The New England Patriots have been widely regarded as one of the teams with the strongest offseasons so far. They added to the offensive line and receiver rooms, inked Dre'Mont Jones and Kevin Byard to bolster the defense, and made nine selections in this year's draft. Furthermore, a June trade for A.J. Brown appears inevitable.
While their additions have been intriguing, they've also seen significant depth losses across the roster. The position group most under the microscope might be linebacker.
Starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss remain from last season, and Chad Muma, who was signed from the Colts' practice squad in December, is the lone depth option who spent 2025 in New England. Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, and Marte Mapu have all moved on, a combined loss of over 1,000 defensive snaps and 148 regular-season tackles.
This lingering issue could undo Patriots’ offseason momentum
Given their losses at the position, New England may have to consider adding another veteran to shore up their linebacker room. As it stands, they have five additional linebackers on the roster beyond Spillane, Elliss, and Muma.
The team signed K.J. Britt during free agency, and also drafted Namdi Obiazor in the sixth round of this year's draft. Britt had 72 tackles in 2024 with the Buccaneers before spending 2025 with the Dolphins. Obiazor had 88 tackles and two interceptions at TCU last season, including four games with 10-plus tackles.
While Britt and Obiazor are the top two options behind the three players New England rostered last year, they also signed Missouri UDFA Khalil Jacobs, along with Amari Gainer and Otis Reese, who both spent last season on the practice squad. While they have young players with the potential to contribute, their six backups have combined for just one NFL season with 50-plus tackles.
Kenneth Murray’s name is suddenly one Patriots can’t ignore
In a recent article from Aaliyan Mohammed of NESN, it's suggested that the Patriots could look to add a veteran in Kenneth Murray to their ranks. The former first-round pick will turn 29 in November and was selected by the Chargers with the 23rd pick in the 2020 draft in a trade up with the Patriots.
Murray had 497 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and three interceptions over his six combined seasons with the Chargers, Titans, and Cowboys. While he's had some very solid seasons, 2025 was his worst. Murray recorded a 38.8 overall PFF grade with Dallas, and he had his fewest run stops in a season since his sophomore campaign, during which he was placed on IR with an ankle injury.
Murray did, however, play 870 defensive snaps, the third most of his career. He wouldn't be asked to play nearly as much in New England, barring an injury, but his experience would certainly be a plus.
He's also unlikely to cost much more than the veteran minimum, and for such a price, taking a flier on Murray would be wise. The Patriots have a pair of open roster spots following the releases of Elijah Mitchell, Marshall Lang, and John Jiles last week, meaning the signing wouldn't have to come at the expense of another player.
While the defensive staff may be excited at the potential of the linebacker group's young depth, adding Murray could be a wise move to add a veteran presence at the second level.
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