Mike Vrabel began his Patriots tenure in a dream scenario with a ton of cap space to spend and desirable positioning in the upcoming draft. Considering the amount of improvements the roster needed this offseason, he couldn't have stepped into a better situation to accomplish that, and it could be argued that the new regime accomplished it.
There was certainly an emphasis on building a more dominant defense, as most of the money spent in free agency was on defensive players, allowing them to focus on the offense during the draft. They needed to prioritize the defensive line, in particular, and had some interesting options to improve their pass rush, with some fans looking at season veteran Za'Darius Smith as a potential option.
He was coming off a nine sack season, spending half the year with the Lions, so his familiarity with Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was a strong selling point, and they really needed a strong pass rusher on the roster.
They ultimately didn't choose to sign him, and 31 other teams passed on him, too, until the Eagles brought him in just days before the season began. And apparently, that hasn't been too great a partnership, according to the latest breaking news.
The Patriots are lucky they chose to pass on signing Za'Darius Smith for the 2025 season
On Monday morning, Smith announced via his social media that he was deciding to retire after six games with the Eagles. It seems to be out of nowhere, but it proves the Patriots were right to look the other way, or they'd be dealing with an unexpected departure at a very bad time.
#Eagles pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith announced on Instagram that he’s retiring. pic.twitter.com/4yhEFoMWO3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2025
Sure, the Patriots could have used him as a pass rusher, which has remained a weak point for them this year after a strong start to the season. However, it would be far more devastating to have him retire just six games into the season, forcing them to look at potential trade targets to replace him.
It also, of course, saved them money, too, which is something they'll need heading into the 2026 offseason. They'll still have to focus on bringing in a pass rusher, and maybe they will do that through the draft, depending on who the free agents are.
Regardless, Vrabel and Co. made another good decision to pass on Smith; otherwise, this would have been a far different conversation upon hearing his retirement announcement.