Patriots Offseason Hint Might Cause Anxiousness Among Younger Players

The New England Patriots can’t beg and choose this offseason.

Two straight last-place finishes in the AFC East place the Patriots right where they were last offseason, only this time it’s with Mike Vrabel as the team’s head coach. New England secured the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after its disastrous 4-13 campaign, and the front office isn’t content with watching Gillette Stadium turn into a boo fest once more. So, options are open — wide-open — for newcomers, especially in free agency, as the Patriots aim to turn things around with a major roster transformation.

“Unlike past offseasons, the Patriots won’t hesitate to sign a player if a recent draft pick plays the same position,” The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported Sunday.

Obviously, improving the roster should be the priority first and foremost; however, following through with such a plan could raise the anxiety levels of the team’s youngsters, too, especially those looking to establish themselves. Ja’Lynn Polk, last year’s 37th overall selection, and Javon Baker, the 110th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, quickly come to mind, as the wide receiver department is one of several areas in dire need of improvement. New England teammate Kendrick Bourne has already gotten started by campaigning for the team to pursue Super Bowl LVI MVP and Pro Bowl wideout Cooper Kupp.

Polk and Baker weren’t encouraging signs of brighter days to come and, if anything, didn’t reflect Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf or the front office, well, at all. Neither Polk nor Baker comprised campaigns worthy of building their respective cases to stick around long-term. So if the opportunity to upgrade from either of the two comes around, like a chance to add Kupp, for instance, there’s no reason why the Patritots should hesitate from pulling the trigger.

New England’s Polk-Baker rookie tandem combined for 99 receiving yards off 13 receptions with two touchdowns — both were Polk’s. Baker made 11 appearances while Polk logged 15, and neither of the two helped do any justice by rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s introduction to the league.

Patriots offensive tackle Caedan Wallace is another candidate to feel the impact of this approach if the team successfully acquires game-changing newcomers. Wallace, who was drafted in the third round (68th overall) last year, made two starts across six appearances during his rookie season and also didn’t make much of an impression.

Based on last season’s offensive line results — Maye was sacked 34 times through 13 games, ranking 13th among all quarterbacks — improvements are heavily needed. Callahan and Kyged labeled the center’s role a “sleeper” position to keep an eye out for. Starting center David Andrews is set to return from a season-ending injury, but his future isn’t certain and Cole Strange, New England’s 2022 first-round selection, underwent right knee surgery and missed 14 games last season.

Wallace, Strange, Layden Robinson, Jake Andrews, Michael Onwenu and Isaiah Wynn are among the offensive linemen the team’s drafted since 2017, and last season only re-emphasized the need for upgrades. Then-head coach Jerod Mayo expressed concerns from training camp and into the regular season about whether or not the offensive line was trustworthy enough to protect Maye.

Drew Dalman, Ryan Kelly and Bradley Bozeman are among the top free-agent center options available this offseason, so New England should explore all possibilities before Vrabel officially debuts at the helm in Week 1.