The New England Patriots are possibly the most well-positioned team in the entire league. Stars Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez are each just 23 years old; they roster 15 rookies and have 12 picks in the upcoming draft. They're also ninth in effective cap space.
All this would be encouraging for any team, but when you consider how well New England has done this season, the environment is just perfect. Not only has the team found success with less, but they also have the resources to continue improving.
Recently, CBS Sports' JP Acosta and Mike Renner counted down the NFL's top-50 free agents and their best potential landing spots. New England had only one player in the top 50 who was out of contract at the end of the season (Jaylinn Hawkins, No. 37), while the analysts found that three players could find a home there.
George Pickens could be an excellent fit in New England
The No. 1 player entering free agency is George Pickens, who has had a career year this season with the Dallas Cowboys. Traded south from the Steelers for a pair of draft picks before the season began, the former UGA Bulldog has over 1,400 yards this season and five 100+ yard games.
It was the second time in his four-year career that he hit the 1,000-yard mark, after notching over 1,100 yards in 2023.
While Pickens' volatile style of play could be problematic as the only option on an offense, New England could be the perfect place to take his talent should he be allowed to test free agency. While five 100+ yard games are impressive, he also had four games in which he had under 40 yards.
As the primary option, this might be an issue, but with Stefon Diggs alongside him as a more consistent and intermediate target, Pickens could very well work in New England.
Pickens is likely to eclipse $30 million per season with his new contract. Only seven receivers break that mark: Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Garrett Wilson, A.J. Brown, and D.K. Metcalf.
The Cowboys will have to make some decisions this offseason. They had the league's worst defense this past season, and while Pickens is a free agent, paying him would mean investing upwards of $60 million per season in a pair of receivers. While their offense was among the league's best, they missed the playoffs with a 7-9-1 record. They clearly can't win with their current defense.
Add in that Javonte Williams, Jadeveon Clowney, and Donovan Wilson are free agents, and they may decide to go another direction via letting Pickens walk. None of this reasoning would even include the Cowboys being nearly $40 million over the cap to begin next season.
If Vrabel can't get his hands on A.J. Brown, signing Pickens to a deal worth over $100 million could be what secures New England as one of the premier offenses in football.
Trey Hendrickson named a potential defensive addition for the Patriots
As if being the landing spot for the No. 1 free agent on the market wasn't enough, Acosta and Renner also believe Trey Hendrickson, the No. 2 free agent available this spring, would also be a perfect fit in New England.
After trade talks before the season and at the trade deadline, it's hard to imagine Hendrickson staying in Cincinnati. He's a perfect fit for what New England needs position-wise, and if he's looking to ring chase, he may even be willing to take a below-market deal.
The 31-year-old restructured his deal with the Bengals this season so he'd make $29 million for the year, but it seems unlikely he'll eclipse that in the open market, given he played just seven games in 2025.
There could, however, be merit in offering Hendrickson a shorter, higher-paying contract to avoid being tied up for too long. Rather than, for example, a 3-year deal worth $81 million ($27 million per year), perhaps they opt for a higher rate (2 years and $60 million) and more guaranteed money to avoid any potential age-related decline in production.
New England is already paying Harold Landry an average of $14.5 million a season, and K'Lavon Chaisson is an impending free agent. While the latter has had an excellent playoff run, Hendrickson is a more than viable option should the Patriots opt to part ways.
Joel Bitonio could shore up the offensive line in a hurry
New England's offensive line hasn't been elite this year, despite the unit being har better than last season. Will Campbell has had a rough playoff run thus far, allowing a 12.1% pressure rate and three sacks over the last two games.
His 16.5 PFF pass blocking grade was also the lowest by a Patriots linemen in a game since 2022 (Isaiah Wynn, 5.0). Jared Wilson's 15% pressure rate allowed in the wildcard was the highest of his rookie season, too.
Garrett Bradbury has been a solid center, while Mike Onwenu has had one of the best seasons of his career. Morgan Moses is a solid right tackle, but there's an off-chance the soon-to-be 35-year-old retires at the end of the year.
With Wilson being a center by trade, the signing of Bitonio to play left guard would see the former Georgia player slide to his more natural position, while releasing Bradbury would save $4.9 million. Bitonio, 34, would be a short-term fix and wouldn't likely sign more than a two-year deal, but he's great at what he does.
The former Nevada guard's only two First-Team All-Pro selections came after he turned 30, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2024. His 4.5% pressure rate allowed this season would be a drop from Wilson's 6.4%. He's also allowed four fewer sacks and has been penalized less than the current starter.
Acosta and Renner believe that adding elite stopgaps like Bitonio will give New England the edge in continuing to make Super Bowl pushes for years to come, and I'm inclined to agree. Free agency's 46th-ranked player could very well end up in New England.
While we'll have to wait and see how teams decide to handle re-signings before we get too excited for potential free agent targets, Pickens, Hendrickson, and Bitonio all seem like viable options in New England.
For a team with one of the best young cores in football and a boatload of draft picks in 2026, it's hard not to be excited with the Patriots being a top free agent landing spot.