The Patriots’ 2025 offseason has drawn more attention than any typical year, primarily due to Mike Vrabel’s arrival and the impressive roster and staff he has assembled in Foxboro.

All of it was much needed after the last handful of years, especially last season, and has prompted considerable optimism about how the team will fare this fall.

While the offense has certainly improved and the second-year jump of Drake Maye remains a topic of conversation, the defense has become the star of the show once again.

The signings of players like CB Carlton Davis, LB Robert Spillane, and DT Milton Williams have prompted many to believe the group could be a dominant force, similar to those of the past, especially with Vrabel on the sideline.

And through spring practices, they have looked the part. But the problem is that one of the key members of the defense, Davis, wasn’t very present. It’s already putting him in the hot seat by Patriots reporters, which isn’t a great start to his New England tenure.

Carlton Davis’ absence from Patriots spring practices is putting him in a bad light with the New England media

It wouldn’t be a proper Patriots offseason if there wasn’t a bunch of drama surrounding players well ahead of the season, and unfortunately, Davis is the latest to be under the microscope.

Although it’s night and day compared to the situation that surrounded Stefon Diggs last month, MassLive’s Karen Guergian has pointed out that Davis’ absence from mostly all of spring practices was not a good look at the start of his career with the Patriots, which might already paint him in a bad light well before he even takes the field with the team.

“Carlton Davis III, who received a huge contract (3 years, $54 million with a $16.5 million signing bonus) to play for the Patriots, wasn’t around much.

…Up until minicamp, Davis was largely invisible.

His absence, even during voluntary workouts, isn’t a good look especially going to a new team, and being paid a fortune.”

Much of the early offseason is not mandatory, which is a crucial detail to keep in mind.

However, when a player joins a new team and still decides to skip spring workouts, it tends to make analysts and fans wonder why that would seem like a good idea, as early practices can help them get acclimated much sooner.

It has posed a problem with other players in the past, and perhaps that’s why it’s a topic of conversation regarding Davis.

There might be even more reason to discuss his absence due to the assumption that he and Christian Gonzalez are expected to make up one of the best secondaries in the league this upcoming season. So the sooner Davis can get into the rhythm in Foxboro, the better.

Because that didn’t happen, it’ll be crucial that Davis is on track when the team reconvenes for training camp next month.

The hope, of course, is that it will appear he hasn’t skipped a beat, and the cornerbacks will continue to dominate in practice, as they have all spring.