Patriots News 02-15, “Better, Younger, Cheaper” For 2026
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Good morning, and a happy Sunday to all. Here is your Patriots news for 02-15, along with NFL notes this week. The NFL season is now over, and we won’t have any games for six months until August.
While the Super Bowl was a disappointing end to a great season, it was arguably the most fun one I’ve had personally had in the past 15 years that I’ve been covering the team here at PatsFans.com.
But the business of the NFL never stops, and as we’ve been saying for years, there is never a dull moment in Foxborough.
We’ll discuss areas below that the Patriots need to improve in 2026 to get back to the Super Bowl. And as Bob Dylan wrote, “the times they are a changin’, and the team will look significantly different in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Head coach Mike Vrabel said it very clearly on Tuesday, about the prospect of change, stating, “As I was taught, we talk about the business of the NFL, the businesses, we’re looking for the better, younger, cheaper player every day, and the players that we have are trying to not let that happen. And that’s the dynamic, and that’s the business of the National Football League.”
In the coming days, we’ll delve into how the team may approach free agency and the draft, which is just over two months away.
The NFL Combine begins a week from tomorrow and it will be a look at some of the young college players we’ve had an eye on for some time, and a first look at some others we haven’t seen yet.
Let’s Go.
Terrell Williams: The Patriots announced that Williams will be reassigned to a high-ranking position on the coaching staff. Williams was the Patriots’ defensive coordinator for one game this season before his cancer diagnosis and had to relinquish duties to Zak Kuhr for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs. It was Williams’s first time being a coordinator.
This decision wasn’t performance-based but based on the circumstances of his medical condition. But he’s had “high-ranking” positions before, on head coach Mike Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee, as he held the title “Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Line, on his resume. Still, it has to be a disappointment for Williams, who got his dream job for just a single game before health issues derailed that.
One can assume that Williams will once again be given the title “Assistant Head Coach” this time without the positional designation. Now the Defensive Coordinator position is open, although Zak Kuhr should be considered the frontrunner for the position. He did an outstanding job filling in for Williams in 2025.
However, if Vrabel decides to look elsewhere, his former DC at Tennessee, Shane Bowen, is available, as is Jim Schwartz, who resigned from the Browns.
However, before any of those three (or another) can be officially hired, the Patriots have to satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule and interview a minority candidate for the position.
Ashton Grant: Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Grant has decided to remain in New England as the QB coach rather than pursue an interview for the vacant Raiders Offensive Coordinator position. Whether to stay in New England or avoid inheriting the mess in Las Vegas is open to debate. Regardless, it is good news for the Patriots and for Drake Maye.
Drake Maye Injury Reporting: In what has to be one of the worst hot takes of the Super Bowl, FS1’s Nick Wright has floated the idea that the NFL needs to issue “some type of punishment” to New England for “fudging” its final injury report last week prior to the Super Bowl
“At this point, the NFL has no choice but to put some type of punishment on the Patriots for their Super Bowl injury report,” Wright said.
“I know no way to read it other than the team … fudged information on the final injury report leading into the Super Bowl. I think the NFL is obligated, whether it’s taking picks … they have to do something.”
One should be surprised by that crock, but considering the source, it isn’t. The Patriots said he was a full participant in the Friday practice, which he was.
It was Wright/Wrong who suggested New England should trade Maye before the 2025 NFL Draft for Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Patriots Sign Players To Futures Contracts: The Patriots announced that they have signed tackle Sebastian Gutierrez and running back Elijah Mitchell to futures contracts. Both of those players spent time on the New England practice squad in 2025.
Earlier, the team announced that they have signed 11 other players to futures contracts: G Mehki Butler, LB Amari Gainer, WR John Jiles, TE Marshall Lang, T Lorenz Metz, DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr., LB Otis Reese, G Andrew Rupcich, S John Saunders Jr., DL Leonard Taylor III, and WR Jeremiah Webb. All of those players finished the season on the New England practice squad.
Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Mike, Derek, and I recorded our Super Bowl postgame podcast on Monday afternoon. On Friday afternoon, we posted a review of the 2025 season.
Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.
This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
The Patriots had a fantastic season in 2025, far ahead of their rebuild schedule. Despite their success and the excellent foundation they built, going 17-3, they have holes that need to be filled, as well as holes that weren’t there (yet) but will be in 2026 due to player releases (see Vrabel’s comments above).
While everyone is harping on the offensive line, due to their struggles in the playoffs, it isn’t the biggest priority heading into 2026, and we’ll explain why below. However, offensively, they need to get younger at a couple of different positions, which we will explore.
So, with free agency beginning March 9th for legal tampering, and the NFL Draft in April, Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf, who hit a homerun last year, have more work to do. One player to resign is Christian Gonzalez, and once that is done, they will need to create some extra cap space.
