty of opportunity to significantly impact their 2025 roster and put the team in a much improved position next season. The hope is to utilize that money to bring in the caliber of players the roster needs, but they've already been hit with major losses at top contenders they were set to pursue in one way or another.
It began over the weekend with top left tackle free agent Ronnie Stanley re-signing with the Ravens. He was expected to be one of the Patriots' most sought-after players, but he never became available for that to happen. They then lost out on the trade for D.K. Metcalf, which they were reportedly never interested in getting done, and their latest loss being Chris Godwin re-signing with the Bucs.
Considering how crucial it is that they sign a playmaking receiver, losing the chance to bring in a talent like Godwin is a huge loss and takes perhaps the best name off the board. There are other players they can still sign that would certainly be impactful, but Godwin was at the top of the list for a reason.
To make matters worse, the Patriots' involvement with Godwin before he chose to return to Tampa Bay could paint the inevitable future of their free agency this year, which is far from what a team in their position needs.
Chris Godwin reportedly turned down more money from the Patriots to return to the Bucs
Because the Patriots were expected to be the top team hoping to get Godwin in the door, NFL insider Ian Rapoport didn't take long to discuss the negotiations between them after it was announced the receiver would remain in the NFC South.
As if missing out on their top target wasn't bad enough, hearing Rapoport reveal that Godwin "left $20 million on the table" by not signing with the Patriots makes the entire situation even worse.
Adam Schefter: "New England was very interested in Chris Godwin. New England was putting on a lot of pressure and making it very difficult for him to go back to Tampa. ... But in the end, Godwin did not want to leave Tampa." pic.twitter.com/C9QfQYq7mc
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) March 10, 2025
It says quite a lot that he chose to leave that much behind to return to his team instead of signing with the Patriots. Hopefully, this won't become a pattern for other players the team pursues, or things could quickly go from bad to worse.
The only solace Patriots fans can take from this is that Godwin has spent his entire eight-year career with the Bucs, so it makes sense that he would like to stay there if it was possible. On top of that, he might not be ready at the start of the 2025 season, given the injury he suffered midway through last year, which would be a big blow to their early offensive plans.
Instead, now they'll have to look elsewhere for the caliber of receiver they need. This is a big hit to what was expected to be a better offseason, as the arrival of Mike Vrabel and the rise of Drake Maye was set to make New England a more desirable team to sign with.
Hopefully, this is more of a case of a longtime player wanting to remain with their team rather than a sign of what's to come for the Patriots and they can get someone in the door to make a massive impact on the offense sooner rather than later.