The second week of the NFL's 2025 free agency is upon us and the Patriots have been one of the teams making the most moves to improve their roster. Or, they were one of those teams, at least at the beginning of last week.
They made a big splash with some crucial big name signings of defensive players, like the best tackle available in Milton Williams and cornerback Carlton Davis. Both have been widely praised as impressive additions, despite their big contracts.
However, the offense continues to be a concern, as only one wide receiver (Mack Hollins) and one tackle (Morgan Moses) were signed. That leaves a lot of room for improvement, with a big emphasis on the upcoming draft as the likeliest path to make the biggest impact.
It's the unfortunate reality of a team in the Patriots position, even more so when their most recent roster did not yield many players that were instantly re-signable free agents. That has inevitably led to a handful remaining unsigned at this point, four of whom are the most noteworthy.
3 Patriots free agents who remain unsigned after first week of free agency
RB JaMycal Hasty
The Patriots running back room is in good hands with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the way and Antonio Gibson playing his number two. Although Stevenson had a rough 2024 season due to an increase in fumbles, he still has a lot of potential to be a pillar of the offense for Drake Maye, especially now that he will have a coach like Mike Vrabel to get him back on track.
Gibson was signed to be a dual-threat weapon out of the backfield, which he proved to be at every opportunity during his first year with the team. Because of that, it inevitably cast a guy like JaMycal Hasty to the side, making it unsurprising that the Patriots chose not to retain him for another season.
The 28-year-old hasn't had too many chances to prove what he can be for an NFL team, as he has mostly served as a backup for every team he's been on. That likely has led to him remaining unsigned at this stage of free agency and could be why he remains that way for the foreseeable future.
DE Oshane Ximines
The defensive line was a big need for last year's team, so seeing the Patriots sign longtime Giants defensive end Oshane Ximines made sense. Unfortunately, it wound up being one of the worst signings of the offseason.
Despite the glaring need for a player like Ximines, he got limited opportunities on the field. After just two games, he suffered an injury that landed him on injured reserve, and he never made it back onto the field. The Patriots never got to see the kind of player he could be for them and now, he's looking for a new team to sign with.
It's unlikely that will be with the Patriots, even more so after the players they signed at the start of free agency.
K Joey Slye
The Patriots continue into the offseason without a sure bet at kicker, with the latest reporting suggesting they are comfortable with moving forward with last year's practice squad kicker John Parker Romo in that role for the time being. It's possible they will add a veteran into the mix at some point and may even take one in the draft, all of which has led to the decision not to re-sign Joey Slye.
The seasoned veteran was a solid performer throughout training camp last year and won the job from Chad Ryland, who was working on his redemption arc. Slye proved to be the right choice for the start of the season, yet his performance declined as the weeks passed, while Ryland continued to win games in the final seconds for the Cardinals.
Slye's production fell and became partly responsible for some close losses, which is not what the Patriots needed during a rough 2024 season.
Because of that, he remains unsigned after the first wave of free agency. But given his well-traveled career, it seems only likely he will be signed sooner rather than later, just probably not by the Patriots.