The Patriots finished in the bottom half of the league in sacks with 35 (five-way tie for 22nd). While they turned it up in the playoffs, generating 13 more, it remains a significant need moving forward.
K’Lavon Chaisson had 7.5 sacks during the season, and three more in the postseason. He played himself into some money this year. Will the Patriots, or another team, pay for Chaisson, who was a very pleasant surprise? One area of his game that needs work is setting the edge in the running game.
Opponents tended to run his way rather than against Harold Landry or Anfernee Jennings. It isn’t a show stopper, but a consideration. Speaking of Landry, he led the team with 8.5 sacks, but injured his knee in Week 6 and then reaggravated it in Week 12. The remainder of the season was a difficult one for him.
Landry turns 30 this season, and if his knee injury is one of those chronic issues, the team could opt to move on from him. This is why edge is, at least here, the more pressing need going into 2026.
The Patriots will probably be one of several teams inquiring about Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby. If they can get him for a 1st round pick in 2026 with some sweetener in subsequent years, then I’d do it in a second. With the interior pass rushers of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, the pass rush would be elite.
Vrabel and Wolf have made it clear that they want to build through the draft. But there aren’t many players of Crosby’s caliber available, and at 28, he’s still got plenty of years left.
If he isn’t available, another name in free agency to keep an eye on is Odafe Oweh. There are some edge rushers available in the draft. We’ll get to those in short order.
Depth-wise, Jennings played very well down the stretch and into the playoffs for Landry. He’s not a prolific pass rusher, but is an outstanding edge setter, and those players are always needed. I really liked what I saw from Elijah Ponder (4 sacks) in limited opportunities in 2025. Bradyn Swinson was a fifth-round pick and spent much of the season on the practice squad.
Mike Vrabel made it clear to the millions of New Englanders who, (like being the Red Sox manager, are now NFL draft experts more so than Vrabel) insist on moving Will Campbell to guard that it isn’t going to happen.
The kid just turned 22 in January and played in the playoffs on a torn MCL. He needs to get stronger in the NFL strength and conditioning program and will. But more than anything else, he needs to get healthy. But after bringing in four new starters a year ago, they don’t need to be making wholesale changes again. If Campbell struggles in 2026, it can be revisited, but now? No way.
Jared Wilson should move from guard to center, his true position. Garrett Bradbury played well this season, but turns 31 in June and will probably be released. He has no guaranteed cash for 2026, but has a $7.4 million cap hit and $4.7 million in cash for the 2026 season.
Mike Onwenu should be fine at right guard for the foreseeable future. I think they will extend him to lower his cap number this year by converting most of his 2026 money into a signing bonus. Morgan Moses was very good at right tackle in 2025 and served as a mentor to the two rookies and a veteran presence in the locker room. But he turns 35 in March. He has two years remaining on a three-year deal he signed last spring.
Moses has a $10.4 million cap hit in 2026, and if he is released, he carries a $7.4 dead cap charge against the team. The team may opt to keep him for one final season while they develop a young right tackle.
The team drafted Marcus Bryant in the 7th round last spring. Vederian Lowe and Taylor Mumford are free agents this spring. Yasir Durant is an RFA who isn’t likely to be re-signed. Expect the Patriots to draft a right tackle in the early rounds. A couple of early names to watch are Caleb Lomu from Utah and Kaydyn Proctor from Alabama.
Ben Brown proved valuable as a backup guard and center and was rewarded with a two-year extension in November. He could be the starting left guard, or they may opt to draft one. They should invest pretty heavily in the OL in the draft.
It wouldn’t be a shocker if Stefon Diggs is released this spring. Diggs was a tremendous addition last year (1,013 yards, solid veteran presence), but he wasn’t able to provide much in the playoffs. He’s no longer a #1 receiver. And as primarily a slot guy going to be 33 this year, he falls into that “better, younger, cheaper” position.
He was an outstanding addition in 2025, but the team could definitely move on this year. Of course, the chemistry he built with Drake Maye was outstanding
If the Patriots were to cut Diggs, he’d count about $9 million in dead cap money, but would save nearly $17 million in cap savings. He’s due for a $6 million guarantee payment on March 13. If he gets that, he’ll definitely return for 2026, where his cap hit is over $26 million.
But with the team’s current cap situation and additional savings, they could pursue the Colts’ Alec Pierce. Put Pierce with Boutte, Hollins, Douglas, and Williams, and the team would have a #1 with other weapons to stress defenses at all levels of the field.
Or as Clare Cooper puts it, tight endage. Hunter Henry had a terrific 2025 season with a career-high 768 yards, but he tailed off a bit in the playoffs. He’s going to be 32 next season, but isn’t going anywhere in the short term. But he’s getting up there; it’s time to start preparing for the future.
