The 2025 offseason was projected to be franchise-altering for the Patriots for many reasons, one of which was hiring Mike Vrabel as the next head coach. His experience in the role and his vision for the future of his former team seem like a perfect match for what New England needs to become competitive again after far too many years of being at the bottom of the league.
On top of a drastic coaching staff change, bringing on a better organization was the massive amount of cap space the new regime had to utilize to boost the roster ahead of the 2025 season. Vrabel stated they were ready to be aggressive in free agency, which they demonstrated on the first day of the legal tampering period, but there was a clear motive with most of the signings.
Although it's nearly impossible to claim the players the Patriots signed on Monday were not good decisions, the focus on the defense was very telling. The roster certainly needed to be improved, but the offense seemed to be put on the back burner when the aggressiveness should have also been used there.
The most troubling part was the lack of offensive linemen signed since that is one of the primary concerns of the current roster. They signed a veteran right tackle, Morgan Moses, who is a solid option. However, the left tackle is more problematic, and the remaining free agents might force the Patriots to wait until the draft to get their next starter.
The Patriots might be better served to find their next starting left tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft
With the gaping hole on the left side of the offensive line remaining as the official start of free agency is set to begin, it's looking more and more like the Patriots will have to pick over the unsigned free agents that remain as possible depth pieces rather than finding their next starting left tackle.
Given the options left, most notably Cam Robinson, there's an increasing belief that it would be best for New England to hold off until the draft to get the right guy for the job.
That's something MassLive's Mark Daniels believes could be the incoming strategy, especially since the players left to sign wouldn't necessarily be the kind of upgrade the Patriots need at the position.
"The problem is that both tackles are past their prime. The easiest answer to the Patriots left tackle conundrum might be the draft. The team has several fans of LSU tackle Will Campbell, who could be in play at No. 4. Although Campbell’s arm length or lack thereof is an issue for some, sources have told MassLive that the Patriots believe the prospect is a left tackle."
This goes along with much of what was reported during the Combine last month and the Patriots interest in a guy like Will Campbell might have increased over the last few days. They could also explore trade down options to acquire more picks instead and potentially draft another promising left tackle in Kelvin Banks Jr.
At the same time, how they address the receiving corps could also dictate whether they take a left tackle high or not. Because they have only signed Mack Hollins so far, there is still a need for a clear WR1, which might only be obtained via trade.
It is uncertain whether they'll be willing to make the kind of offer it would take to get a receiver of that caliber in the door. But that and left tackle are two positions that cannot be ignored this offseason if they hope to have an improved offense around Drake Maye in 2025.