The past four seasons in New England have felt like a blur and not the good kind. After an extremely underwhelming 4-13 season, the Patriots head into the 2025 offseason with a lot of hope and optimism.
Robert and Johnathan Kraft made headlines in early January with the firing of first year head coach Jerod Mayo for another Patriots alumni, Mike Vrabel. The former NFL coach of the year brings fans plenty to be excited about, especially when it comes to our “new” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. McDaniels now enters his third stint on the sidelines of Foxborough since being fired from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Vrabel also brings in Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams to take over the defense. Bringing more experience to the sidelines should do wonders for a young team, which is in dire need of some upgrades.
When looking at the current state of the roster, there are obvious bright spots in both Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez, but the rest of it needs some work. The Patriots had the least number of sacks last season (28) and finished sixth in sacks allowed (52). Both the offensive and defensive lines should be the priority, along with the wide receivers, edge rushers, secondary, and linebackers.
The Pats go into the 2025 free agency period with roughly $130 million in cap space, ranking first in the league, and giving them plenty of resources to address the holes on the roster. This year’s free agency crop can bring plenty of seasoned veterans, along with a couple of star players. Some players the Pats should target include Tee Higgins (WR Bengals), Cam Robinson (LT Vikings), Marcus Williams (Safety Ravens), and Charles Omenihu (EDGE Chiefs).
Higgins is the prize of the free agency period this year and has been consistent over the last five years with the Bengals. Higgins should have no problem transitioning from number two receiver to being a number one guy. Robinson is a seasoned veteran up front and can be a good influence on a young offensive line. Williams and Omenihu have both been impact role players in their defensive systems and can make an immediate impact in New England.
Fast forwarding to the draft, their strategy was drastically changed with the week 18 win over Buffalo, dropping them from the first overall pick to the fourth overall, behind the Titans, Browns, and Giants. Luckily, all three of those teams are in the QB market, leaving the best non-quarterbacks potentially for the taking. If I were in the war room on draft night, I’d be getting the best player available in round one, and drafting for needs the rest of the way.
When looking at prospects, three stand out amongst the rest, and all would fill a need and become franchise cornerstones. Travis Hunter’s two-way ability would fill holes on both sides of the ball, having 15 receiving touchdowns and four interceptions. Penn State’s linebacker turned edge rusher Abdul Carter was an absolute game wrecker for the Nittany Lions. On a defensive line that didn’t produce much pressure, Carter would bring an immediate impact. Kelvin Banks Jr has been one of the best offensive tackles in the country. The Longhorns big man has guarded some of the best edge rushers in both the BIG 12 and SEC and would be a massive asset to young quarterback Maye.
While all three of these players would be good selections, realistically the Pats will be deciding between Carter and Banks, due to Hunter being projected to go number one. Banks makes more sense to me. Banks Jr is athletic with phenomenal footwork and is comfortable playing in a pro-style offense.
In an era of the NFL where the quarterback is the team’s most valuable asset, a talented line can boost a young QB’s development. Not to mention a good offensive line can do you wonders in the run game (just look at Saquon Barkley and Philadelphia). While Carter would be a great addition to the defense, Banks can develop into a long-term staple on the line and can turn into Drake Maye's best friend up front.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Thomas Szot tszot@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu
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