Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2025 win totals. Up next: the Patriots.
After a few dark years, the New England Patriots could once again be playoff contenders with all the notable offseason upgrades, starting with the hiring of coach Mike Vrabel.
Not only did the Patriots prioritize the development of young quarterback Drake Maye, but they also managed to form a defense that could soon resemble the physical units Vrabel had for years as the coach of the Titans.
Maye went from making the most of a bad situation as a rookie to having a strong supporting cast for Year 2. The Patriots still have to deal with the mighty Bills in the AFC East, but this could be a sleeper playoff team if the many additions pay off in 2025.
Let’s take a closer look at the Patriots.
What’s at stake this season: Maye’s QB status
It could be argued that the hype Maye has generated this offseason stems from the low expectations that were placed on him as a starting rookie quarterback on one of the worst rosters in the league last year.
It was impressive what Maye (2,276 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs, 88.1 passer rating) managed to do under challenging circumstances. Still, Caleb Williams (3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 INTs, 87.8 passer rating) might not get the same praise for his rookie year because the expectations were higher with the Bears. Also, Jayden Daniels (3,568 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs, 100.1 passer rating) didn’t have ideal surroundings heading into the season with the Washington Commanders and delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.
How the top-three picks in the 2024 draft fared as rookies could be debated, but Maye will get a fair opportunity to prove whether the hype is real with all the notable offseason moves the Patriots made.
Maye’s offensive line should be drastically better with rookie left tackle Will Campbell, veteran right tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury. Maye still needs a legitimate No. 1 wideout. Still, upgrades were also made for the skill positions, including the signing of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the second-round selection of running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Coaching the Patriots could be the first time Vrabel gets to develop a quarterback with superstar potential. The former Titans coach helped turn Ryan Tannehill into a quality game manager after Tannehill flamed out as a 2012 first-round pick of the Dolphins.
Biggest question going into training camp: How quickly can this defense take shape?
The Patriots’ new regime wasted no time investing in the defense, signing defensive tackle Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract.
Williams made himself plenty of money with his dominant playoff performances, which helped the Eagles defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The lucrative contract comes with risks because Williams played only half of the defensive snaps in Philadelphia the past four years. He might have benefited from strong surroundings, playing next to star defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
If Williams can do more of what he did in the postseason, the rest should fall into place for the Patriots’ revamped defense. New England added playmakers to all three phases, including edge rusher Harold Landry III, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis III.
The Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo regimes already had a strong core with cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive tackle Christian Barmore, but now there’s depth across the defensive positions.
Sources are saying: High expectations for Vrabel–Maye partnership
“They have to be better with Vrabel at the helm. Guy just has it. It’s always tough when you have a young quarterback learning a new system, but Maye has the intangibles to be a franchise quarterback. They will play salty defense and take care of the football. With a raw, talented quarterback, Maye could win them a couple of games they weren’t able to win last year.”—an NFC coach
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: Rookie OT Will Campbell
There’s a chance the Patriots might have reached for Campbell with the fourth pick because they desperately needed offensive line help. If Campbell can quickly find his footing and show that he’s a cornerstone player, not just a temporary fix, then he could help determine whether Maye makes the leap to superstardom in his second season.
It’s also hard to doubt Campbell after he vowed to put his body on the line to protect Maybe during a passionate draft-day speech. Some question whether Campbell has the ideal arm length to play on the outside, but his stellar performances at LSU said plenty about his upside as a left tackle.
Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking: 17
After a year consulting with the Browns, Vrabel is back in the head chair. He takes over a team that spent lavishly in free agency and did well in the draft, but most importantly, has Maye under center. Despite a disastrous situation around him, Maye threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns in 11 starts as a rookie. —Matt Verderame
Fantasy pick: Maye
Maye showed flashes of potential as a rookie, scoring 17-plus fantasy points six times in 13 games (12 starts). He also averaged 41 rushing yards in the 10 games where he played at least 43 snaps, which projects to almost 700 yards over a full 17-game slate. That’s huge. The Patriots added offensive line help for Maye, most notably Campbell, and new weapons in Stefon Diggs, TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams. I can see Maye finishing in the top 12 among fantasy quarterbacks in 2025. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: Patriots under 7.5 Wins (+135) via FanDuel
The oddsmakers are high on the Patriots, setting their win total at 7.5 despite coming off back-to-back four-win seasons. Is the addition of Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry III, Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane and Morgan Moses, along with the hiring of Mike Vrabel, enough to turn this basement-dwelling team into a potential playoff contender? I don’t think so. They’ll benefit from one of the easiest schedules in the league this year, but I have to see it to believe it with New England.—Iain MacMillan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Patriots Could Be a Sleeper Playoff Team.