Name them. Who's under contract of any consequence aside from the players I cited? Who's a lock to be on this team in 2025 that's a piece you're excited to build around? Not even Mac has a contract for 2025.
Happily. Let's go by position group.
The core that will be here unless injury or THE TEAM decides they won't:
On ROOKIE DEALS:
The Pats have invested a lot of draft capital in the OL the last couple of years. Cole Strange is the most obvious, but they brought in a couple of big and athletic players this year. Between Russey, Hines, Steuber, Sow, Andrews, and Mafi to go along with Strange, I don't think it's out of the question at all that 3 or 4 of the starting OL in 2025 will come from this group. And likely another one will be a backup with years in the system.
They'll have two RBs they seem to like quite a bit in Strong and Harris (Strong showed a lot in his limited time, IMO) on their rookie deals.
I'm not high on Thornton - I've said that from the beginning, but between him, Boutte, Douglas, and Cunningham, is it hard to believe that one will be on the WR grouping?
Mac Jones is here if the team wants him here, 5th-year option. Zappe has already shown to be a capable backup who doesn't melt on the field.
So I'm seeing several starters and 10 or more on rookie deals on the 53 on offense.
On defense, if you don't think Jack Jones (please avoid jail time - but again, sh!t happens), Marcus Jones, both in their 4th year in the system, and and Christian Gonzales in year three, aren't a fantastic potential for CB, I don't know what to tell you. The Joneses both showed they can play big in the NFL last year, and Gonzo is probably the best prospect the Pats have landed in a decade or more.
They're already throwing Mapu into the deep end at LB - I expect him to be a starter in 2023, let alone 2025. Plays fast, plays smart, punches way above his weight with force.
On the DL, Keion White will be a very good (at least) player. He's huge and fast and is all business.
That's five defensive starters on rookie deals.
People are talking about the Pats "never having anyone worth a second contract." Right now, they've got FOUR coming up - and they can afford all of them (again, TEAM CHOICE). Barmore, Uche, Dugger, and Onwenu. There's your middle class for 2025, if the Pats choose. All four seem to like it here and all four are thriving here, and the Pats have the money to keep them. This isn't a Hightower, Collins, Chandler Jones issue where they can't afford the players. They certainly can, but again, it's their choice.
The VET group: They'll have Bentley, who is horribly underrated on this board, running the defense, and Juju and Parker at WR - all three are solid pros and signed on easy money.
Godchaux will be an easy re-sign if he's still playing well, as will Wise. Henry and/or Gesicki will likely still be around.
That's your CORE, with probably more than half the starters on rookie deals, not counting next year's draft or the rookie class of 2025. The A+ players can be signed with that many playing on the cheap
The biggest difference in the Pats the last couple of years is that the kids are getting playing time. We didn't see that for years and years as they squeezed the last juice out of the Brady dynasty.
I admit it, I'm sold on last year's draft class and particularly on this year's class - I expect at least 5 from this year, not counting the kickers, to be contributors, including Gonzo, White, Mapu and two of the lineman. They've got several other fliers who might hit - Douglas, Boutte, Cunningham, Speed (Special teams, along with Schooler) and maybe Bolden.
Go ahead, go around the league and look at the other teams and their 2025 player/cap situations. Two years is an eternity in the NFL, and many of today's A+'s will be on the wrong side of 30 and still hitting massive $$$.
So back to my original point that so riled the everything-sucks crowd: if BB was on the hot seat, or caring only about Shula's record, why isn't Orlando Brown here? Why didn't he try to trade and sign Hill or AJ Brown or Roquan Smith or Devon White now? Why didn't he give up a second for Jeudy?
Don't get me wrong, I wish he had made a couple of those moves, but the fact that he didn't tells me that he's determined to leave whoever it is who succeeds him in fantastic shape. If more than half your starters are good football players and are on rookie deals, and you have no VOID years and/or gobs of dead money to absorb, you're in great shape.
Buffalo is getting older and more expensive by the year - Diggs will be 32 in '25, and hitting the cap for over 20million per (at 32, 33, and 34).
Miami's window will be closing - QB? Hill has already said he's retiring at the end of his deal.
The JETE will ride with "all-in for Aaron" for a year or two, then pay the price.
The idea that you can build back to high-end levels in the NFL overnight is the fad, and now you'll watch Tampa and the Rams suffer for years for their short day in the sun. BB is being methodical.
And I'll add that in their mired-in-misery rebuilding years they still haven't had a pick in the top 10.
