Offseason omissions could catch up with the Patriots' roster depth

Imagine there is a New England Patriots franchise from a parallel universe. Bill Belichick is still the head coach. He still drafted QB Drake Maye but selected a left tackle early. The Patriots still selected two receivers, Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk. They also added a pass rusher and a defensive tackle.

Now, take a look at this Patriots team. Christian Barmore is out indefinitely with blood clots. A key veteran is unhappy with his contract situation. They’re playing musical chairs with the offensive line.

This happy camp has quickly turned sour.

The New England Patriots didn’t adequately address depth at certain positions in the off-season

The Patriots took last Wednesday off, which came at a good time. Even head coach Jerod Mayo could use a break after dealing with a few challenges.

Barmore, New England’s stud defensive tackle, was recently diagnosed with blood clots. He will be placed on blood thinners and is out indefinitely. New England signed Josiah Bronson, a 27-year-old veteran from the UFL’s Memphis Showboats, to fill the void.

But Bronson is no Barmore. There’s a reason why Bronson was still available.

Thankfully, the Patriots signed Armon Watts during free agency, which looks like the best option to replace Barmore, but it shouldn’t be on Watts alone.

New England had the chance to select Khristian Boyd from Northern Iowa in the sixth round. He was a prospect, and the Patriots showed some interest in him during the draft process. Instead, New England used the 180th selection on South Carolina CB Marcellas Dial. Boyd went 199th to New Orleans.

It was a questionable selection since they are very deep at cornerback: Christian Gonzalez, Alex Austin, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Shaun Wade, and Marco Wilson all have shown the ability to contribute in 2024. Dial might be playing for a practice squad spot, at best.

If the Patriots selected Boyd instead, they might not have needed to sign Bronson, nor possibly look to bring back Lawrence Guy out of necessity. Watts would still be ahead of Boyd on the depth chart this season, but Watts signed for only one year.

The same can be said about Matthew Judon, who is in the final year of his current deal, and getting an extension is not likely despite his pleas this offseason. After watching several teammates get rewarded, including Barmore, with a four-year $83 million extension, Judon wants his share.

Contract disputes are nothing new in New England, but Belichick mostly kept these confidential. Mayo is learning being a player’s coach comes with some drawbacks.

The pass rusher is frustrated with being left out of the Patriots’ spending spree, prompting him to go as far as airing out his grievances to the media, which rarely happened during Belichick’s 24 years as head coach.

Judon stood his ground by not participating in padded practices, which didn't sit well with Patriots brass. He became enough of a distraction that Mayo had to have words with him before he ultimately left the field.

The Patriots will have to make Judon happy, either by reaching an agreement on an extension or trading him to a team that will. Despite their apparent "good conversation," which Judon and Mayo shared with reporters on Monday, they're no closer to resolving the contract issue. The good news is that Davon Godchaux, who also wanted new money, got a two-year extension worth up to $21 million.

So there's still a chance Judon will eventually get what's been hoping for.

Contract issues with Matthew Judon could lead to bigger issues this season and beyond

Judon is New England’s only proven pass rusher. Joshua Uche is back on a one-year, prove-it deal because he has had just one productive season out of four years with the Patriots. Keion White is having a great camp, but the second-year player has just one career sack. Deatrich Wise Jr. is solid but is not the kind of threat that gives quarterbacks nightmares.

Why the Patriots front office didn’t draft a pass rusher or sign one through free agency when their two starters were under contract for one more year is another questionable move that is becoming more concerning.

It's much like the offensive tackle situation. Mayo is having an open competition for the tackle position. Caeden Wallace and Chukwuma Okorafor started camp rotating at left and right tackle, though Wallace has held down Maye’s blind spot for the last six practices.

Can the fourth-round selection secure the left tackle job? The O-line's camp reviews have been positive, but that’s just friendly fire. We won’t know until the first preseason game if the O-line’s play is really good or if they weren’t challenged by a diminished defensive line.

It would be easier to be more confident in the unit if a higher-rated left tackle was selected on day two of the draft. Securing the quarterback’s safety should have been the Patriots’ second-highest priority. The need for the bookends was worthy of double-dipping at the position. Instead, New England waited until day three for Wallace, who never played left tackle for Penn State, and spent a selection on a guard.

Investing in highly talented left tackles contributed to the Patriots' dynasties. Matt Light (second round, 2001) and Nate Solder (first round, 2011) kept Tom Brady clean for 18 years, which was the foundation for the offense. New England failed to do the same for Mac Jones, which factored into his collapse. The Patriots better not do the same to Maye.

If you search for too early 2025 NFL mock drafts, pass rusher and left tackle are the two positions usually mocked to the Patriots.

But you would also notice New England is often predicted to be in the top three. A more balanced, common-sense approach to free agency and the draft would have mitigated those needs. If any of the current fixes don’t work, or they can’t find peace with Judon, this promising season could go down the drain quickly.

And we would be wishing for that that alternate reality real soon.

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