Year 2 of the Mike Vrabel era was always going to be telling, after the New England Patriots committed a whopping $364.3 million in potential total max value to new player contracts during 2025 free agency. The team’s surprise run to Super Bowl LX only complicated matters further.
On paper, Patriots fans have to be pleased with the team’s offseason to date. While they haven’t yet made a major move, they’ve improved the roster with savvy additions and haven’t been afraid to spend a little extra to do so.
Perhaps the best example was the Kevin Byard signing. Vrabel recruited his former Pro Bowl safety with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal worth an almost fully guaranteed $7 million. Coming off last year’s run, New England easily could have re-signed the dependable Jaylinn Hawkins, who landed with the Baltimore Ravens for less guaranteed cash ($5 million) over a two-year deal (with a max value of $10 million).
New England essentially opted to pay more for an older player on a shorter-term contract. Byard is indisputably the better player; however, it’s a win-now move that fans should appreciate. The Patriots’ other swap-outs, like wide receiver Romeo Doubs for Stefon Diggs, edge defender Dre’Mont Jones for K’Lavon Chaisson, and interior offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker for Garrett Bradbury, were all made within that same vision.
Are the Patriots better now in April than they were following their Super Bowl defeat to the Seattle Seahawks back on Feb. 8? That feels like a clear and obvious yes.
But are they better enough to repeat last year’s regular-season magic and make a repeat run to the AFC Championship Game in 2026? Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes the Patriots first need to make that one big move fans have been waiting for, and with a more difficult schedule on tap for 2026, it's hard to argue against his point.
“The Patriots are on track following a Super Bowl season, but there's been speculation that they could try to trade for 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown. Could they reel in a big fish like that in order to build on their extremely promising 2025 campaign?”
Patriots still need one blockbuster move to validate their offseason
One of the most brilliant aspects of the Patriots’ 2025 run was that, while the team was ripping off 10 consecutive wins midseason, they were also selling off spare parts (like Kyle Dugger and Keion White) for future draft capital.
As a result, the Patriots have a massive collection of 2026 draft picks — 11 total selections, including eight on Day 3. After standing pat at last year’s trade deadline, the Patriots have put themselves in a prime position to sell off mid- to late-round dart throws for another major piece, preferably one to catch actual darts from quarterback Drake Maye this season.
A.J. Brown, as Gagnon mentioned, has been the obvious headliner of the Patriots’ rumor mill, but the Eagles' salary cap situation is a clear hurdle. If the Patriots want to leverage their 2026 draft capital, including one of their top two picks (Nos. 31 and 63), they would likely need to overpay to help offset Philadelphia’s unavoidable $43.4 million dead-cap hit that would accelerate onto this year’s books.
The most likely timing for a Patriots-Eagles trade for Brown has always been post-June 1, which would allow the Eagles to spread Brown’s dead-cap charges over two years and actually save $7 million in 2026 cap space.
That situation gives the Patriots some options. They could explore trading down the board this year, looking to collect additional 2027 draft capital to facilitate a Brown deal later this summer. They could also bail on playing the Eagles’ game on Brown and pivot to another veteran pass catcher like Chris Olave of the Saints or George Pickens of the Cowboys.
New England’s offseason has been solid to date. It would be exceptional if they could spin some of their draft capital into another proven difference-maker for Maye, and that should continue to be the team’s focus ahead of the 2026 draft.