The Patriots have had a great offseason thus far, with the draft just a few weeks away. The much-needed upgrade to the wide receiver room happened with the signing of Stefon Diggs, while the additions of Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, and Robert Spillane, among others, instantly improved the defense.
However, many options slipped away, ones that the Patriots may regret opening up their checkbook for.
There are always "what ifs" when it comes to free agency, but what we have to remember is that feelings have to be mutual, and some players, such as Chris Godwin, want to stay with the teams that drafted them.
Free agents the Patriots may regret not signing during the 2025 offseason
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Diggs makes New England's wide receiver group significantly better than last year; there's no doubt about that. Perhaps Mack Hollins will be a viable red-zone target. However, Hopkins, a player with ties to Vrabel from their days in Tennessee, would have been a solid fit in New England's offense.
Like Stanley, Hopkins is headed to Baltimore, but he's getting a one-year, "prove it" type of deal, as the Ravens are being cautious given his age (32).
Hopkins is big, fast, and a great route runner, like Diggs. While Diggs is smart and can pick up an offense quickly, Hopkins and Vrabel have worked together before.
K Joey Slye
Perhaps lost in the free-agent madness is that the Patriots lost their kicker to the Titans, and New England only has the relatively unproven Parker Romo on its roster.
Not only that, but the top two free agent kickers available—Mike Nugent and Nick Folk—are both over 40 years old, and with age comes a loss of range, which is a significant concern late in the season when the thermometer drops.
Slye converted on 78 percent of his kicks last season, is only 28, and could have been re-signed on a relatively cheap deal, but the Patriots chose not to pounce, and now they've another important roster hole to fill.
DE Joey Bosa
The Patriots secured one of the best pass rushers available in Milton Williams, but the 29-year-old Bosa still has a lot of tread left on his tires and could've fit well in Vrabel's system. Even worse, he went to division rival Buffalo so that the Patriots will see him across the line of scrimmage quite a bit next season.
That could change if New England can draft Abdul Carter with the fourth pick somehow, but Bosa wanted to go to a Super Bowl contender, and the Patriots still have work to do to get there.