The last five years have been a roller coaster for the New England Patriots, as they hoped to rebuild the roster from the ground up to be a competitive team once again. During some offseasons, they were loaded with cap space and overloaded with draft picks to accomplish that, only to fail miserably and be right back at it again the following year.
That was the case this past offseason for Mike Vrabel, as he came into Foxboro equipped with the league-high cap space and excellent positioning in the draft, and based on what we've seen so far, every signing and selection has worked out beyond expectations.
Although the new regime didn't make any blockbuster trades, they are well-positioned to do so next year if they choose. One of the more prominent names they could potentially go after continues to be Browns' pass rush expert Myles Garrett, despite signing a massive extension just last year.
There has been a lot of chatter that he might want out of Cleveland after all, since they continue to be a dumpster fire franchise, and the Patriots might be armed with the perfect offer to get him in the door.
The Patriots might want to consider making a big-splash on the trade market next offseason
According to Alex Kay of Bleacher Report, the Patriots should be one of the frontrunners to go after Garrett next offseason, regardless of whether he's officially available for trade or not.
Because of that, he has Vrabel and Co. offering a hefty trade loaded with prime draft picks to acquire the 29-year-old, who has already recorded 15 sacks in 10 games this season.
Kay cites their league-high cap space once again as a big reason New England is a team to watch, along with having 11 picks in the 2026 draft.
On top of it all, they could certainly use a bigger threat to get after opposing quarterbacks, and despite Garrett's age potentially being a concern, he has shown no signs of slowing down to suggest they shouldn't try to get a trade done.
"With over $64 million in projected cap space for the 2026 campaign and 11 picks in the upcoming draft, the Pats can comfortably make a run at Garrett when the new league year begins.
It may take four Day 1 and 2 picks—which are set to fall near the end of the round—spread across the next two drafts to get the job done, but Garrett would have a transformational effect on New England's defense and a real opportunity to win a ring."
It would certainly be quite the price to pay, which might make fans a bit hesitant, given how young the current Patriots roster is. However, if a talent like Garrett were to become officially (or unofficially) available, it's hard to argue against them making some kind of offer, even if fans won't love it at first.
The payoff, however, would be worth it.
Garrett currently leads the league with 15 sacks, five of which came against Drake Maye when they played the Browns last month. He has a 92.3 overall grade from PFF, which is nearly perfect as a pass rusher and run defender, and the Patriots could certainly use that.
He's well on his way to breaking the season record for most sacks, and it would be incredible if the Patriots could add him to their roster the season after he accomplishes that. It wouldn't be easy to get it done, and the Browns would likely be reluctant to entertain offers, but they're not in a position to withhold their assets if they hope to become competitive any time soon.
The Patriots should try to take advantage of that and get a player still in his prime to put their chances over the top, especially if you look at their 2026 schedule. It's going to be a tough one.