My own personal Pats free agent signings grades

Real fan 02 said:

Could we say devlin was probably the best FB in franchise history? I really like the R. Gilliam pick up.. watching his interview love his attitude and mentality of how he wants to bring it on game days... I see a vast improvement in the running game coming..

Click to expand...

I was a big fan of Devlin, but he did have in 7 seasons played, 31 career rcpts and 15 career rush attempts
at 255 pounds, with those oversized shoulder pads, he was purely a blocker

Real fan 02 said:

On AVT one has to wonder has the utter stank that has been with the Jets organization forever from the top down could it had been a reason AVT may not had been exactly up for maybe " doing his best "to recover from injuries over the years? Knowing that the team wasn't ever really playing for anything during his time there.

Nonetheless here's here now and will receive top notch coaching and excellence from RK down.. it will be on him to take care of his body and remain durable.. availability is the best ability a player can have. If AVT can remain healthy and play at the elite level he's shown we will have an all pro level player in him.

Click to expand...

Oh I’m sure players don’t give it their all at times. Especially with the younger guys I’m sure being somewhat, what’s the word…. Oh, soft! If someone doesn’t like how a trainer etc talked to em, yea I can definitely see a dude saying “screw it, I’m gonna try to make you look bad by not following my PT for now..”. Not saying he did that but then again who knows. Then there’s the not buying into the teams philosophy so…lol let’s just say I hope he can be injury free and available a good portion of the season…if it comes down to it, the latter half lol.

PancakeBlockPaul said:

Oh I’m sure players don’t give it their all at times. Especially with the younger guys I’m sure being somewhat, what’s the word…. Oh, soft! If someone doesn’t like how a trainer etc talked to em, yea I can definitely see a dude saying “screw it, I’m gonna try to make you look bad by not following my PT for now..”. Not saying he did that but then again who knows. Then there’s the not buying into the teams philosophy so…lol let’s just say I hope he can be injury free and available a good portion of the season…if it comes down to it, the latter half lol.

Click to expand...

As always my guy! Great analogy there!! You summed it up perfectly! Buy in! The organization he came from is dysfunctional from ownership on down.. can't believe Vrabel was actually seriously thinking of taking that job hadn't he came here.. I'm sure he's happy he didn't... lol but yes.. whenever a player doesn't believe in whatever a teams doing they lack focus and especially if a guy's injured he may likely milk it..?

As you said the hopes for him to come in get with the trainers and team and really map out a plan for him to follow all season so that he can take care of his body and be at his best on game days.. for an OL those guys have to have durability because they don't sub in and out they are out there the entire game.

Wozzy said:

You realize the other three teams in the AFCEast play identical schedules right?

Take your zoloft.

Click to expand...

Nope Miami and the Jets don't get easy wins against themselves. LOL

Real fan 02 said:

As always my guy! Great analogy there!! You summed it up perfectly! Buy in! The organization he came from is dysfunctional from ownership on down.. can't believe Vrabel was actually seriously thinking of taking that job hadn't he came here.. I'm sure he's happy he didn't... lol but yes.. whenever a player doesn't believe in whatever a teams doing they lack focus and especially if a guy's injured he may likely milk it..?

As you said the hopes for him to come in get with the trainers and team and really map out a plan for him to follow all season so that he can take care of his body and be at his best on game days.. for an OL those guys have to have durability because they don't sub in and out they are out there the entire game.

Click to expand...

If Vrabes had in fact truly been thinking about the Jete, it was probably to light a fire under RK’s ass to hurry up and hire him which he thankfully did…I really could not see him going there and NOT be fired/quitting within a season due to not having control/weasley/interfering ownership. Thanks Woody for the years of incompetence! Sad for them (funny for us) the most recent pinnacle of winning was Rex…

rkarp1 said:

I was a big fan of Devlin, but he did have in 7 seasons played, 31 career rcpts and 15 career rush attempts
at 255 pounds, with those oversized shoulder pads, he was purely a blocker

Click to expand...

“James Develin has entered the game…”

Develin 1 yard TD

dliverey44 said:

Nope Miami and the Jets don't get easy wins against themselves. LOL

Click to expand...

But they still get easy wins against each other.

When will they play the first scoreless tie in league history?

PancakeBlockPaul said:

If Vrabes had in fact truly been thinking about the Jete, it was probably to light a fire under RK’s ass to hurry up and hire him which he thankfully did…I really could not see him going there and NOT be fired/quitting within a season due to not having control/weasley/interfering ownership. Thanks Woody for the years of incompetence! Sad for them (funny for us) the most recent pinnacle of winning was Rex…

Click to expand...

Agreed 100%!!... it was mentioned last season i remember seeing some local talk on patiots content YouTube CNLS media Taylor Kyles& Mike kadlick about how Vrabel was heavily courted by Woody and they were willing to give him whatever he wanted...

