The 2024 NFL season was one of transitions for the New England Patriots.
Bill Belichick’s tenure at the top ended as the organization turned to former linebacker and defensive assistant Jerod Mayo as their next head coach. However, the results did not follow, and Mayo was let go minutes after the season ended.
It was not all bad, however. Drake Maye, the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, took over as the team’s starting quarterback and showed flashes of what the Patriots were hoping to get from him when they made him the potential face of the franchise.
Now they need to build around him. Did the Patriots add the right pieces this offseason?
Coaching Staff
Amid an offseason of changes, the first big moves came on the sidelines in New England.
After just one year, Mayo was out, fired by the Patriots after taking over as the heir to Belichick. Mayo’s tenure began with a surprising win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, but that 4-13 record doomed the first-year head coach.
And one of those wins in Week 18, which ended New England’s chances of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With Mayo out, another former Patriots linebacker is in. Mike Vrabel was named as New England’s next head coach after a rather quick search, following a year spent as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns.
While Vrabel’s name is atop the staff, the most critical moves might be the ones made below him. Again, with getting the best out of Maye a focal point for New England, the Patriots brought Josh McDaniels back to be the offensive coordinator, and brought over Ashton Grant, formerly the quarterbacks coach with the Browns, to serve in that role in Foxborough.
These are solid moves, but the ultimate grade will be determined by how Maye fares in Year 2 and beyond.
Grade: B+
Free Agency
New England entered the offseason with money to spend, and they put that cap space to good use.
The Patriots added at all three levels of their defense in free agency, signing Milton Williams and Harold Landry up front, linebacker Robert Spillane, and cornerback Carlton Davis. Then, on the offensive side of the football, New England began revamping their entire offensive line, signing veteran tackle Morgan Moses, center Garrett Bradbury, and guard Wes Schweitzer. The Patriots then brought in two new targets for Maye in the passing game, Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins.
Some may argue that the Patriots paid more on these contracts than expected. For example, the contract Williams signed (four years, worth up to $104 million) was described as a “massive overpay for a 25-year-old third-round pick who has just 19 NFL starts under his belt and has never sniffed an All-Pro or Pro Bowl nod,” wrote Brad Gagnon at Bleacher Report.
That might be true on paper, but when you are looking to turn over the roster quickly, and you have a massive amount of cap space, these are the calculated risks you can take.
Grade: A-
The NFL Draft
Even with the additions in free agency, the Patriots were not done.
Despite losing out on the No. 1 pick, New England was still picking near the top of the first round, sitting at No. 4. With Cam Ward, Travis Hunter Jr., and Abdul Carter coming off the board with the first three selections New England again turned to the offensive line — as expected — and drafted Will Campbell out of LSU. There have been questions about his arm length, but the player we saw on the field at LSU looks every bit the part of a cornerstone NFL tackle.
But New England was not done adding help for Maye. The Patriots brought in Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson and draft favorite WR Kyle Williams on Day 2, along with Georgia center Jared Wilson. Those are three more players who could contribute as rookies.
Grade: A-
Overall
This has been a strong offseason for the Patriots.
Ultimately, however, it comes down to how big a step Maye takes over the next two seasons.
But the Patriots had a clear plan entering the offseason: Build around their young quarterback and put their cap space to good use on both sides of the football. When a team has a vision and then executes on that vision in the weeks and months that follow, good things tend to happen.
Grade: A-
