Evaluating 25 FA signings at midseason mark:

[Joey007]

Felt like it would be a good exercise to do a midseason report on this class. There hasn't been a single move so far that feels like a complete whiff. Nearly everyone has contributed decently in some way. Just to varying degrees

Moves that look great, A tier signings:

Milton Williams
Harold Landry
Stefon Diggs
Khyriris Tonga
K'Lavon Chaisson

Williams is looking like the dominant force we paid for. Landry and Diggs are both playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level. Chaisson and Tonga are playing much better than their contract values indicate. Both really good chess pieces. These so far are looking like great moves, although the Diggs contract will be interesting after this year.

Solid moves with reasonable production:

Robert Spillane
Garrett Bradbury
Morgan Moses
Jack Gibbens
Mack Hollins

Spillane has really picked up from his poor start and has become a steady presence in the middle. Just needs someone better beside him at LB to compliment his strengths better. Gibbens and Hollins both appear to be nice depth pieces that have been useful in rotational roles. Moses and Bradbury may be seen as debatable. But ultimately, they've at least been competent enough as starters to keep the house from burning down. For the somewhat modest contracts they are playing on, it's still a massive improvement from last year. They've created a sense of stability on the line that was badly needed.

The one questionable move so far would be the Carlton Davis contract. It has been pretty inconsistent play out of him so far. Make no mistake, he's still much better than playing Alex Austin. But with the money we're paying, you'd expect a high end CB2. We're more getting an average/slightly below average CB2 that gets injured frequently, which was probably something that should have been expected, given his history. Still time for him to improve, though. He's been a streaky CB over his career. It just hasn't appeared worth the money for the guy so far.

Total midseason grade is somewhere between a B+ and A-. Plenty of hits, no major whiffs so far out of this group. Really just one move that's looking questionable.

Thoughts?

 

[TommyD4207]

Felt like it would be a good exercise to do a midseason report on this class. There hasn't been a single move so far that feels like a complete whiff. Nearly everyone has contributed decently in some way. Just to varying degrees

Moves that look great, A tier signings:

Milton Williams
Harold Landry
Stefon Diggs
Khyriris Tonga
K'Lavon Chaisson

Williams is looking like the dominant force we paid for. Landry and Diggs are both playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level. Chaisson and Tonga are playing much better than their contract values indicate. Both really good chess pieces. These so far are looking like great moves, although the Diggs contract will be interesting after this year.

Solid moves with reasonable production:

Robert Spillane
Garrett Bradbury
Morgan Moses
Jack Gibbens
Mack Hollins

Spillane has really picked up from his poor start and has become a steady presence in the middle. Just needs someone better beside him at LB to compliment his strengths better. Gibbens and Hollins both appear to be nice depth pieces that have been useful in rotational roles. Moses and Bradbury may be seen as debatable. But ultimately, they've at least been competent enough as starters to keep the house from burning down. For the somewhat modest contracts they are playing on, it's still a massive improvement from last year. They've created a sense of stability on the line that was badly needed.

The one questionable move so far would be the Carlton Davis contract. It has been pretty inconsistent play out of him so far. Make no mistake, he's still much better than playing Alex Austin. But with the money we're paying, you'd expect a high end CB2. We're more getting an average/slightly below average CB2 that gets injured frequently, which was probably something that should have been expected, given his history. Still time for him to improve, though. He's been a streaky CB over his career. It just hasn't appeared worth the money for the guy so far.

Thoughts?

Can't really argue with that in the slightest. I might sneak Bradbury and Hollins into the upper tier for other reasons, but Bradbury's been too inconsistent to do it really, and Hollins is Hollins.

Four of those five are absolute home runs. Tonga and Chiasson have just been great signings in terms of value.

Also I don't think Davis has been as bad as he's being portrayed on the board. To me, he's worth the money, because if it's not him, who else would it be? He's an expensive stop-gap, until they can get someone else in here, in my opinion.

 

[Joey007]

One more I did not include, but shout out to Josh Dobbs for that 3rd down pass Sunday. That's the kind of play you want to see out of a backup in a pinch. His grade is more incomplete because he's hardly taken any snaps. (thankfully)

 

[Joey007]

Can't really argue with that in the slightest. I might sneak Bradbury and Hollins into the upper tier for other reasons, but Bradbury's been too inconsistent to do it really, and Hollins is Hollins.

Four of those five are absolute home runs. Tonga and Chiasson have just been great signings in terms of value.

Also I don't think Davis has been as bad as he's being portrayed on the board. To me, he's worth the money, because if it's not him, who else would it be? He's an expensive stop-gap, until they can get someone else in here, in my opinion.

I would probably put him in the solid category if not for the bloated contract.

He hasn't been all bad, just erratic for the money paid. There likely were better cost-efficient options on the market that could have played at a similar level at the CB2 spot.

But Davis has a much higher ceiling than those options, to be fair. Still some meat on the bone with him.

 

[TommyD4207]

I would probably put him in the solid category if not for the bloated contract.

