For much of the dynasty era in New England, the Patriots were a destination most players hoped to sign with to give themselves the best chance to win a Super Bowl, led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Beyond winning, the staff and the roster were another desirable part of heading to Foxboro, so once most of those players and coaches departed the team, and their production fell, more often than not, the new regimes couldn't get players in the door, even at the highest salary.
That has been a massive hurdle the Patriots have had to overcome in recent years. Fortunately, the addition of Mike Vrabel as head coach and Josh McDaniels back as the offensive coordinator was enough to bring talent to the team.
On top of it all, the rise of Drake Maye and the potential of what he could become led some players to New England, too, and all of these factors have been so impactful on some players' lives and careers that they have admittedly turned down offers from other teams to stay with New England.
That's the case with two rookies who have spent almost all of the 2025 season on the team's practice squad, which is just the latest example of the tremendous impact Vrabel and Co. have already had on the franchise.
The New England Patriots shouldn't have any trouble keeping, or bringing in, players for their roster moving forward
One of the rookies making headlines for that very reason this week is 2025 fifth-round EDGE Bradyn Swinson. Impressions of the LSU standout were initially high coming out of the draft, but he failed to live up to the hype, leading to his release and placement on the practice squad.
During his time on the B-team, he was approached by several teams around the league, including the Bills. But Swinson revealed he turned them all down because he wants to play for Vrabel.
"I’m a big firm believer in finishing what I started. And yeah, other teams were reaching out about 53-man (rosters) and just reaching (saying) that’s a pay raise and everything, trying to get a spot, but I actually really wanted to be here.
These are guys that took a chance on me in the fifth round, and I feel like I want them to get everything they got out of me. So that just played a major role. Just being here and being with the guys that are in the locker room and just being with his coaching staff. I feel like this is a home for me, and I feel like I can grow here.”
Since being given advice from Vrabel upon his initial cut, Swinson has taken the challenge to task and put in the work that has now rewarded him by being signed to the 53-man roster after Milton Williams' injury.
He now has the opportunity to prove beyond any doubt that he deserves a permanent spot on the team next year, and it's clear his motivation to stay with the Patriots might just be enough to accomplish that.
The same can be said about another rookie, tight end CJ Dippre. Although he doesn't have an established role on the game day roster, hence his season-long stay on the practice squad so far, he believes in the Patriots and appreciates the coaching staff for turning down offers from other teams.
“Yeah, there were other teams that were interested in signing me, and I didn’t really want to leave. They didn’t really want me to leave. So, it was kind of a thing that I wanted to stay here, earn my right here, and play here. I know all these guys, love this team, love the coaching staff.”
Although Dippre and Swinson aren't top-tier talent to most teams, it is quite significant to hear that, despite their limited roles, they still wanted to stay on the team because of who they're surrounded by.
That will play a pivotal role in how the Patriots navigate next year's free agency, and their winning season should only make it easier to add the kind of talent they need. That hasn't been the case in recent years, but they're now entering an era that could dramatically turn their fate around for the first time since Tom Brady led the offense.