Five Notable Off-Season Signings
1. Amari Cooper - WR - 2 years/$25M: The Bills saga was short and unproductive for Cooper, and there’s little doubt he’s past his prime, but I still think Cooper has quality play left in him. Beyond that Cooper is one of those “glue” guys that I believe New England could target to come in and help reset the tone in the locker room, while giving Drake Maye a savvy veteran route runner at the X position.
2. Marquez Valdes-Scantling - WR - 1 Year/$5M: A career journey man at this point. I envision New England bringing MVS in as a rotational piece who brings a deep-threat ability not currently on the roster. Think Philip Dorsett back in the day. MVS comes in and is used by McDaniels as a piece to keep safeties on their toes, and as the recipient of the occasional deep bomb from Maye.
3. Ronnie Stanley - T - 2 Years/$35M: New England opens up the check book to tempt Staley away from Baltimore. Injuries plagued him from 2020-2023, but Stanley logged a full season this year playing 98% of the snaps at a high caliber protecting Lamar Jacksons blind side. There would be some debate with this contract as it would see Stanley the 12th highest paid LT in AAV, but the bottom line if New England really sees Drake Maye as the future of the franchise then it would malpractice on the front office’s part to penny pinch when it comes to keeping him upright and concussion (two sustained this past season) free.
4. Joshua Sweat - EDGE - 3 Years/$45M: The “marquee” free agent signing. New England had one of the worst pass rushing attacks in the league last season and as we all saw on Sunday a strong (or even competent) pass rush is a necessity when it comes to winning games. Sweat has a been a career good not quite great player who was already the subject of trade rumors last season, so expect him to hit FA. He brings a steady veteran presence with a plethora of playoff experience to the defensive line.
5. Salomon Thomas - IDL - 1 Year/$3M: o Thomas isn’t a flashy signing, and don’t expect him to fill up the stat sheet. He’s another locker room guy I could see Vrabel and Co. bringing in to help set the standard for the Patriots going into next season. He’s well-thought of by past and present teammates and can occasionally bring some heat from the interior of the defensive line.
7-Round Mock Draft
I approached this draft with the idea of seeing what happens if New England were to go against chalk (i.e. Carter, Hunter, Graham, Campbell), without necessarily going off the rails. In this scenario both Hunter and Carter are off the board when New England comes on the clock. There's been some talk from mainstream draft types of Sanders to New Orleans so I played that scenario out.
Trades
The draft features two trades that are based in some sort of plausible situation from lead up (Sanders to NO and Milton trade rumors).
Trade One:
- New England Receives: 1.09 and 2.40
- New Orleans Receives: 1.04
Love him or hate him, Mickey Loomis will absolutely make a big boy move in the draft. In this scenario Carter and Hunter go off at 1.02 and 1.03. New England decides Campbell and Graham aren’t quite what they’re looking for and gives the pick to New Orleans so they can move up to grab the contentious Shedeur Sanders.
Trade Two:
- New England Receives: 4.06
- Las Vegas Receives: Joe Milton, QB; 7.22
The Joe Milton trade rumors come to fruition. The third seems more like fishing that reality, but Vegas ponies up a fourth hoping that Milton comes in and can attempt to compete for their QB job in 2025.
Round 1 - Pick 9: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
(I'm going to stir the shit pot early) At 1.09 New England subverts expectations and drafts Jeanty. The talented RB immediately comes in and becomes the most dangerous weapon on New England's offense. Some will argue this is a luxury pick. I would argue the Patriots offense is in dire need of talent and Jeanty is the most talented offensive player in the draft and has the ability to warp defenses around having to scheme for him. The run game was abysmal last season and Vrabel/McDaniels will want to re-establish it early on in 2025 to help take some of the pressure off of Maye. Jeanty has no real weaknesses as a prospect. He’s got the right size, the athletic profile, the rushing, receiving, and pass blocking chops to be genuinely elite.
