Patriots Exec Has Major Free Agent Optimism

A New England Patriots executive has revealed why he feels the team has a great chance of signing free agents during the NFL offseason.

Jan 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are slated to have a wealth of cap room heading into the NFL offseason, but will they actually be able to sign free agents?

The Patriots have gone 4-13 in back-to-back campaigns and may very well have the worst roster in football, so they aren't exactly a very attractive destination.

But could free agents actually be drawn to sign in New England?

Pats executive Eliot Wolf thinks so, and he feels that quarterback Drake Maye is the reason why.

"Yeah, absolutely. Player X from another team is like, ‘Yeah, rookie quarterback, great. You know, we've all seen rookie quarterbacks come in and struggle, so that doesn't really mean a lot now.' Drake's actually playing well. It's on film for everyone to see," Wolf said, via Henry McKenna of Fox Sports.

Maye definitely played well during his rookie season, throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66.6 percent of his passes and posting an 88.1 passer rating. He also rushed for 421 yards and a couple of scores, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.

So perhaps there is a chance that free-agent receivers like Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin will view the Patriots as an interesting landing spot because of Maye.

Having Mike Vrabel as head coach should help now, too.

Still, it will be difficult for New England to actually convince big-name players to sign on the dotted line due to the fact that the Pats haven't even resembled contenders in recent years, missing the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.

And remember: last offseason, the Patriots had a ton of money available but struck out in free agency.

They are obviously hoping to avoid a similar result in the coming months, and maybe Maye will prove to be the difference maker.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!