Now that we're entering the quiet period of the NFL offseason, the Patriots will have to consider many factors when looking ahead to training camp and preseason, most of which revolve around the roster.
Many questions will need to be answered between now and then despite many already being determined over the last several months.
It's crucial that Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf determine the best course of action as soon as possible to avoid any hiccups and put the team in the best position to win this fall, starting with their plan for Drake Maye.
5 lingering questions Patriots need to answer this summer
1. Will Drake Maye play at all during his rookie season?
After the 2023 season, it was clear the Patriots needed to revamp their quarterback room, starting with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Because they held the third overall pick in the following draft, it was the perfect time to go all in to select their next franchise quarterback.
They did that by picking UNC's Drake Maye, solidifying that they got one of the best quarterbacks of the 2024 class. But given the state of the rest of the offense, there were big question marks surrounding the start of Maye's career in the NFL.
Because the need to avoid another Mac Jones experience from their next quarterback is one of the most critical factors to the start of the Jerod Mayo era, weighing the options of whether to start Maye or not is going to be taken more seriously than in years past.
On top of having a developing offense that isn't exactly built to help a rookie quarterback, the Patriots also have one of the hardest strengths of schedules for the season, which also doesn't bode well for a rookie's first season in the NFL. Couple these two factors, and it makes it easy for the team to decide Maye should sit behind Jacoby Brissett for much of, if not all, of his rookie year.
But at this time, we're unsure which direction Mayo will go in. The team has reiterated that Brissett is the starter, and that won't change until further notice. While that's understandable, they will need to weigh the pros and cons of starting and sitting Maye sooner rather than later so they can prepare accordingly.
2. Who else needs to be extended before the start of the season?
Eliot Wolf has been hard at work since joining the Patriots earlier this year as the de facto general manager and eventually earning the title of executive vice president of player personnel. He made a great impression in free agency (for the most part) and really earned the praise of fans with the players he re-signed and extended, which continued this past week.
News broke earlier this week that Rhamondre Stevenson had agreed to a new four-year, $36 million contract with the Patriots. He's the latest player to be extended beyond the 2024 season, joining Christian Barmore, Kendrick Bourne, Kyle Dugger, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, and Joshua Uche.
It's a great list of worthy players who have been integral to the team's success in recent years, but there are still a few who deserve extensions as well, which the team will need to decide before training camp.
Of course, the main player is Matthew Judon, who has produced more than his fair share over the last three seasons. The pass-rushing expert has already declared his desire to retire with the team, so it would be wise for Wolf to get a deal done ASAP.
Then there's Davon Godchaux, who appears to be doing a hold-in by not participating in mandatory minicamp earlier this month. He's also been a solid addition to the defensive line, adding another name in the mix for Wolf to consider extending.
To avoid any further holdouts, Wolf should get these deals done quickly.
3. Are the right pieces in place to form a sturdy offensive line?
One of the weakest parts of the Patriots' offense during the 2023 season, outside of the quarterback, was the offensive line. The new regime made sure to add talent to the unit in free agency and double-dipped at the position in this year's draft.
Although that's a great effort, the line remained a problematic part of OTAs and minicamp, looking slightly disheveled and concerning despite the lack of intense practices.
It was apparent they were trying to figure out the best lineup for the unit, as seen by the shuffling of players throughout the spring. We saw Mike Onwenu line up at right guard, Sidy Sow at right tackle, and even Caedan Wallace taking reps in multiple positions.
Mayo revealed they want the players to be versatile while also trying to figure out the best lineup for the offense. While this makes sense and should continue, it's also a bit concerning not to see the linemen look much better than they did one year ago.
There will need to be an emphasis on ensuring they are putting the best talent out on the field no matter who is in at quarterback, and that might mean looking at free agents to increase their chances of success.
4. Should other players be signed with the remaining camp space?
Even though fans' expectations for free agency this year weren't exactly met, the Patriots' new staff did a pretty good job with the free agents they signed and the players they extended. The team definitely seems to be in a better position to win this year than last, but improvements need to be made by adding more talent.
They have more than enough cap space to do just that, with over $40 million still available to sign free agents or trade for players if they choose to.
At this point in the offseason, most rosters are set, and not many additions are made, only cuts. However, a few enticing players are still looking for a team to play for this season, and the Patriots could be a good team to sign them.
If they want to improve their receiving corps even further, they could consider Michael Thomas. Or, if they want to add another lockdown cornerback to the roster to help out Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones, Stephon Gilmore is still available.
Other quality players have gone under the radar this offseason and are still looking to be signed, but it's unclear if the Patriots are looking to add more players to their roster ahead of training camp. They should make this decision soon so they can have the best team possible for the most important practices of the offseason.
5. Which receivers will give the offense the best chance at being better than last year?
Since the end of minicamp, the Patriots have 12 receivers signed to their roster, yet only a few are likely locks for the 2024 season; Javon Baker, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, and Ja'Lynn Polk. The rest are questionable at best, which isn't exactly the best position for the team to be in.
Although it's ideal to have a lot of players signed so you can get a good look at a lot of talent at the same time, a problem the Patriots haven't had in many years; most of them are not the caliber of player the team needs to improve their offense, which was a focus of this offseason.
But at the same time, the two receivers they picked up in the draft, Baker and Polk, have already shown to be explosive and hard-working through spring practices, which is an exciting development for a team that needs that type of energy and production from their receiving corps.
Douglas is the other top candidate to make the offense better than a year ago, especially since he hopes to become even more integrated on game day than he was as a rookie. He impressed as the team's leading receiver, recording 49 receptions for 561 yards, and is expected to break out even more now that he has a year of experience under his belt.
Bourne could be that playmaker, too, whenever he can get back on the field after rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last season. He was on track to record the best year of his career before the injury, so hopefully, he can pick up where he left off.
Otherwise, the Patriots' only option is to make a blockbuster trade for a top-name receiver like Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins. It's a decision they'll have to ponder over the next several weeks.