The Patriots are heading into a pivotal offseason this year, which you may have heard every year since 2020, but this time it feels different. Not only do they appear to have finally found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, plus their new head coach with Mike Vrabel, but they'll also be packed with significant assets that could transform the trajectory of their future in a more positive direction than years previously.
Those assets include a projected league-high cap space ranging from $120 million to $126 million and the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, all of which make Vrabel's new job far more appealing.
They'll have a solid chance of improving the roster through various means, like free agency, the draft, and even trades, and they can easily create even more cap space available by restructuring contracts or moving on from players they feel don't fit the direction they're going in.
That could ultimately dictate the futures of their pending free agents, which is a long list, a few of whom are seasoned veterans that would be significant losses to the team. But if Vrabel and Co. deem them unworthy of a new contract, the hope is they will have a solid plan about how to replace them.
Fortunately, they have the cap space to do so.
Every Patriots free agent entering the 2025 NFL offseason
PLAYER NAME | STATUS |
|---|---|
QB Jacoby Brissett | UFA |
RB JaMycal Hasty | UFA |
TE Austin Hooper | UFA |
OT Chukwuma Okorafor | UFA |
DT Daniel Ekuale | UFA |
DE Oshane Ximines | UFA |
DE Deatrich Wise Jr. | UFA |
CB Jonathan Jones | UFA |
S Jaylinn Hawkins | UFA |
K Joey Slye | UFA |
G Lester Cotton | RFA |
LB Christian Elliss | RFA |
LB Monty Rice | RFA |
WR JaQuae Jackson | ERFA |
TE Jack Westover | ERFA |
OT Demontrey Jacobs | ERFA |
C Ben Brown | ERFA |
DT Jeremiah Pharms | ERFA |
DE Truman Jones | ERFA |
CB Alex Austin | ERFA |
CB Miles Battle | ERFA |
- UFA = unrestricted free agent
- RFA = restricted free agent
- ERFA = exclusive rights free agent
Although it's a lengthy list, it seems fair to say that only a few names stand out as the most desirable players to see back for the 2025 season and beyond.
Those players are TE Austin Hooper, CB Jonathan Jones, and DE Deatrich Wise Jr. You could also throw in DT Daniel Ekuale potentially, along with CB Alex Austin and LB Christian Elliss, who made quite a splash on defense and special teams late in the season.
This puts Vrabel in a great position to transform the team into what he envisions, putting them in the best spot possible to become competitive again. It will also give him more freedom to spend in free agency and seriously consider some trades, maybe even a blockbuster trade or two, that could elevate the roster.
It's hard to say all that he will do now that he's running the show in Foxboro, but it'll be fun to see if he can bring his vision to life and help the Patriots get back to the position atop the league they held for so long.