The Patriots' offense needed to be the ultimate focus of the 2025 offseason, and Mike Vrabel emphasized that point immediately upon being hired. Although much of the upgrading didn't happen until the draft, the new regime addressed every weak point of the group and has put Drake Maye in a much better position to thrive in his second NFL season.
Fortunately, that included adding the much-needed help within the receiving corps by signing Stefon Diggs and drafting Kyle Williams. There was considerable suspicion that it would take a blockbuster trade to acquire the kind of receiver talent the Patriots needed, which put them at the forefront for players like DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel. However, Vrabel and Co. decided to go in another direction, which didn't please everyone.
There might be a silver lining to missing out on those trades, especially for Samuel, who was traded to the Commanders earlier this offseason. A new prediction suggests the receiver might not be what Washington was hoping for, meaning the Patriots dodged a bullet in passing on the trade.
If "unsurprising" prediction comes true, the Patriots are lucky to have avoided fan-desired trade
ESPN's Eric Karabell has already moved on to fantasy football now that the NFL season is at perhaps its most boring point between OTAs and training camp.
Because of that, he predicts a list of things that could potentially happen this upcoming season that wouldn't be too surprising, one of which is Samuel turning out to be a bust for Washington.
"Samuel enters his seventh NFL season with a new franchise and is probably a bit overrated by fantasy managers. Samuel has finished among the top 25 fantasy WRs in two of his six seasons, buoyed by rushing production he may find challenging to replicate with the Commanders. This team has a running QB, a solid RB timeshare, and an elite WR already in place."
If this is an accurate prediction, the Patriots might be bigger winners of the offseason than anyone anticipated.
They have already been deemed to have had one of the best free agency and draft classes of the 2025 offseason, especially since they hired Vrabel and others to replace Jerod Mayo. If they are also proven correct in not trading for Samuel, who fans have long wanted on the team, then that will really put it all over the top.
Samuel was already considered a risky trade, given his age and the fact that he was coming off another injury. Plus, he hasn't shown to be the receiver of old and isn't considered a WR1 on most offenses anymore, so he might not have been the caliber of help the Patriots needed at the position.
Because he's now set to be on a new team for the first time in his career, with a drastically different system and quarterback, there's no telling how he will perform. However, several factors are working against him being the kind of player we've seen in the past, so predicting he could be a bust doesn't seem entirely unfair.
Although that would be a regrettable trade for the Commanders if that prediction becomes reality, it will be noteworthy for the Patriots to have passed on it, despite the help they needed at the position.