3 biggest winners and 3 losers from Patriots first wave of free agency

3 losers from the Patriots first wave of free agency signings

Nathan Rourke and Bailey Zappe

There was a lot of talk about what the Patriots' decision on Mac Jones would be this offseason, even more so with Bill Belichick out of the building. Had he remained for the 2024 season, it was apparent to everyone that the quarterback would not be on the roster for much longer.

However, that wasn't so clear with new head coach Jerod Mayo.

He spoke openly about potentially keeping Jones on the roster as a veteran voice in the quarterback room, especially after his questionable treatment throughout the first three years of his career in New England. However, one of the team's earliest free agency moves was trading Jones to the Jaguars, officially ending his era with the Patriots.

That could initially be interpreted as good news for quarterbacks Nathan Rourke and Bailey Zappe, who were both vying for an opportunity to be the starter. But Eliot Wolf proved uninterested in that idea, signing free agent Jacoby Brissett to take on the veteran bridge role for the likely incoming rookie QB from the draft.

It essentially ends any conversation about either Rourke or Zappe being QB1 at any point in the future for the Patriots, which certainly puts them on the losing end of free-agency moves this year.