The New England Patriots have had an eventful pair of offseasons under Mike Vrabel in charge. Last season, the team added Milton Williams, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis to push the defense to the next level.
There's no doubt that these players were difference-makers, as were the players they drafted, like TreVeyon Henderson and Craig Woodson. Despite the impact of these big-ticket players, it was hard to ignore K'Lavon Chaisson, who had 10.5 sacks across the regular season and playoffs.
Chaisson signed a one-year deal with the Patriots last offseason after spending 2024 with the Raiders. While he managed five sacks in Las Vegas, he'd been a disappointment since entering the league as a first-round pick out of LSU in 2020. His five-sack 2024 wasn't only his most productive year; it matched his career sack total.
Given his mostly disappointing season, the Patriots nabbed him for a deal worth up to $5 million. After a strong season in which he outplayed his contract, he signed with the Commanders in free agency.
A year later, the Patriots are looking to find their new version of Chaisson. Whether it's an edge rusher or otherwise, New England could look to add another reclamation project.
The Patriots shouldn't pass up on the chance to add three potential difference makers
RB Zamir White, Free Agent
White's career hasn't materialized as Raiders fans would have hoped when Josh McDaniels' squad selected him in 2022. A fourth-round pick from Georgia, White had over 2,000 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns over three seasons with the Bulldogs, averaging 5.3 yards per carry for his career.
During his rookie season, he played second fiddle to Josh Jacobs, taking only 17 carries for 70 yards. Jacobs took 340 carries that year, while the three other backs the Raiders rostered took a total of 38.
In his second season, White showed encouraging flashes, playing a far larger role as Jacobs regressed. White's 104 carries totaled 451 yards and a touchdown, while his 4.3 YPC was significantly better than Jacobs' 3.5 per touch. McDaniels was fired midseason, however, and Antonio Pierce stepped up for the rest of the season.
Pierce would remain the coach into the following year, but White had by far the worst season of his career. Limited to just eight games due to a quad injury, he took 65 carries for 183 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. He had 12 carries this season for 32 yards
White turns 27 in September, and despite a rough past few seasons, he doesn't have many miles on his body. If McDaniels still believes in his former draft pick, it could be worth adding a bruiser to the backfield, with the Patriots looking to fill out their backfield.
ED Josh Paschal, Free Agent
The Patriots' signing Dre'Mont Jones to replace K'Lavon Chaisson was telling: Mike Vrabel wants to get bigger on the edge.
The Patriots looked to upgrade their edge defense with the signing of Jones and the selection of Gabe Jacas in the second round, but with Jacas remaining unsigned, the team could stand to add to the edge. Paschal, a second-round pick in 2022, didn't turn into what the Lions hoped.
In three seasons with the Lions, the former Kentucky Wildcat played 40 games across the regular season and playoffs and recorded 69 tackles and 5 sacks. He missed all of 2025 after undergoing back surgery in the offseason before becoming a free agent in March.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, Paschal offers the frame and physicality that Mike Vrabel and Zak Kuhr look for defensively. While sophomores Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson are in-house options the team hopes will step up, adding a more experienced player in Paschal could be wise. Still only 26, he would make for a respectable attempt at a reclamation project.
ED Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas City Chiefs
Anudike-Uzomah is the only player on this list still on a roster as of writing this article. The 31st pick in 2023, the Kansas State product hasn't lived up to expectations. While he didn't miss a game across his first two seasons, he was far from impressive. In 38 games, he had just 47 tackles and 4 sacks.
In what looked to be a crucial third season, Anudike-Uzomah was sidelined after being placed on season-ending IR during the preseason with a hamstring injury. To no surprise, the Chiefs declined his fifth-year option, meaning 2026 is his final season under contract.
If the Patriots want to avoid battling with other teams for his services, they could send a late-round pick to Kansas City for him, but waiting until August could be worthwhile, as there's a chance he's released.
The Chiefs invested top-100 picks in edge rushers Ashton Gillotte in 2025 and R Mason Thomas in 2026. Furthermore, they added Khyiris Tonga as a nose tackle.
With a pair of top-64 picks recently invested in Peter Woods and Omarr Norman-Lott, and Chris Jones being one of the best defensive players in the league, Steve Spagnuolo may look to prioritize sets with three larger down linemen to get the most out of the players that have been invested in.
Chaisson was so successful in 2025 that repeating with another former first-round pick on the current Chiefs could be a strong move. At 255 pounds, his size may limit him to a situational pass-rushing role in Kuhr's system, but for minimal investment, it seems worth it.
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