The first offseason without Tom Brady was deemed the most crucial in many years, as Bill Belichick needed a lot of improvement on the roster in the wake of the legendary quarterback's departure. They weren't going to have the greatest of all time to cover up the inefficiencies of the offense anymore, so money needed to be spent, and the draft needed to be a home run.
That's not quite how things went throughout Belichick's next few years in New England. The 2021 offseason was an outlier, which led to last year being considered a pivotal year for the Patriots' new regime. But the Jerod Mayo era wasn't much better, making the 2025 offseason perhaps the most critical of the last decade.
That puts even more pressure on Mike Vrabel to deliver on top of the expectation to lead the Patriots back to the promised land or, at the very least, back to being a competitive team again.
He can accomplish that in a few ways, even if it won't be the easiest thing to do, and maybe not in just one offseason. But assuming that a lot of improvement can be made this year, given their desirable circumstances, it's easier to believe he can make big strides in the direction if he follows three steps.
Creating the perfect offseason for the New England Patriots
1. Hire experienced and trusted coaches to make up the 2025 staff
Besides the concerns from many regarding Jerod Mayo's readiness to be a head coach in the NFL, there were just as many worries about those he chose to be part of his staff for the same reasons. It seemed like the best solution for a rookie head coach would be to put together a group of coaches with proven experience to counteract his newness, and in some regard, Mayo did that.
However, far too many positions were held by people who were either brand new to the role with previous experience elsewhere or had ever been a coach/coordinator in the league prior, inevitably leading to a long list of issues that began early in their tenures.
That makes it even more crucial for Vrabel to avoid that mistake, which seems all but expected considering his ties to several coaches around the league from his time with the Titans. Plus, he's already brought in a few trusted allies from his years in Tennessee who have a long list of experience that adds much-needed stability to the front office.
It will also be needed for the rest of his staff, which is why it is a great idea to consider Josh McDaniels's possible return as the offensive coordinator. His resume speaks volumes, especially with the Patriots, and should be a big plus for the development of Drake Maye, making the incoming defensive coordinator need to match that experience.
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2. Utilize having the most available cap space in free agency
As one of the teams with the most cap space in 2024, there was some hope that a new regime would change course and spend the money needed to drastically improve the roster. Bill Belichick was more of a penny pincher during his tenure, so now that Jerod Mayo and Co. were calling the shots, it seemed like there was a higher chance to see that happen.
Mayo said as much in an early interview about wanting to "burn some cash," only to walk it back days later. Making the entire situation even worse is that the Patriots barely spent any cap space on players outside of the team and have a good amount rolling over into this year's free agency.
That means the Patriots will have the highest projected cap space for the 2025 offseason and another chance to make things right with the roster. Another year of experience for Eliot Wolf, who has been fulfilling the duties of a general manager, plus the influence of Vrabel and his incoming staff, could do wonders and the significant holes on the team should be treated with the utmost importance.
Considering how competitive Vrabel is and his deep knowledge of how the Patriots team performed last year, on top of his intel on the roster, it's hard to imagine he will replicate the mistakes made last year.
3. Address most roster holes before the 2025 NFL Draft
With that impressive amount of cap space to spend, the new regime led by Vrabel should try their darndest to address as many of the biggest roster holes through free agency as they can, allowing them to really go into the draft with more opportunities to take the best player available and not just focusing on their biggest needs.
That's even more crucial in a draft class that isn't considered the most impressive at the Patriots' biggest positions of need. Because of that, their ability to entertain trading down is projected to be limited, as the quarterbacks are not top-tier and will likely fall.
So that means it would be ideal if they can add a WR1, or at least the closest thing to it, sign veteran offensive linemen, especially left tackle, and a productive pass rusher, they'll be in superb hands heading into the draft.
That might be a lot to accomplish, even with the money they'll have to spend, but a lack of experience was apparent throughout last season, so bringing in those kinds of players will be a massive boost, whether they're top names or not.
It will allow the Patriots to look at the No. 4 overall pick a lot differently and seriously consider the amount of talent they'll be able to take at that spot. They could go for a top WR, like Travis Hunter or Tetairoa McMillan if they fall to their lap. Or they could take the best EDGE of the class in Abdul Carter or maybe even CB Will Johnson.
They could also snag the best left tackle of the class, whether LSU's Will Campbell or Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. No matter what, they'll have far more options by solving their biggest needs in free agency.