Patriots Urged to Avoid Major Free Agency Mistake

The New England Patriots are being advised to avoid this one pitfall in NFL free agency.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are entering a pivotal offseason in which they must make significant roster changes in order to have any chance of competing in 2025.

The Patriots owned what was probably the NFL's worst roster this past season, thanks much in part to a disastrous offseason last year.

Michael DeVito of Musket Fire is advising New England to avoid making the same mistake in the coming weeks, stating that the Pats cannot just sign mediocre free agents like last March and expect things to fall into place.

"Vrabel has to allocate his cap money in free agency precisely," DeVito wrote. "He can't just throw money at the wall and expect the results of 2023 and 2024 to change. The focus he needs isn't rocket science, just common sense. NFL winners are built in the offseason by signing and drafting the best players you can."

Last year, the Patriots went into free agency with massive cap room, but they were essentially shut out. They weren't able to land an impactful wide receiver, and the rest of their additions were marginal, at best.

This time around, New England once again boasts a ton of cap space. The most in the league, actually. And DeVito is stressing that the Pats have to deliver.

"It doesn't matter whether Vrabel lands these top additions in free agency (though that's comprised of proven NFL-quality players) or the draft (more of a crapshoot)," DeVito added. "It just matters that he gets them. Loads of the $126M or so in cap space should be allocated to adding three or four top players at those specific positions of need."

The Patriots may be a bit more attractive as a destination this time around due to the presence of Drake Maye under center, but it's still up to the front office to make the right moves.

We'll see if New England is able to score big in the coming weeks.

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