Now that the Patriots have their head coach in place in Mike Vrabel, the shift can truly focus on re-shaping the roster the way Vrabel wants to build a contending team.
That will most certainly happen via the draft - in which the Patriots own the fourth overall pick - and in free agency, in which the team boasts the most salary-cap space in the league.
This is arguably the most important offseason the Patriots have had in generations. They can't afford to screw it up. The Krafts and fans alike are starving for a winning team again. The Patriots haven't won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII. They've finished in the AFC East cellar the last two seasons. Vrabel knows this. He knows the quality of player that the Patriots need to win again. The days of being labeled as a "soft" football team needs to end and should end.
Fortunately, plenty of prospective free agents have ties to Vrabel from his coaching days in Tennessee. The Patriots have plenty of cash to burn, and perhaps spending it on a few guys with ties to their new head coach wouldn't be a bad idea.
Free agent receivers with Mike Vrabel connections the Patriots could sign this year
1. WR Deandre Hopkins
The wide receiver room is in serious need of upgrading. Drake Maye's weapons were limited during his rookie season, so imagine what he could do in year two with surefire pass-catchers like Hopkins at his disposal.
Hopkins will be 33 in June but posted 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in Tennessee in 2023, Vrabel's final season with the Titans. What makes those numbers all the more impressive is that Will Levis and Ryan Tannehill aren't exactly top-tier quarterbacks.
The fact that Hopkins is on the back nine of his career is a bit concerning since he'd likely want to go to a team with a championship roster, but if the Patriots can't sign Tee Higgins, Hopkins would be a great option.
2. CB Adoree Jackson
Three of Jackson's first four seasons were spent playing for Vrabel in Tennessee before he signed a four-year deal with the Giants before the 2021 season. With New York trending towards a roster reset and Jackson only 29 years old, he'd be a surefire No. 2 cornerback next to Christian Gonzalez.
Jackson recorded only two interceptions in his four years in New York, but the Giants are a dumpster fire. With the Patriots likely to let Jonathan Jones walk in free agency, Jackson would be a solid paring with a surefire superstar in Gonzalez.
3.T Andre Dillard
The offensive line is another area in which the Patriots need upgrading, and it's no guarantee they will go that route with the No. 4 pick. Dillard, who is only 29, was a strong anchor piece on a Green Bay offensive front that paved the way for Josh Jacobs to rush for more than 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Packers.
Jedrick Wills, who has not given up a sack in his three seasons in Cleveland, would also be an intriguing option here.