Round 2 - Pick 38: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
New England doesn’t stop at signing Sweat and goes down the road to BC to grab Ezeiruaku. He’s flashed an elite combination of speed/power, flexibitiy, and has a huge array of pass rushing moves. He’s got the right length and a great wingspan, Ezeiruaku is probably a situational pass rusher his rookie season while he spends time in a pro-strength program to put a little more sand in his pants. But he’s got the right mix to quickly develop into an every down edge for New England.
Round 2 - Pick 40: Grey Zabel, G, North Dakota State
The entire NFL world knows New England needs to seriously invest in it’s offensive line. While Zabel isn’t the long-term blindside tackle many are clamoring for, he could be a rock at left guard for the Patriots for a good long while. Zabel is a nasty lineman with piston hands, who plays smart and is more agile than you’d guess. Zabel is another prospect I think would develop rapidly once he’s in an NFL program where a pro staff could help him get stronger and a bit heavier. That being said, I think he’s already good enough to be a day 1 starter at guard.
Round 3 - Pick 69: Anthony Belton, T, NC State
With their third round pick New England double taps offensive lineman and grabs a tackle prospect whose size/length stands out in a draft where many of the better prospects have questions about their own. Though not a player you probably want to see getting a ton of playing time right off the bat, Belton has a great anchor with a high ceiling who gives New England an heir apparent to the 31 year old Ronnie Stanley.
Round 3 - Pick 77: Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State
It was clear last season New England had a gap on defense missing a safety who can play centerfield. Duggar was misused by Covington and there were too many instances of him being out of position and giving up a deep pass (zero Duggar slander here, he’s awesome, he just can’t be played like he’s Devin McCourty). Winston profiles as a rangier safety who excels in coverage but won’t necessarily get steamrolled by a RB either.
Round 4 - Pick 105: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech is a senior bowl darling who could bring a lot to the New England receiving room. Don’t expect a crazy RAS or highlight reel catches though. Bech makes me think of Jakobi Meyers in that, while he’s always going to be limited by his athleticism, he’s going to move the chains. He’s got solid hands, body control, spatial awareness, and route running. I’d love to see him come in and carve out a role as a big-bodied slot who can bully smaller DBs in short yardage situations and fight for an extra yard or two on every catch.
Round Four - Pick 107: Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
Linebacker is an underrated area of need for New England this offseason, and Stutsman is the kind of swiss-army knife player I think Mike Vrabel would love. He’s a durable plus athlete who has great instincts and the intangibles to play well in multiple roles and schemes. Stutsman isn’t the strongest player in coverage and can overcommit with funky tackling angles, but from what I’ve seen none of his deficiencies are things that can’t be coached up.
Round 5 - Pick 145: Jake Majors, C, Texas
Another trip back to the offensive lineman store for a team that desperately needs a huge influx of talent all along it. Majors is a bit of an undersized center who plays up a level due to his football IQ and his attitude. Long time fan favorite David Andrews is going to come back for at least one more season, but considering his injuries and age New England should look to get his replacement on the team now.
Round 7 - Pick 219: CJ West, DT, Indiana
Regardless of how things progress with Barmore, New England should look to continue to add to it’s interior defensive line. Thomas in this scenario is an ageing rotational culture piece, and Godchaux’s play seemed to fall of a bit this season. Godchaux is also going to end 2025 as a 32 year old with a $8.5M cap savings next offseason. West is an explosive 3 tech who does well when he’s allowed to smash through a single gap, which would align nicely under Vrabel/Williams defensive ideology. West’s timing can be off and he whiffs too often, but he could be coached up into a nice depth piece on the defensive line.
Round 7 - Pick 222: Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Having moved on from Milton New England decides to cycle some more fresh blood into it’s QB room by taking Leonard to be a developmental QB3. As with any QB drafted this late, Leonard has plenty of deficiencies. The one that most jumps off the page is a lack of a certain je ne sais quoi when you watch him. His pocket presence and mechanics aren’t quite there, and he never really seems to blow you away watching him. Still, Leonard is a pretty toolsy QB with a strong arm and a little go-go when he needs to run, which is enough to get him a good long look during the offseason.