Austin Hooper is a free agent, and the Patriots will probably let him walk this spring. Hooper will also be 32 next fall, and once again, the “better, younger, cheaper” factor is at work here.
The team could use a dynamic receiving tight end to augment Henry’s consistent reliability, and there are several in the draft who could fit the bill. Jack Westover is an ERFA who played 23 percent of the offensive snaps as a blocking FB. He touched the ball only twice. There are free agents available, but that probably won’t happen with one of the top ones (Pitts, Goedert, Njoku, Likely, Fant, etc.), but never say never.
The Patriots had a terrific group in 2025, spearheaded by Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, and Christian Elliss, with Jahlani Tavai as the top backup. They also have Marte Mapu and Chad Muma as depth pieces.
Gibbens, also known by his teammates as “Dr. Gibby is an RFA and will probably be brought back. He’s a great fit for the defense. But they could use some extra depth. One free agent is Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, who would be an outstanding addition. Good linebackers can be had in the draft as well.
The safety position has Jaylinn Hawkins as a free agent; he’s 28 and may want to parlay his first shot at a big payday to move on. But even if he’s resigned, the depth behind Hawkins and Woodson could use some help.
What is the biggest difference with the New England Patriots between last year and this year? From your start date to now, the biggest differences in the building, culture, and team’s current state.
“Like I said, I feel like we learned how to win. I think that they believe that what we’re doing is try to help them be better players, be better teammates, be better parents, be better husbands. I hope that they care about the relationships in this building, and that it’s not transactional. We know that there’s going to be transactions that take place, but I hope that they know that we have their best interests in mind. We may disagree, but I think that there’s a level of respect there.
I appreciate you guys. I don’t know how many people that I got to see after the game, but I want to thank you. Thank you for covering us. Thank you for the care that you gave a lot of these stories. And again, we fully understand that we’re judged, we are questioned. That’s your job, that’s what you guys are here for. But I appreciate the respect that you gave us, gave me, gave our team, gave our organization. So, I look forward to seeing you guys in April, maybe, or whenever I have to talk to you again. I know it’s at the combine, I’m just kidding.”
Coach, over the course of this season, you mentioned multiple times, finding the right player and fostering a relationship. Evaluating a player’s skill might be straightforward, you can look at the stats, the film, the tape, but how do you know the personality and the characters for those players when you’re evaluating them?
“Well, I think that that’s a great question to be able to – there’s no test at the combine to measure away heart, fortitude and competitive spirit. They don’t have tests for those types of things. So, we have to put it upon ourselves, our coaching staff, our scouts, our personnel staff, to be able to identify the right type of people. You have to be talented, and you also have to have a certain makeup. That when things are tough, which they are, they will be tough during the season, during the game, that we find a way to persevere.”
Drake [Maye], I know it might be tough to reflect on it now, but where do you feel like you made the most strides this season, working with Josh McDaniels, working with Ashton Grant? Are there any things this offseason that you feel like you’re going to hone in on early?
“Yeah, really, it felt like my rookie year in this offense. I was in the first year in this offense. I was the first full-time starter. I had a chance to learn so much from a great offensive coordinator.
“Ashton has been awesome with just kind of relaying the connections between the past offense that he was in last year with the Browns that we had last year and just translating it, now using our own terminology and kind of building the foundation for this offense.
“There’s so much more we can take with this offense and give me more tools and more answers at the line of scrimmage. With my capability to play the position, use my knowledge of the game and learn it from Coach [McDaniels] to get us in the best spot is only going to help us down the road.
“Just try to get our guys in the offensive room and get me to that level where I’m able to operate on the field in a game-like manner to accomplish those things. So, I’m looking forward to it, getting a chance to be in the – Lord-willing and knock on wood, the same offense for the second year. I’m looking forward to that, and the sky’s the limit for us.
“We’ve got a lot of great players in that locker room, and it’s going to be fun to get a chance to find out, ‘Hey, Drake, maybe these few things, you need to really focus on, maybe eliminate from your game, or know what plays you don’t take a sack on, knowing that when we’re across the 50, try not to have negative plays.’ Little things like that and areas of the offense where it can take us to the next level.
“Coach [McDaniels] can kind of give me some tools and we can work on trying to find that next level. So, I’m looking forward to that, and that’s what keeps you going in the offseason.”
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“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel
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The good news on the oline is they have just some long term maneuvering and no full rebuild like 2025. I wonder…is Jared Wilson really a center? He played one season there at GA. Interesting if the Pats see him as a center, guard or optionally both. I don’t believe we know that. I don’t think any coach has commented on the long term view. Everyone is knee-jerk talking about Campbell/Wilson, but they are the future on that line and not an issue. Mosses did well this year at RT but he never practiced a week in full all season.… Read more »