The New England Patriots have had mixed reviews for their 2026 offseason so far. Their free agency was a mixed bag and left a lot to be desired. Their draft started aggressively, but lost steam from there.
Regardless, in an article rating excitement factors for NFL teams, Bleacher's Report's Brad Gagnon gave the Patriots a healthy 9 out of 10 rating, disregarding some of their obvious roster flaws.
Certainly, any team coming off a Super Bowl appearance should have an excitement factor given that a foundation for success was built.
Yet, where Gagnon goes off the rails is in not adding a deeper analysis of the team's roster. For real excitement, the team needed to move this offseason to repair the obvious holes that caused the embarrassing drubbing by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, 29-13, in a game that wasn't nearly that close. If he did, it would have dampened that "excitement" factor somewhat.
The New England Patriots may not have done enough to fix their biggest roster issues
In 2025, Mike Vrabel took command of the Patriots' football operation and executed one of the most notable and brilliant turnarounds of an NFL team in recent memory. It was a masterclass in roster building from free agency through the draft. The goal was to improve, and he did so all over the field.
There can be no doubt that having a franchise quarterback like Drake Maye, who's now healthy, and the hopeful imminent arrival of a true No. 1 receiver in A.J. Brown by trade, are justifiable reasons for excitement. As was seen in the Tom Brady years, a great quarterback can make up for a whole host of other deficiencies, and Maye will soon be classified in that category if he isn't already.
Gagnon's evaluation of the "excitement" factor around the Patriots rests squarely on the shoulders of those two players, Maye and the prospective trade addition, Brown. On a scale of 1-10, he rates it a 9.
"A surprise Super Bowl run inevitably sparks excitement, and the potential addition of star receiver A.J. Brown only builds on that for the young Patriots."
While it's hard not to be taken in by such a sterling sentiment, digging deeper exposes holes in the theory that cannot be overlooked. The Patriots added two offensive linemen of note in the offseason: guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who is injury-prone and didn't play a snap in 2025, and first-round offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. Vera-Tucker is a huge risk, yet the team couldn't have done better than drafting Lomu, a left tackle who can immediately step in as the top backup for both tackle spots.
Yet, they still didn't do enough to add quality depth to the O-line, the most important unit on the field after Maye himself. Protecting the team's franchise quarterback has to be Priority No. 1 of every offseason. Yet, they still have major questions about an offensive line that surrendered 47 regular-season sacks and 21 more in the postseason, yet still returns four of the same starters (with one, Jared Wilson, moving from guard to center).
On defense, the top need was pass rusher. The Patriots replaced K'Lavon Chaisson with free agent Dre'Mont Jones. They did draft sack-producing edge Gabe Jacas, but the depth chart remains thin and an injury would be devastating. There is still time to add a veteran to shore up the position.
The Patriots added some solid pieces in the offseason but not nearly as many as they could have. Regardless, if Brown comes aboard, they will have a devastating combination. That, as Gagnon suggests, is all the reason Patriot Nation needs to be excited, and who can argue with him?
Hopefully, the injury bug won't bite very much on the offensive line. If it does, the warts will be there for all to see, and the excitement factor will likely diminish accordingly.
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