The New England Patriots entered free agency with many areas to address. New Head Coach Mike Vrabel will hopefully be in charge of personnel and systematically and methodically address each of his roster deficiencies.
It's crucial that Vrabel and the new regime accomplish that this season, as anything but a playoff berth in 2025 is a failure. Former Patriots' Head Coach Bill Parcells used to talk about getting into "the tournament", meaning the NFL playoffs. The fact is, if your goal isn't to get there, what is it?
Fans of a multi-year rebuilding scheme should look about 200 miles south at the perennially "rebuilding" New York Jets. They've been rebuilding for 55 years.. There is no season but the current one. You go all-out to win this year, or you are living in a fantasy world where job security is paramount, not attaining the ultimate prize, winning the Super Bowl.
Getting there requires assembling a team capable of winning in the offseason.
One area of paramount concern for the Patriots should be the trenches. On defense, that means the defensive tackles. We'll concentrate on this area of need here.
The Patriots must add significantly to their defensive line this offseason
The Eagles' Super Bowl win has opened many eyes to the fact that NFL titles are won to a large extent in the trenches. Of course, the rest of the pieces also have to be there. However, on defense, a key element of success is your defensive tackles (DTs).
The Patriots have issues at DT that need to be addressed. First, the health of the Patriots' best DT, Christian Barmore, is a major issue. With his serious health concern, the team can't neglect to add significantly to the position this offseason.
With Davon Godchaux having been traded, the need there is even greater. Unless the new coaching staff realizes that Keion White is a defensive tackle and not an end, they are in even more dire straits. If Barmore is healthy, he and White will comprise a devastating, penetrating tackle duo for Terrell Williams' defense. That's one part of the solution, but more needs to be done.
How must the Patriots address the DT position this offseason
The team needs a contingency plan to address this issue should Barmore be sidelined for any length of time. The solution is to sign a top penetrating DT in free agency and to select one in the upper rounds of the draft. Both are essential. The talent level behind Barmore and White is low.
They kicked things off earlier this week by surprisingly landing top free agent DT Milton Williams from the Eagles. He was Pro Football Focus's top interior defensive lineman available. He is a great fit and cost a pretty penny, earning the biggest contract in team history, which the Patriots were fortunately, table to accommodate easily.
In addition, solid options may be available with the Patriots' second pick, No. 38 in the draft. Top players who may be there are Derrick Harmon of Oregon, Kenneth Grant of Michigan, and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss. The best potential draftee is Mason Graham, also of Michigan. He'll require the Patriots' fourth overall pick, or maybe a top fifth—to seventh pick if they trade down a couple of spots.
No matter where they get them from, the Patriots need at least two solid additions at defensive tackle, if not more. The Godchaux trade (not unexpected since he probably didn't fit the profile of a Vrabel defense) makes it even more imperative.
The interior defensive line is not the glossiest position on an NFL team, but it's one of the most important. Without their disruption of opposing offenses, you're likely in for many long afternoons in the NFL. It's incumbent on Mike Vrabel to fortify the position in depth.