He hasn't been all bad, just erratic for the money paid. There likely were better cost-efficient options on the market that could have played at a similar level at the CB2 spot.

But Davis has a much higher ceiling than those options, to be fair. Still some meat on the bone with him.

The bloated contract is two-fold. 1) CBs are overpaid for now (I think the market starts to contract a little bit there), and 2) This wasn't exactly a destination for free agents, if you recall. Milton Williams damn near signed with Carolina ffs. The only real reason we got Diggs is because this was the only place he was going to get close to #1 money coming off an ACL.

I think that changes this year, especially if the Patriots really go on a run. Players know what they're seeing, league-wide. That's why panic-trading to add 'a guy' right now seems a little premature.

 

[farn]

Holy cow. I love the players in your second tier. Holy. If those are the so so, we are winners.

 

[maust]

Can't really argue with that in the slightest. I might sneak Bradbury and Hollins into the upper tier for other reasons, but Bradbury's been too inconsistent to do it really, and Hollins is Hollins.

Four of those five are absolute home runs. Tonga and Chiasson have just been great signings in terms of value.

Also I don't think Davis has been as bad as he's being portrayed on the board. To me, he's worth the money, because if it's not him, who else would it be? He's an expensive stop-gap, until they can get someone else in here, in my opinion.

Agree on elevating Hollins ($4.2M AAV) and Bradbury ($4.6M AAV) primarily because their contributions far outweigh their compensation. Not that they're playing at an All Pro level but they are providing more than should reasonably be expected considering their price tags. When looking at the FA equation 'bang for the buck' always enters into it for me

 

[Joey007]

Holy cow. I love the players in your second tier. Holy. If those are the so so, we are winners.

I definitely would not call them so so. Davis is really the only move I put in that category. I would consider them good signings.

 

[Ross12]

Felt like it would be a good exercise to do a midseason report on this class. There hasn't been a single move so far that feels like a complete whiff. Nearly everyone has contributed decently in some way. Just to varying degrees

Moves that look great, A tier signings:

Milton Williams
Harold Landry
Stefon Diggs
Khyriris Tonga
K'Lavon Chaisson

Williams is looking like the dominant force we paid for. Landry and Diggs are both playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level. Chaisson and Tonga are playing much better than their contract values indicate. Both really good chess pieces. These so far are looking like great moves, although the Diggs contract will be interesting after this year.

Solid moves with reasonable production:

Robert Spillane
Garrett Bradbury
Morgan Moses
Jack Gibbens
Mack Hollins

Spillane has really picked up from his poor start and has become a steady presence in the middle. Just needs someone better beside him at LB to compliment his strengths better. Gibbens and Hollins both appear to be nice depth pieces that have been useful in rotational roles. Moses and Bradbury may be seen as debatable. But ultimately, they've at least been competent enough as starters to keep the house from burning down. For the somewhat modest contracts they are playing on, it's still a massive improvement from last year. They've created a sense of stability on the line that was badly needed.

The one questionable move so far would be the Carlton Davis contract. It has been pretty inconsistent play out of him so far. Make no mistake, he's still much better than playing Alex Austin. But with the money we're paying, you'd expect a high end CB2. We're more getting an average/slightly below average CB2 that gets injured frequently, which was probably something that should have been expected, given his history. Still time for him to improve, though. He's been a streaky CB over his career. It just hasn't appeared worth the money for the guy so far.

Total midseason grade is somewhere between a B+ and A-. Plenty of hits, no major whiffs so far out of this group. Really just one move that's looking questionable.

Thoughts?

I would move Bradbury and Moses up into the top group. Moses has been very stable playing all the snaps and has been a crucial resource for the younger players to tap. He hasn't had any issues and wasn't very expensive. Bradbury has been much better than expected in pass pro and was pretty cheap, relatively speaking. He's not all-world or anything but they are getting more out of him than they're paying for.

 

[Ross12]

The bloated contract is two-fold. 1) CBs are overpaid for now (I think the market starts to contract a little bit there), and 2) This wasn't exactly a destination for free agents, if you recall. Milton Williams damn near signed with Carolina ffs. The only real reason we got Diggs is because this was the only place he was going to get close to #1 money coming off an ACL.

I think that changes this year, especially if the Patriots really go on a run. Players know what they're seeing, league-wide. That's why panic-trading to add 'a guy' right now seems a little premature.

Yeah, I think the free agency outlook for New England in 2026 will be vastly different from the last few years. NE can make a few contract adjustments and end up near the top of the league in cap space again and really infuse some talent into the roster.

 

[Rob0729]

I still laugh at the narrative by a lot of people in the media that there is no way Williams could ever live up to his contract. He has more than lived up to his contract thus far. He may be the best player the Pats have on defense right now.

 

[Joey007]

I would move Bradbury and Moses up into the top group. Moses has been very stable playing all the snaps and has been a crucial resource for the younger players to tap. He hasn't had any issues and wasn't very expensive. Bradbury has been much better than expected in pass pro and was pretty cheap, relatively speaking. He's not all-world or anything but they are getting more out of him than they're paying for.

