UFA Pats should consider at Positions of need

[Real fan 02]

They don't need depth. They need a real starting FS. Hawkins' FA market is reportedly soft. I wonder why? Hmmmm. Maybe because he is not that good?

So we will play with just two safeties no depth? Kurh doesn't need depth for his dime and blitz packages?.. one I love ya but you know we need depth your a very intelligent football guy...

 

[Real fan 02]

He looks athletic enough to me...

You're absolutely right he is....

 

[Wozzy]

Yes, the team thought enough of Dippre to want him to come to TC in 2026 (similar to Swinson and Wallace). That doesn't mean that the teams thinks that either has a high probability of making the 53.

Read what I wrote. Another team came sniffing around the Patriots practice squad inquiring about Dippre, so they elevated him to the active roster. He actually played some snaps in the final two regular season games.

They thought enough about Dippre to use a roster spot to prevent another team from poaching him. Logic says they have a pretty high opinion of him and his future.

 

[Real fan 02]

Read what I wrote. Another team came sniffing around the Patriots practice squad inquiring about Dippre, so they elevated him to the active roster. He actually played some snaps in the final two regular season games.

They thought enough about Dippre to use a roster spot to prevent another team from poaching him. Logic says they have a pretty high opinion of him and his future.

According to patsfans.com Wozzy we don't need depth at safety and entire OL needs to be replaced this offseason...

 

[Wozzy]

According to patsfans.com Wozzy we don't need depth at safety and entire OL needs to be replaced this offseason...

Maybe they'll play next season without one...

 

[PatsFan2]

WR is a need.

Maye needs a WR who gets open quick and catches everything.

RB is also a need. NE needs to add a power RB for running between the OTs and short yardage.

 

[Wozzy]

The “weapons” crowd always see WR as the biggest need.

You realize the Pats passed for the 4th most passing yards in the NFL this season and had the highest yards per attempt in the NFL?

Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels need to get better at converting and utilizing the middle of the field. They had good slot options and TE’s, they just didn’t use them as often and consistently as they should.

You start looking at rookie WR’s from the 3rd round on, unless you think there’s somebody extremely special and athletic there earlier. WR studs are found in every round… use those early picks on real needs or big
dudes. Small guys are a dime a dozen… bug
guys are in short supply.

 

[PatsFan2]

The “weapons” crowd always see WR as the biggest need.

You realize the Pats passed for the 4th most passing yards in the NFL this season and had the highest yards per attempt in the NFL?

Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels need to get better at converting and utilizing the middle of the field. They had good slot options and TE’s, they just didn’t use them as often and consistently as they should.

You start looking at rookie WR’s from the 3rd round on, unless you think there’s somebody extremely special and athletic there earlier. WR studs are found in every round… use those early picks on real needs or big
dudes. Small guys are a dime a dozen… bug
guys are in short supply.

Based on where we are Drafting our Second Rounder is really a Third Rounder. So I agree with you there.

 

[Wozzy]

Based on where we are Drafting our Second Rounder is really a Third Rounder. So I agree with you there.

True, but they also have 11 picks. They have ammo if they want to move around the board. The best value in the draft is always in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Teams can make magic happen there.

I think Kyle Williams (3rd round) is going to make a big
leap from year one to year two. The kid seems to have his head on straight, played more consistent as the season went on, and has a similarly sized and athletically gifted vet in Diggs to emulate and learn from.

The need at WR isn’t dire, especially if Boutte re-signs. They have the luxury to add talent later in the draft and develop it.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

So we will play with just two safeties no depth? Kurh doesn't need depth for his dime and blitz packages?.. one I love ya but you know we need depth your a very intelligent football guy...

Of course there will be backups. Who cares about that right now when we do not have a starter? Hawkins will not get a FA starter offer. Lots of people on PatsFans want to keep Hawkins as a starter when he is a great backup. We need a real FS. Hopefully the Pats understand that because they drafted Woodson ahead of the curve last year, and hopefully they will draft a FS in the 2nd to 4th round this year.

 

[Real fan 02]

Patsfans.com says we can play with PS WRs..

 

[Real fan 02]

Of course there will be backups. Who cares about that right now when we do not have a starter? Hawkins will not get a FA starter offer. Lots of people on PatsFans want to keep Hawkins as a starter when he is a great backup. We need a real FS. Hopefully the Pats understand that because they drafted Woodson ahead of the curve last year, and hopefully they will draft a FS in the 2nd to 4th round this year.