Then if you remember the Thursday night game against the Jets the post game him interview Vrabel was over the moon complimenting Drake saying he's the reason I came here..

Then another tid bit for you.. saw the interview with Rk& Tom Curran at the owner meeting and RK mentioned something that stood out regarding Drake and Gonzo's contract extensions...

He mentioned he's letting Vrabel, Wolf and others handle the contracts.. even though we know already but hearing from the horses mouth makes it emphatically know Vrabel's running the show!

Yeah.. I can bet you Vrabel tells his wife everyday he's glad he didn't take that Jets job.. especially with no QB!

Those who are bemoaning not resigning K'Lavon Chaisson have to understand reality. I think they really wanted him, but had a different contract value. I aslo don't think Dre’Mont Jones is the direct replacement for Chaisson because that are fundamentally different players in both build and approach, despite playing along the defensive front. Jones is a thicker, more powerful hybrid lineman at around 280 pounds who can line up inside or outside and wins with strength, refined hand technique, and the ability to collapse the pocket, making him reliable against both the run and pass.

In contrast, Chaisson is a lighter, leaner edge rusher around 250 pounds whose game is built on speed, burst, and bend off the edge, thriving in space but struggling more with physicality and consistency, especially against the run. While Jones brings versatility, discipline, and steady production as a complete defensive piece, Chaisson offers a more specialized, high-variance skill set centered on athleticism and splash plays, highlighting a clear contrast between power-based reliability and speed-driven upside.

I think Jones fits what Vrabel is looking for with violence. The draft is also very deep with pass rushers, but many are incomplete and are situational. Jones is 1/2 of the solution for the pass rush and the Chaisson replacement or speed is coming in the draft. So I think Chaisson is being replaced with two players. This is team building.

Pairing a guy like Zion Young who is a twin of Dre’Mont Jones would be affective to beat the living crap out of an o-line. Then sub in a speed rusher like Romello Height or Malachi Lawrence types who can't start as a 3-down edge right now.

Triumph said:

What a joke.

AFCE Champs again? At least 50% of the Pats 2026 opponents are Super Bowl contenders - Buffalo, Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit , Denver, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Seattle. The Patriots have not signed anyone of significance and they pick in a low draft slot.

Click to expand...

The point was AFCE champions. Do you believe that BUF should be greatly favored to win the division?
================

There is exactly one issue: how likely are we to beat out BUF for the division.

Yes, we have a much, much harder schedule than in 2025 and will likely win about 10 games. However, BUF has almost an equal schedule; only 3 games are different.

mgteich said:

The point was AFCE champions. Do you believe that BUF should be greatly favored to win the division?
================

There is exactly one issue: how likely are we to beat out BUF for the division.

Yes, we have a much, much harder schedule than in 2025 and will likely win about 10 games. However, BUF has almost an equal schedule; only 3 games are different.

Click to expand...

Wozzy is hitting the gin and juice early these days.

Sweeping everyone in the divisor doesnt guarantee that your team is AFCE Champions.

McDermott had to go. Changes are coming for the Bills.

DJ Moore was a good pick up for Allen. I do not believe that the Pats will beat the Bills in Buffalo like last season.

mgteich said:

The point was AFCE champions. Do you believe that BUF should be greatly favored to win the division?
================

There is exactly one issue: how likely are we to beat out BUF for the division.

Yes, we have a much, much harder schedule than in 2025 and will likely win about 10 games. However, BUF has almost an equal schedule; only 3 games are different.

Click to expand...

As a fan myself I don't pay to much attention to the schedule.. each game takes it's own identity.. it's always going to be about how the Patriots play in each game and less about that opponent does. This team has the two most important elements needed to compete week in and week out heach coach and QB..

Real fan 02 said:

As a fan myself I don't pay to much attention to the schedule.. each game takes it's own identity.. it's always going to be about how the Patriots play in each game and less about that opponent does. This team has the two most important elements needed to compete week in and week out heach coach and QB..

Click to expand...

couldnt agree more
on any given Sunday, anyone can beat anyone.
trying to determine in March, who might be playing well in October and November

rkarp1 said:

couldnt agree more
on any given Sunday, anyone can beat anyone.
trying to determine in March, who might be playing well in October and November

Click to expand...

Yes! It's tiring hear the Schedule this or the schedule that..

For example KC Mahomes likely won't be playing whenever we see them I believe

Seattle doesn't have Kenneth Walker Jr..

And so many other factors that come into play.... I know as a fan this patiots teams a contender and will be a force to be reckoned with..

Real fan 02 said:

As a fan myself I don't pay to much attention to the schedule.. each game takes it's own identity.. it's always going to be about how the Patriots play in each game and less about that opponent does. This team has the two most important elements needed to compete week in and week out heach coach and QB..