I could see the argument. I just think the top group are home run moves. Players either playing at a pro bowl level, or players playing like very good starters on extremely cheap deals.

 

[TommyD4207]

I still laugh at the narrative by a lot of people in the media that there is no way Williams could ever live up to his contract. He has more than lived up to his contract thus far. He may be the best player the Pats have on defense right now.

Worth every penny.
Barmore has been absolutely unleashed just with Williams being on the field.

 

[FoxboroFan23]

The hit rate on the FA signings is crazy. I expect at least some of them to not look so good because things normally don't turn up roses like that. Credit to the FO for targeting the right guys, to the coaches for getting them to perform and of course to the players themselves.

I agree with Tommy that Davis hasn't been as bad as some say. He did a good job on Metcalf and once Gonzo came back the defense has performed very well.

 

[Joey007]

Yeah, I think the free agency outlook for New England in 2026 will be vastly different from the last few years. NE can make a few contract adjustments and end up near the top of the league in cap space again and really infuse some talent into the roster.

With very little on the market. Marcus Jones really is the major name. Chaisson could be another one playing himself into a bigger contract.

After that, Tonga, Hooper and Gibbens should all be able to come back at a reasonable prices. We’ll have plenty of money to make a few “last piece of the puzzle” type of moves.

 

[maust]

Worth every penny.
Barmore has been absolutely unleashed just with Williams being on the field.

They're a helluva complimentary tandem, killing it together

 

[PatsFan2]

I still laugh at the narrative by a lot of people in the media that there is no way Williams could ever live up to his contract. He has more than lived up to his contract thus far. He may be the best player the Pats have on defense right now.

Barmore said hold his beer.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

I'd put it into three categories and all of them are positive...

"Huge money and getting huge money level play." That's Milton Williams. He's playing like one of those transformational free agent additions where you pay top dollar and actually get what you paid for and it helps jump start your turnaround.

"Solid starter level player that's more expensive than you like for what they are but that's life when you have to sign starters in free agency". I put Landry, Spillane, Davis, Moses, Bradbury in this category. Ideally you don't need to pay FA addition prices for these kind of starters, but we were in the situation that we needed to and they've delivered.

I have Diggs somewhere between #1 and #2. He's playing really well but still only half the snaps. He's a lot of money for someone who's lower tier #1 for what he is so not the first category but better than the 2nd still. Overall, very good signing.

"Low cost signings that you nailed the evaluation on and getting great value." Chaisson and Tonga for this gorup, as they've been awesome in their roles.

"Low cost signings that you're getting solid enough for what you paid for." Dobbs and Hollins here.

 

[Ross12]

I could see the argument. I just think the top group are home run moves. Players either playing at a pro bowl level, or players playing like very good starters on extremely cheap deals.

Fair, I'd still probably put Bradbury there by that standard but it's not a big deal.

 

[mgteich]

Felt like it would be a good exercise to do a midseason report on this class. There hasn't been a single move so far that feels like a complete whiff. Nearly everyone has contributed decently in some way. Just to varying degrees

Moves that look great, A tier signings:

Milton Williams
Harold Landry
Stefon Diggs
Khyriris Tonga
K'Lavon Chaisson

Williams is looking like the dominant force we paid for. Landry and Diggs are both playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level. Chaisson and Tonga are playing much better than their contract values indicate. Both really good chess pieces. These so far are looking like great moves, although the Diggs contract will be interesting after this year.

Solid moves with reasonable production:

Robert Spillane
Garrett Bradbury
Morgan Moses
Jack Gibbens
Mack Hollins

Spillane has really picked up from his poor start and has become a steady presence in the middle. Just needs someone better beside him at LB to compliment his strengths better. Gibbens and Hollins both appear to be nice depth pieces that have been useful in rotational roles. Moses and Bradbury may be seen as debatable. But ultimately, they've at least been competent enough as starters to keep the house from burning down. For the somewhat modest contracts they are playing on, it's still a massive improvement from last year. They've created a sense of stability on the line that was badly needed.

The one questionable move so far would be the Carlton Davis contract. It has been pretty inconsistent play out of him so far. Make no mistake, he's still much better than playing Alex Austin. But with the money we're paying, you'd expect a high end CB2. We're more getting an average/slightly below average CB2 that gets injured frequently, which was probably something that should have been expected, given his history. Still time for him to improve, though. He's been a streaky CB over his career. It just hasn't appeared worth the money for the guy so far.

Total midseason grade is somewhere between a B+ and A-. Plenty of hits, no major whiffs so far out of this group. Really just one move that's looking questionable.

Thoughts?

If this isn't an A+, then your evaluation system is flawed.

Vrabel took a 4-win team with 4-win talent and has made the patriots into a contender for the division THIS YEAR. He has done this without mortgaging the future and keeping enough 2026 cap money to be even better u 2026 and 2027.

Vrabel could be a contender for coach of the year.

You certainly can certainly say the management should have done more and paid less. That is patsfans tradition.