The Patriots are in a great spot in the 2025 offseason despite how much improvement their roster needs before next year. With a ton of cap space to spend in free agency, they can easily address some of the weakest positions well before the draft, which is what they are expected to do, especially on offense.
With Drake Maye at the center of it all, the hope is the new regime led by Mike Vrabel will surround him with the talent required to make them a competent offense again. Based on what the head coach has already said while speaking to reporters at the Combine, it sure seems that will be the top priority, with a big focus on the receiving corps and offensive line.
The offensive line as a whole needs to be upgraded, as they were among the worst groups during the 2024 season. The left tackle position was the most problematic of all, making it the most crucial to be addressed through free agency and the draft.
It has connected the Patriots to some of the top names hitting the free agent market and incoming rookies, some of whom have been projected to be their first-round picks. That could be a great selection there or even in a trade-down scenario to acquire more picks, but the Patriots seem to be running into a speed bump of sorts with the latest news of a likely retirement coming out of the AFC East.
The likely retirement of Dolphins' Terron Armstead gives the Patriots more competition in finding a starting left tackle
Among the short list of retirement announcements this offseason so far was the report that Dolphins' Terron Armstead will likely hang up his cleats before the 2025 season. He has been a starter on the offensive line for the past 12 years for the Saints and Dolphins, meaning Miami will undoubtedly be in the market to find his successor as soon as possible.
Although his retirement hasn't been made official just yet, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed Armstead's decision to rework his current contract to benefit the team. He presumably wants to retire while leaving his longtime team in a good position to upgrade the roster.
#Dolphins LT Terron Armstead plans to take his contract down to minimum, I’m told, from the $28.6M he was set to make.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2025
That allows the team to make all the necessary moves they want to make and allows Armstead, 33, to be on the team until he makes his decision on his future. pic.twitter.com/IrRf7yaj42
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This is a big blow to the Patriots' plans of adding offensive line talent to their roster in free agency, as the Dolphins are another team that will be in the market and willing to pay up to acquire the talent they need.
Tackles are not easy to come by in free agency to begin with since most teams try to retain their starters for as long as possible, so adding another team into the mix of those who need a starter is not a great way to start the offseason. The Patriots didn't need any more competition for those who will be available next month, but now they have to deal with a team in their division looking to get the same players.
It's possible, given how much more cap space the Patriots have to utilize, that this won't be the biggest problem in their approach to free agency, but it is certainly worth monitoring since the offensive line will be a priority.