The Patriots putting together the kind of offseason they have under Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf has garnered many positive responses from analysts and fans. The optimism that has been lacking over the last several seasons appears to be a thing of the past, with the team being awarded the highest offseason grades in the league.
An impressive free agency dominated by top free agent additions to the defense and eventually the surprising signing of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, followed by what already appears to be a homerun draft class, the new regime in Foxboro has fast-tracked the Patriots into relevancy much sooner than rivals were hoping for.
It has already led to big projections of them finally winning close to double-digit games or, even better yet, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season. That would be quite the feat for Vrabel to accomplish in his first season, but that might not be where their potential ends.
Adam Schefter believes this year's Patriots could be like last year's Commanders
Fans love to hear that the Patriots are already creating a stir in the AFC East. The Bills' media is already sounding nervous about their spot atop the division, which seems more credible than some might want to believe.
That's the impression that NFL insider Adam Schefter has after seeing the Patriots' offseason, as he believes they will be this season's Commanders, who had a shockingly good year that ended with an appearance in the NFC Championship, led by new head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The idea of the Patriots putting together such a terrific offseason that they're already being compared to last year's under-the-radar dominating team is wild, yet a dream come true for fans.
They have become the little brother to the Bills since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season, allowing Buffalo to reign supreme over the division for five years straight. The hope is that it won't be as easy to accomplish this year, if at all, and Vrabel can bring back the Patriots of old and give their longtime rival a run for the money.
Schefter believes that could be a possibility. Given that the Commanders weren't considered a legitimate threat to the Eagles until well into the season, it's a great sign that prominent voices in NFL circles already see the Patriots on the same trajectory well before the season begins.
While those expectations are exciting, they're also relatively high given just how far the Patriots would have to come from the last two seasons to accomplish that. But on paper, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility that it could happen as soon as this year.