OK fair enough. I've thrown... out other safeties Coby Bryant for example.. I'm not sitting here One.. saying Hawkins is an all pro.. I've said sign another Safety and Bring back Hawkins as well.. let me them all compete it out in camp.. otherwise the starting Safety your envisioning is likely in the draft.. Woodson is a stud we both agree he needs a partner.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Woodson is a stud we both agree he needs a partner.

I agree. A few positions always seem to drop in the draft. RB, NT, sometimes LB and S. Let's hope one of the faster safeties drops to us like Farmer and Swinson did last year.

 

[Real fan 02]

I agree. A few positions always seem to drop in the draft. RB, NT, sometimes LB and S. Let's hope one of the faster safeties drops to us like Farmer and Swinson did last year.

Yes, agreed. Seems Vrabel and Wolf are really looking to have another strong draft that's likely where we are going to find the guys we want to develop and have roles going forward. Especially S and edge.. on edge I say get at least 2 and then we'll have UDFA.. we got Ponder last season who's an ascending player.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Yes, agreed. Seems Vrabel and Wolf are really looking to have another strong draft that's likely where we are going to find the guys we want to develop and have roles going forward. Especially S and edge.. on edge I say get at least 2 and then we'll have UDFA.. we got Ponder last season who's an ascending player.

I agree but the guys that know say this is not a strong draft so no Ponders in UDFA this year. 2027 is supposed to be a strong draft again. We will see - there are always needles in the haystack, let's hope we get one or two this year.

 

[Real fan 02]

I agree but the guys that know say this is not a strong draft so no Ponders in UDFA this year. 2027 is supposed to be a strong draft again. We will see - there are always needles in the haystack, let's hope we get one or two this year.

Agreed... we have the right people back in. Foxboro eyeing the talent and picking the groceries.. if we can just get that edge rush right this season it makes everything better.. it's irritating seeing teams like Denver and Houston with superior pass rushers.. as a fan it's makes me envious.. that's what's holding the defense back from the next tier..

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Agreed... we have the right people back in. Foxboro eyeing the talent and picking the groceries.. if we can just get that edge rush right this season it makes everything better.. it's irritating seeing teams like Denver and Houston with superior pass rushers.. as a fan it's makes me envious.. that's what's holding the defense back from the next tier..

I think we need OL before EDGE, but I might be wrong.

Maybe Wallace will be a RG? I doubt it. I assume they would not keep Onwenu at a ridiculous cap number if Wallace was any good after 2 years. Wilson was a lousy LG, we will depend on Ben Brown? Moses is on one leg. Campbell will need 4 or 5 months to recover, so when will he train? And Bradbury can't run block a traffic cone. I hope we pick OL in R1 and R2.

 

[Real fan 02]

I think we need OL before EDGE, but I might be wrong.

Maybe Wallace will be a RG? I doubt it. I assume they would not keep Onwenu at a ridiculous cap number if Wallace was any good after 2 years. Wilson was a lousy LG, we will depend on Ben Brown? Moses is on one leg. Campbell will need 4 or 5 months to recover, so when will he train? And Bradbury can't run block a traffic cone. I hope we pick OL in R1 and R2.

You make good points.. looking at the totality of the OL during the regular season they fared well.. coming from the 32nd ranked in 2024 they were better..but still have a ways to go of course.. Campbell and Wilson being rookies will likely have gotten better and stronger from thier first NFL season.. I believe to your point we address some OL needs in the draft and mid tier FAs or cap cuts this month during free agency. The more pressing need is Edge.. you have to be able to rush the QB with 4.. getting the edge rushers helps the offense tremendously.. getting sack fumbles, excellent field positions getting the ball back to Drake as many times as possible takes significant pressure off the OL and keeps the offense in rhythm..

 

[mgteich]

So we will play with just two safeties no depth? Kurh doesn't need depth for his dime and blitz packages?.. one I love ya but you know we need depth your a very intelligent football guy...

In 2025, our safeties were Woodson, Hawkins and Pettus.

I favor have Hawkins plus another free agent safety.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Read what I wrote. Another team came sniffing around the Patriots practice squad inquiring about Dippre, so they elevated him to the active roster. He actually played some snaps in the final two regular season games.

They thought enough about Dippre to use a roster spot to prevent another team from poaching him. Logic says they have a pretty high opinion of him and his future.

I think it's a bit of a leap to say that because they prevented another team from poaching him that means "they have a pretty high opinion of him and his future". I think the fact that he was on the practice squad to begin with implies they think he's a borderline NFL player at all. the fact that they prevented someone else from poaching him, IMO, only implies that they think higher than him amongst all the other fringe NFL players on their practice squad/last few spots of the active roster. That's it. No more, no less.