As the 2023 season went on, it was clear the Patriots would need significant changes to get back on track to be a competitive team once again. The assumption was that the team would focus on fixing the roster, mainly the offense.
However, the organization had different plans in mind as they let go of Bill Belichick, hired Jerod Mayo, and brought in Eliot Wolf to be the decider on how to fix the roster.
Despite the massive shuffle behind the scenes, there was excitement in the air for what the Patriots could accomplish this offseason, especially with a lot of money to spend in free agency and a high first-round draft pick.
Free agency didn't necessarily live up to fans' expectations, but the new regime more than delivered in the draft, focusing on the offense from the time quarterback Drake Maye was selected. That reignited the excitement in New England and it provided a second look at the free agents who were signed a month prior.
Although Mayo and Wolf didn't swing for the fences and spend a ton of money the way they were expected to, they still managed to bring in players who will inevitably be upgrades at their position, which will benefit the team in the season ahead.
4 new Patriots players who will be upgrades this season
RB Antonio Gibson
The selection of Rhamondre Stevenson in the 2021 NFL Draft has ended up being one of Bill Belichick's best picks in recent history. He has become the exact running back that the team has needed, even more so once he incorporated the passing game into his repertoire.
His bully ball style and rise as a dual-threat running back earned him the starting role over Damien Harris in his second season, and he continues to be a game-changer for the Patriots' offense. it's what kept him as the RB1 despite the team signing Ezekiel Elliott last year, and he will remain there this fall.
The good thing for Stevenson is he will have a better partner in crime to work with this time around, as Elliott didn't produce in the way the Patriots had hoped last year.
Adding 25-year-old Antonio Gibson will allow the offense to open up even more and be more creative in using the running backs. Although his production with the Commanders has fallen over the last two years, he's solid on the ground and in the passing game, and he already has the right attitude to play the game in New England, which will help him be even more successful with his new team.
Gibson should easily be an upgrade over Elliott, who never seemed to fully acclimate to the Patriots' offense. Whether it was his own fault or the result of the struggling offense, he just wasn't the game-changing player we were hoping to see.
This creates a big opportunity for Gibson to prove the type of player he is, similar to how he performed in the first two years of his career, and could ultimately give the Patriots one of the top backfields in the league next season.
WR K.J. Osborn
The Patriots needed to address the receiving corps this offseason and the hope was that they would make a blockbuster trade for a game-changing receiver like Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins. They haven't made a move in that area at all, and barely did much in free agency too.
But they did sign a rising talent who spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings, K.J. Osborn. He's not the Minnesota receiver that fans were hoping for since rumors suggested Justin Jefferson might be available, but Osborn might be an underrated addition that people are overlooking.
Although he might not be the clear-cut WR1 the Patriots need, he consistently puts up solid numbers despite playing behind one of the best receivers in the league.
Osborn wasn't used on the offense during his rookie year, so his career didn't really start until 2021. Since then, he has recorded 158 receptions for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per catch.
He was a reliable option for Kirk Cousins on game day and would often boost the Vikings just when they needed it, especially when defenders were occupied with Jefferson.
With the departure of DeVante Parker and the uncertain future of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Osborn fills and immediate need while upgrading the position at the same time. His veteran experience will help take pressure off Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk while allowing the Patriots to move off of any receiver who might not be thriving, as we saw with a few last season.
QB Jacoby Brissett
The quarterback room has been a problem in New England since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season. Although it hasn't been entirely the players' fault, they seemed to be more of a liability during a game than a help.
That became the main issue during the 2023 season as Mac Jones turned the ball over more than he scored, resulting in his final benching late in the season. Bailey Zappe was then given the reins after an impressive rookie run when Jones was injured the year before.
We didn't see a repeat of that impressive performance this time around, but at that point, Belichick was forced to keep him in for the remainder of the season. It was clear neither was the answer at quarterback, and they would draft their future franchise player in the draft. But before that, the new regime signed a familiar veteran who is an immediate upgrade just by being in the room.
Jacoby Brissett began his career with the Patriots and became a journeyman quarterback after he was traded. His connection to new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is the primary reason for his return, and it makes a lot of sense since the best statistical season of his career was when Van Pelt was calling plays for him in Cleveland.
He is now the presumed starter before Drake Maye is ready to go, and because of the reunion with Van Pelt, Brissett is expected to be a solid bridge quarterback. He gives the Patriots a better chance of winning than Zappe and might surprise the doubters with his performance this season.
TE Mitchell Wilcox
It's not the most difficult position to upgrade on the Patriots outside of Hunter Henry, but with the failed tenure of Mike Gesicki last year, signing Mitchell Wilcox is an underrated upgrade.
Belichick signed the former Dolphins tight end in free agency to work with Bill O'Brien, who had recruited him to Penn State, hoping he would be more of a jumbo receiver than a tight end. He had a pretty good career with the Dolphins over the previous five years, but his lack of skills as a blocker hindered his value at the position.
Because Henry was solid in that area, the Patriots could use him in that role and throw Gesicki down the field. But he never made much of an impact on the offense, no matter what he was tasked with, resulting in him signing elsewhere in free agency earlier this year.
That opened the door for Wilcox to be signed, which is an instant upgrade since he is more of a blocker than a receiver.
He's received fair grades from PFF as a pass blocker during his three-year career so far, and with massive changes being made to the offensive line ahead of the upcoming season, he could immediately be a big asset to the offense.
Wilcox won't, however, help make up for the loss of Pharaoh Brown, who signed with the Seahawks in free agency. The 30-year-old had the best statistical season of his career with the Patriots, becoming a secret weapon for Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, so they'll have to look elsewhere for an upgrade in that role.