The Patriots made a big decision during the 2024 NFL Draft by using their third overall pick on who they believed could be their next franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Since Tom Brady left the team in 2020, Bill Belichick struggled to replace him, not just because he was the greatest of all time, but also because finding competent and consistent quarterback play seemed impossible in Foxboro.
That made the chance to draft a player like Maye inevitable, and fortunately, he looked like the right guy for the job almost immediately. Although his rookie season might not be remembered for much, he showed a lot of promise and built a solid foundation to build upon, which allowed the new regime led by Mike Vrabel to prioritize improving the offense this offseason.
That has led them to this point in the preseason, with various positions incredibly competitive, including wide receiver, but they also still have plenty of cap space to add more players to really put the roster over the top.
Eliot Wolf said as much while speaking to the press on Monday morning, revealing the team is open to doing what it takes to make the roster better if an opportunity presents itself.
Eliot Wolf says the Patriots would be willing to give up a 1st or 2nd round pick to make their team better this season:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) August 18, 2025
“Sure - just doing what’s best for the team. If there’s a player out there that we feel like can help us and it costs that, then we would consider doing that.”… pic.twitter.com/CHmnkUKjXy
Beyond how that could benefit the team, it's a clear sign of just how much Vrabel and Co. believe in the potential of Maye and how impactful he can be for this team moving forward.
The Patriots are willing to go all-in for Drake Maye this season and for the future
If there was any doubt about how the Patriots felt about their second-year quarterback, Wolf just ended any concerns. Some reports have suggested that Maye might not be progressing as quickly as expected under Josh McDaniels, resulting in less-than-exciting preseason performances.
However, those moments haven't overtaken the impressive showings Maye has shown with his new offense, as he is clearly becoming more comfortable with his role and the teammates around him. It's a far better group than what he had to work with last year, which should dramatically change how the quarterback performs right away.
They could make that even more of a sure thing by trading for a receiver like Terry McLaurin, who is still looking for an extension, or by adding some top-of-the-game defensive players like Trey Hendrickson or Micah Parsons.
Building up the defense inevitably helps the offense be better, too, and the fact that Wolf is willing to part with the high draft capital it will require to get those players on the team says a lot about how the team views the future with Maye.
It will be interesting to see what happens as they continue to sit with around $60 million in cap space ahead of Week 1. Whatever they don't use will roll over to 2026, so it's not a sure thing that they will spend what they have available right now.