New England Patriots
“It’s only valuable if we understand what it takes and what we’re gonna need to do to improve.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Despite the crushing result that played out on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, a disheartened Patriots roster that still struck an optimistic tone in the wake of a lopsided loss in Super Bowl LX to Seattle.
“It’s our first year together. Nobody thought we would be here. We put the league on notice,” Carlton Davis said. “Obviously we didn’t get the job done and [expletive] stings. [Expletive] is never going to not sting. But we’ve got a bright future, man.
“We’ve got a lot of great young players. Coming in this [expletive] and taking the league by storm. Having a new coaching staff, a lot of new free agents. Something that’s really unheard of. So [expletive] hurts, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll be back.”
Davis is right, in some respects.
Despite being outclassed by Seattle for a majority of Sunday’s game, New England has a franchise QB in Drake Maye, a reigning Coach of the Year in Mike Vrabel, a culture that should attract offseason talent, and several key cogs in place on defense.
But, New England can’t simply run it back next season and bank on Maye taking another step forward — not after the Patriots’ offense unraveled in the postseason.
“It’s only valuable if we understand what it takes and what we’re gonna need to do to improve,” Vrabel said of the lessons learned from Sunday’s loss. “If we don’t do that, then it wouldn’t have been very valuable.
““We had a really, really good year, and one that I’m proud of. But this game, I don’t think, is a reflection of our year. We lost, and we were beat, out-coached and outplayed and give them credit.”
As the Patriots look to build off what was still a successful 2025 season, here’s a look at what New England must do to upgrade a roster hampered by several glaring deficiencies.
Shore up the offensive line
Anyone watching Super Bowl LX witnessed a beatdown doled out by the Seahawks — with Seattle’s stout defense completing caving in New England’s offensive line.
In total, Maye was sacked six times and was hit on another 11 occasions; all three of his turnovers were committed while under pressure.
Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, and Ryan Cowden will have to confront some hard truths moving forward.
Is Will Campbell — who allowed a whopping 14 pressures on Sunday — really a solid (albeit flawed) left tackle, or should he move into the interior to be a potential All-Pro left guard?
Is Jared Wilson better served playing at center? Where does that leave Garrett Bradbury?
Is Morgan Moses — who will turn 35 years old in March — really be a reliable option at right tackle once again in 2026?
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Patriots use their first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft (31st overall) to add another offensive tackle, especially a high-upside target like Kadyn Proctor or Monroe Freeling.
Of course, franchise left tackles don’t grow on trees — nor is it a given that those prospects will be even be available at the end of the first round.
New England might be well-served to target a tackle at the end of the first round just to develop behind Moses, at the least. But, the Patriots might have to either commit to developing Campbell or find other creative ways (trading up in the draft, trading for a veteran) to find a franchise left tackle.
Add a weapon for Drake Maye
New England’s offense was explosive and efficient with Maye at the helm during the regular season, but the playoffs was a different story.
While offensive-line woes loom large, the case can be made that Maye also needs another go-to target or two moving forward.
New England has some nice weapons in place with players like Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Hunter Henry, and Kayshon Boutte.
But, Diggs is 32 years old. Henry is 31. Hollins will turn 33 in September.
Be it in the draft, free agency, or via trade, New England could make life a bit easier for Maye moving forward by giving him another dynamic target to work with.
Disgruntled Eagles wideout A.J. Brown has been linked to Mike Vrabel for years after he played for him in Tennessee, while Alec Pierce is set to get paid on the free agent market as one of the top deep-threat targets in the league (21.3 yards per reception).
Build depth through the draft
New England will again have several draft picks to utilize in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
Here’s a look at the Patriots’ full assortment of draft picks this year:
- Round 1, Pick 31
- Round 2, Pick 63
- Round 3, Pick 95
- Round 4
- Round 4 (from CHI and KC)
- Round 5
- Round 6
- Round 6 (via KC)
- Round 6 (via PIT)
- Round 6 (via SF)
- Round 7
New England could use those Day 1-2 picks to address obvious needs like offensive tackle, wide receiver, tight end, and edge rusher.
But, the Patriots should also be looking to build their depth across the roster — especially when it comes to adding at linebacker and in the secondary. Much like how New England turned a fourth-round pick into a stud rookie like Craig Woodson, Wolf needs to find more lineup regulars through his draft board.
Bolster the pass rush
New England’s blitz-heavy defense largely wreaked havoc against opposing quarterbacks during the playoffs, posting 12 total sacks and recording eight turnovers over its first three playoff games.
But, the Patriots’ luck ran out in Super Bowl LX, as Sam Darnold was only sacked once all game en route to a Seattle victory. New England’s pass-rush during the regular season also wasn’t all that impressive, as only six teams posted fewer sacks during the regular season than the Patriots (35.0).
If New England wants another game-changer on defense, don’t be surprised if they are one of the possible entrants in the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, while high-priced free agents like Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, and Jaelan Phillips could also be targets.
Hand Christian Gonzalez a new contract
Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is set to get paid this offseason.
The star defensive back was one of New England’s top players during their run to the Super Bowl.
Entering Sunday, Gonzalez allowed just 11 catches on 28 targets across three playoff games, per Next Gen Stats. That 39.3 percent completion percentage allowed was the lowest by any player to face 25+ targets in a postseason since at least 2018.
He was money again on Sunday against Seattle, breaking up three passes and likely taking 10-plus points off the board with a pair of swats while locking up Rashid Shaheed and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
So long as Gonzalez is patrolling New England’s secondary, the Patriots will have an elite coverage corner, one who can routinely shut down some of the top playmakers in the NFL.
The 23-year-old corner is finally free to sign a contract extension this spring, and New England should open up the checkbook to lock Gonzalez into place for the next few years.
Determine which other free agents should be retained
The Patriots might have some money to spend this offseason, even after signing Gonzalez to a new deal.
New England could also convert several guaranteed contracts like Milton Williams or Carlton Davis’ into signing bonuses, which could also free up tens of millions of dollars in cap space.
That means New England should still have some capital on hand to sign some of their pending free agents, including K’Lavon Chaisson, Khyiris Tonga, and Jaylinn Hawkins.
Hawkins would be a wise investment as a 1-2 punch at the safety position with Woodson, but it remains to be seen if Chaisson might price himself out of New England’s range after putting together a breakout season.
The Patriots will need to weigh the pros and cons of bringing back most of the same roster from 2025, while also maintaining enough cap space for future hefty contracts like Maye’s.
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