Click to expand...

fair enough
On any given Sunday, any team can win.

That being said, there are many goals in addition to each week's game, which is, of course, most important.

mgteich said:

fair enough
On any given Sunday, any team can win.

That being said, there are many goals in addition to each week's game, which is, of course, most important.

Click to expand...

Fair point. The goal as Vrabel's said is to win the division and host playoff games. They have established this in year 1 of Vrabel. Some have them regressing how?

They went to the superbowl will a evolving roster. They upgraded at certain positions and have reinforced the line of scrimmage thus far. I like for them to remain a contender and be a force in the AFC.

None of these games we play this season will turn out like some believe as "tougher" schedule.

Even when we were winning championships it always amused me whenever there was tougher schedule talk from the national& local media.

Real fan 02 said:

As a fan myself I don't pay to much attention to the schedule.. each game takes it's own identity.. it's always going to be about how the Patriots play in each game and less about that opponent does. This team has the two most important elements needed to compete week in and week out heach coach and QB..

Click to expand...

The draft, remaining free agency, preseason and camp cuts haven’t happened yet. We have no idea what final rosters will look like, how could one possibly know who the best and worst teams are?

Years ago people told us Patrick Mahomes was the greatest thing since sliced bread, that he was better than Brady at that point in his career, that he and Reid would surpass the dynasty. Mahomes salary cap charge finally caught up to them, they had massive talent drain and just won 6 games.

Football is a team sport, so much more than just who the QB and coach are. It’s about the talent spread across the entire roster and their ability to stay healthy.

The Pats were a better team than Buffalo last season and are ascending. Buffalo seems to be getting worse, Miami and NY are no threat as of now… and we’re supposed to assume the Pats won’t win the East if healthy… why?

Silly…

Wozzy said:

The draft, remaining free agency, preseason and camp cuts haven’t happened yet. We have no idea what final rosters will look like, how could one possibly know who the best and worst teams are?

.

Silly…

Click to expand...

Perhaps you not speculate on such things. Surely, we don't know whether we are the worst team in the league or the best. We don't know who will be on our roster or how good teams will be when we play them.

For the rest of us and for the media, we have discussions on which teams are more likely to be better. Billions of dollars are bet daily by those who speculate on such things.
==============
Perhaps, playing the jets will have us facing a tougher team than playing SEA. And perhaps it will snow in July.
==============
I believe that in 2027, it is likely that least three of the teams in the NFCW will be better than the jets and the fins. Is such speculation unreasonable. After all, a lot can happen between now and then.

mgteich said:

Perhaps you not speculate on such things. Surely, we don't know whether we are the worst team in the league or the best. We don't know who will be on our roster or how good teams will be when we play them.

For the rest of us and for the media, we have discussions on which teams are more likely to be better. Billions of dollars are bet daily by those who speculate on such things.
==============
Perhaps, playing the jets will have us facing a tougher team than playing SEA. And perhaps it will snow in July.
==============
I believe that in 2027, it is likely that least three of the teams in the NFCW will be better than the jets and the fins. Is such speculation unreasonable. After all, a lot can happen between now and then.

Click to expand...

Speculate all you want…

Stating as fact one knows who the best and worst teams are now prior to the entire offseason completing is complete guesswork.

I bet on the Patriots to win the AFC last July after the draft and free agency. That was an educated bet… prior to these things would have been silly.

Wozzy said:

The draft, remaining free agency, preseason and camp cuts haven’t happened yet. We have no idea what final rosters will look like, how could one possibly know who the best and worst teams are?

Years ago people told us Patrick Mahomes was the greatest thing since sliced bread, that he was better than Brady at that point in his career, that he and Reid would surpass the dynasty. Mahomes salary cap charge finally caught up to them, they had massive talent drain and just won 6 games.

Football is a team sport, so much more than just who the QB and coach are. It’s about the talent spread across the entire roster and their ability to stay healthy.

The Pats were a better team than Buffalo last season and are ascending. Buffalo seems to be getting worse, Miami and NY are no threat as of now… and we’re supposed to assume the Pats won’t win the East if healthy… why?

Silly…

Click to expand...

Absolutely correct!!! Team sport. The ultimate team sport. The trenches for example are already better than last season as we can clearly see what Vrabel's putting emphasis on and he spoke at the owners meeting regarding the running game.

The addition of Gilliam Is the equivalent of what Byard adds on defense In my opinion having the FB to knock off ends and LBs to pave lanes for the backs of being a lead blocker for Drake on designed runs is pivotal.

Just like with Byard having the savy veteran back there next to woody will allow the CBs more opportunities to make plays and take more chances in man coverage rather than allowing for easy stuff in zone. Just so much to like about the overall direction the teams taken