- Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Help for Maye? When reporters would pepper former Patriots coach Bill Belichick with questions about his projected starting lineup at this time of year, he sometimes went the deadpan route.
“Long way to go. It’s March. We play in September.”
Pithy Bill would often serve up a reminder that building a team is a year-round venture — covering free agency, draft, trades and the waiver wire. Not all the holes were filled right away in March.
The Patriots traded for receiver Randy Moss during the 2007 draft. They claimed future stalwart linebacker Rob Ninkovich on waivers Aug. 2, 2009. They drafted guard Joe Thuney in the 2016 third round and he was a Day 1 starter. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Belichick’s patience often, but not always, proved to be a virtue during the team’s run of six Super Bowl championships between 2001 and 2018.
His words came to mind after listening to first-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel share his twist on some of the glaring holes on the current roster — most of which are on offense and especially vital because they directly impact quarterback Drake Maye, arguably the franchise’s greatest asset.
The Patriots were planning to swing big for left tackle Ronnie Stanley if he didn’t re-sign with the Ravens the day before the legal negotiating period began. They explored the possibility of left tackle Dan Moore Jr. (four years, $82 million in Tennessee). They did swing big on receiver Chris Godwin, who said he left generational money on the table to return to Tampa Bay.
Now what?
“We will target the offensive line. … We’ll continue to look at the wide receiver position as it relates to free agency, explore every option with other teams and potentially then we’ll get to the point where we’re looking at the draft,” Vrabel said Thursday, adding the team doesn’t want to be careless and plans to be intentional in its actions.
“There’s a lot of time. I know everybody is like ‘it’s over in free agency.’ It’s never over.”
Vrabel relayed that senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith has been a voice of calm behind the scenes, sharing his experience that desirable players are going to become available, “whether it be now, or May, or after training camp.”
Highsmith’s message to Vrabel and the staff: There’s going to be someone that’s currently not on the roster who will help the team win a game in 2025.
At the same time, another legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, once famously said that “hope is not a strategy.”
And with that in mind, if the Patriots were playing a game today, they would likely be hoping that Vederian Lowe would protect Maye’s blindside at left tackle, 2024 fourth-round pick Layden Robinson solidified left guard and fourth-year players Ben Brown or Cole Strange hold down the fort at center.
As for receiver, Mack Hollins or Kayshon Boutte project as the No. 1 options at this point. Veteran Kendrick Bourne and slot option DeMario Douglas also figure notably on the depth chart. And who knows what happens with disappointing 2024 draft picks Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker?
As Vrabel & Co. build the roster (with team culture in mind, too), there are still free agent players for them to consider, such as left tackle Cam Robinson (Jaguars/Vikings), guard Teven Jenkins (Bears) and receivers Amari Cooper (Bills), Stefon Diggs (Texans), Elijah Moore (Browns), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks) and Keenan Allen (Bears), among others.
They attacked the first week of free agency with urgency, titled heavily toward the defense in contracts (eight of their 13 deals) and finances.
The lingering question: What about the offense?
2. Williams as Simmons: The Patriots’ vision for how they plan to employ defensive tackle Milton Williams will likely have shades of what Vrabel did with Jeffery Simmons in Tennessee — moving him all over the line to isolate advantageous matchups.
Vrabel hinted at that when he said: “I think we’ve been able to put players like Milton, in our history of coaching, in good spots to be productive and make plays that can help the team win.”
Williams, who played just 48% of the snaps last season in Philadelphia, seems energized by the challenge.
“I want to be known as doing it all, versatile, Swiss Army knife — line up anywhere and be productive from any spot,” he said.
3. Family day: When the Patriots introduced some of their top free agent signings Thursday, it was more than a passing note that the festivities included not just the players themselves, but also parents, spouses and children. Having them take part in the official signing of contracts, touring the team’s facility and sitting in on the media news conference ties to the culture Vrabel is aiming to create.
As part of his remarks in front of reporters, Vrabel looked at newcomers Williams, Carlton Davis III, Morgan Moses and Robert Spillane and said: “We’re excited to meet your support system and understand why you are the way you are. We’re going to support the things and the people that are important in your life.”
4. They said it: “Hopefully we can just play ‘cat’ coverage — ‘You got that cat, I got this cat and we can go to work.’ Just an aggressive style.” — Vrabel, on what he envisions from the one-two cornerback combination of Christian Gonzalez and Davis, who ranked third and fifth in the NFL for lowest completion percentage allowed as the nearest defender in 2024 (per NFL Next Gen Stats)
5. Spillane honors mom: Vrabel shared the story of how Spillane earned his first NFL roster spot on Mother’s Day with the Tennessee Titans 2018 as a tryout player, and how impactful it was on him as a young coach to see him share that news with his mother Gretchen through teary eyes.
Then Thursday, when Spillane was signing a life-altering three-year, $33 million contract at Gillette Stadium alongside his wife Shelby and daughter Nina, Spillane told reporters it had special meaning because it was his mother’s birthday.
“She’s a very important woman in my life, and I just want to make her proud,” he said.
Gretchen Spillane was watching on livestream. Tears were flowing.
6. Eyes on Bradbury: With the Patriots releasing center David Andrews with a failed physical designation, and having explored the possibility of signing center Drew Dalman (who ended up in Chicago) in free agency, the status of Vikings center Garrett Bradbury as a potential option bears watching for them.
The Vikings plan to release Bradbury if a trade can’t be worked out, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and it seems unlikely a team will want to take on his $4.9 million base salary. So should Bradbury become a free agent in the coming days, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Patriots sign him.
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7. Moses’ durability: Moses, the right tackle who signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Patriots despite entering his 12th NFL season at age 34, was praised by Vrabel for his veteran leadership and physical prowess.
Moses has been one of the league’s more durable linemen, playing in 166 games with 158 starts, but he sustained a Grade 2 MCL tear, meniscus issue and a small fracture in his left knee in Week 3 last season when then-Patriots pass rusher Joshua Uche rolled up on him.
That led Moses to sleep in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at home as part of a round-the-clock rehab program, and after missing two games, he was back in the starting lineup until the final week of the regular season.
That type of approach made an impression on Vrabel, who said: “There’s been a repeated experience of taking care of his body, playing a demanding position.”
8. Tracking Gibbens: Free agent linebacker Jack Gibbens is considering making a visit to the Patriots this week, according to a league source, which would make sense considering his background with Vrabel.
Gibbens signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of the University of Minnesota and played in 29 games (20 starts) over the last three seasons, totaling 167 tackles. The Titans didn’t tender him as a restricted free agent this offseason, making him free to sign with any team.
9. Jacobs’ reward: Offensive tackle Demontrey Jacobs was thrust into a tough spot when the Patriots claimed him on waivers from the Broncos in September and ultimately elevated him into a starting role due to injuries and other issues. He endured a challenging season, but it didn’t come without a notable personal reward.
Jacobs received a team-high check of $737,221.61 as part of the performance-based pay pool, which is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based upon their playing time and salary levels. That is a little more than 75% of his salary for the entire season ($960,000).
Safety Jaylinn Hawkins ($650,647), left tackle Lowe ($649,495), linebacker Christian Elliss ($612,473) and receiver Boutte ($609,520) rounded out the Patriots’ top five.
10. Did you know? Milton Williams ranked sixth in the NFL last season among defensive tackles in pass rush win rate (13.5%). As a position group in 2024, Patriots defensive tackles ranked 21st in pass rush win rate.
