While they were busy introducing their first group of free agency signings to the media, the New England Patriots made sure to keep the pipeline open. On Friday, just before and after wide receiver Mack Hollins and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga held their first press conferences at Gillette Stadium, two more players were added.

Interior offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer and safety Marcus Epps were both signed to one-year contracts. Let’s analyze what the pair brings to the table, and the moves consequently mean for the Patriots.

OL Wes Schweitzer: Signed to 1-year deal

Center question still unanswered: With the Patriots signing Schweitzer one day after releasing longtime starting center and team captain David Andrews, it would only be natural to see the two moves as connected. They very well might be — more on that in a second — but not necessarily because of the intention of installing the free agency pickup as a 1-for-1 replacement.

Schweitzer has played center extensively in just one of his first nine seasons in the NFL (2022) and only 440 snaps total at the position on his résumé. He will factor into the mix until further notice, but he should not be considered as a shoe-in to take over Andrews’ former role.

Veteran in the room: Even if he does not end up replacing David Andrews on the field, Schweitzer still can be of value to the team. He will take over the title as most experienced interior offensive lineman upon entering the room.

The total group as currently constituted, after all, looks like this:

Interior offensive line (8): Layden Robinson (63 | LG), Cole Strange (69 | C), Michael Onwenu (71 | RG), Ben Brown (77), Wes Schweitzer (–), Jake Andrews (67) Lecitus Smith (68), Tyrese Robinson (65)

Schweitzer’s 65 career starts are fewer than Michael Onwenu’s 73, but he is the elder statesman in the room and could therefore help serve as a leader for the young talent around him. While not as established a presence as David Andrews, he has experience with the coaching staff through his time with the New York Jets — who at the time had Patriots RB coach Tony Dews and WR coach Todd Downing on staff — and just generally seen a lot of football in multiple different places.

Positional versatility: Schweitzer may or may not end up earning a starting role up front, but what we do know is that the 31-year-old brings some flexibility to the equation. Out of his 4,779 carer snaps on the offensive side of the ball, 2,201 came at left guard (46.1%), 2,118 at right guard (44.3%), and 440 at center (9.2%).

Besides the possibility of earning a starting spot, Schweitzer could also simply become a seasoned do-it-all backup along the interior — something the Patriots lacked before signing him.

S Marcus Epps: Signed to 1-year deal

Centerfield range: There are questions about his injury status only six months removed from an ACL tear, but a healthy Marcus Epps could play an important role in the Patriots secondary. In case his knee injury does not negatively impact his range, Epps could be a candidate to play the centerfield role that neither Kyle Dugger nor Jabrill Peppers are suited to play on a full-time basis.

Looking at his tape, we can see instances of him successfully defending the deep parts of the field:

Over the course of his six-year career in Minnesota, Philadelphia and Las Vegas, Epps lined up as a free safety on 63.4 percent of his defensive snaps (2,201 of 3,469). For comparison, that number stands at only 21.1 and 35.1 percent, respectively, for Dugger and Peppers.

The closest the Patriots currently have to a player like that is Jaylinn Hawkins, who re-signed on a one-year deal earlier this week. Hawkins did have some success in that role in 2024, but there is room for improvement and a healthy Epps could provide just that — both due to his aforementioned range and his ability to diagnose plays and come downhill in run support.

Injury questions: As noted above, Epps suffered a torn ACL half a year ago; he went down in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 3 game against Carolina and missed the remainder of the season as a result. That makes him a bit of a projection, but the outlook is positive when it comes to his eventual availability.

According to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Epps is “expected to be cleared well before training camp.” That does leave his participation in the offseason workout program up in the air, but is an encouraging sign nonetheless.

Logjam at safety: With Epps in the fold, the Patriots now have eight safeties under contract for 2025. That includes the projected top 2, Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, as well as recently re-signed Jaylinn Hawkins:

Safety (8): Kyle Dugger (23), Jabrill Peppers (5), Marcus Epps (39), Jaylinn Hawkins (21), Marte Mapu (15), Dell Pettus (24), Brenden Schooler (41), Mark Perry (34)

How the Patriots will use their safeties in 2025 will be fascinating to watch. Dugger and Peppers are established players in the league who, at their best, are borderline Pro Bowlers capable of solidifying the backend of a defense and providing leadership on and off the field (although Peppers was stripped of his captaincy last year in light of his since-resolved legal issues).

However, with a new coaching staff coming in there is no telling the two veterans will continue playing the same roles they previously had, or even remain on the roster when all is said and done. The same is true for the rest of the group, with Hawkins and Brenden Schooler really the only exceptions due to their special teams usage.

As a consequence, all players listed above might be fighting for a finite number of jobs — even the just-signed Marcus Epps.

Leadership considerations: The Patriots are putting an emphasis on strengthening their culture under new head coach Mike Vrabel, and Epps is another acquisition that fits into that mold. Besides being a veteran of six NFL seasons and 87 combined regular season and playoff games, he also was a one-time captain with the Raiders in 2023.

Whether or not he will earn a similar honor in New England will be seen. There is no denying, though, that Epps does have leadership qualities that likely made him an attractive target for the Patriots.