The Official 2026 New England Patriots Thread

[HuskyHawk]

Exciting things are coming soon with free agency. Pats have cap space, but also need to extend Gonzalez and next year, Maye.

• Diggs will be released, but that's almost entirely contract related. He had $6M contract guarantee coming and was due $26M this year. He could be back on a restructured deal but they had to release him before that guarantee took effect next week.
• Barmore's situation is up in the air. Hell of a player, but we will see how his case goes.
• Alex Piece hitting free agency is interesting. On one hand, he's a great fit with Maye. On the other, he's somewhat duplicative of both Williams and Boutte, and the team really needs an upgrade in the slot. Pop is likely to be traded.
• Edge rusher is a big need, but also the deepest and strongest position in this draft. Some good ones in free agency too.
• Tight End is a huge need. They will be upgrading either in FA or the draft possibly both. Henry is probably back but this is his final season and they need both a veteran and maybe a rookie unless Dippre shows something.
• Two guys who missed 2025, Larison at RB and Lampe at FB, could make the team. Larison has size and speed and is an ideal Kick Return option. Lampe was an elite blocker in college and could easily beat out Westover at FB, who wasn't good as a lead blocker or catching the ball. Gibson released.
• Campbell will likely stick at LT and evidently his injury really affected him. I think he will improve. Need to put a veteran next to him at LG. Wilson should compete at Center.

 

[Deepster]

ESPN - The Las Vegas Raiders leveraged the highest bidders to squeeze maximum draft capital out of the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes. ...
That Baltimore, one of the league's most draft-oriented teams, was willing to give up two firsts is a bit shocking. ...
One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots' chances at Crosby: 'No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel."

 

[HuskyHawk]

Really like this signing. Patriots needed an Edge that is a true DE, not just a stand up OLB speed rusher. Gives them more flexibility and the ability to be more stout in short yardage.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is interesting. Didn't realize he was that solid, but the Bills had the #1 running game and I don't think that was because James Cook III is all that.

 

[Deepster]

With Pierce and Pittman Jr off the board and Mike Evans in SF, it looks like the top 2 FA WR's left are Romeo Doubs and Rashid Shaheed. Makes you wonder how bad the situation with Diggs got and how they're going to upgrade the WR roster from here.

 

[HuskyHawk]

With Pierce and Pittman Jr off the board and Mike Evans in SF, it looks like the top 2 FA WR's left are Romeo Doubs and Rashid Shaheed. Makes you wonder how bad the situation with Diggs got and how they're going to upgrade the WR roster from here.

Diggs is still in play to return. They just weren't paying him that amount. They aren't in on Doubs per reports. So a trade perhaps (Brian Thomas Jr.) and draft pick. Then expected improvement from Boutte and Williams. Tight End is a huge need, they do need a FA tight end and there are still some good ones.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Patriots evidently grew tired of the Eagles' absurd asking price for Brown. I expect that the Edge and AVT signings plus this, free them up to use #31 on a WR. Vrabel correctly said the way to upgrade WR is to draft them.

 

[Rocktheworld]

 

[HuskyHawk]

Love this move. Knows the system, still performing at a high level. Upgraded the safety position over Hawkins and with a one year deal you can draft a safety in a very strong draft for the position.

 

[Waquoit]

They aren't in on Doubs per reports.

Remember who made those reports. I love this move for the Pats. Instead about fretting about an overpay they went out and got a guy who will make them a better team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Remember who made those reports. I love this move for the Pats. Instead about fretting about an overpay they went out and got a guy who will make them a better team.

Agree. He's still 26. Somebody posted after the WR with the best separation rate in the NFL the last two years and he was top 5 both years. That surprised me. He may be better than I expected.

 

[Waquoit]

Agree. He's still 26. Somebody posted after the WR with the best separation rate in the NFL the last two years and he was top 5 both years. That surprised me. He may be better than I expected.

I'm not going say I know a lot about him. But all I needed to see was that he had a great a game in the playoffs for an up-and-coming team. And if he does have that separation, May will hit him. Frankly, I'm stunned to see the Pats make these winning loves. I'm sick of them and the Sox trying to be too cool for school and win on the cheap. Vrabel must have said he wasn't going to coach at place that doesn't spend to win before he signed on.

 

[Deepster]

I'm not going say I know a lot about him. But all I needed to see was that he had a great a game in the playoffs for an up-and-coming team. And if he does have that separation, May will hit him. Frankly, I'm stunned to see the Pats make these winning loves. I'm sick of them and the Sox trying to be too cool for school and win on the cheap. Vrabel must have said he wasn't going to coach at place that doesn't spend to win before he signed on.

Let's not make Jordan Love out to be some schlub where Drake Maye will kiss the frog and turn him into a prince.

WRs usually blossom in their "3rd season" and Doubs is entering his 5th. He's not a high volume target guy and for relying on the deep ball, he's landed between 675-725 yds in his best seasons. Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed are all teammates who've shown similar promise and skills but haven't taken the leap to the next level either.

I think he'll be what you think he'll be. A deep threat to stretch a defense. 4 catches for 60 yds. In 59 career games he doesn't have a single 100 yd game.

 

[Waquoit]

I think he'll be what you think he'll be. A deep threat to stretch a defense. 4 catches for 60 yds. In 59 career games he doesn't have a single 100 yd game.

He had over 100 yards in the last game he played. In the playoffs, no less. I'm not saying this is like getting Randy Moss. I'm saying kudos to the Pats for spending to get a player at a position of need. Instead of backing off due to factoids like "he's in his 5th season when most WR's blossom in 3", they went and made the team better.

 

[Deepster]

He had over 100 yards in the last game he played. In the playoffs, no less. I'm not saying this is like getting Randy Moss. I'm saying kudos to the Pats for spending to get a player at a position of need. Instead of backing off due to factoids like "he's in his 5th season when most WR's blossom in 3", they went and made the team better.

Not sure your point. It’s pretty common knowledge WRs make a leap in their 2nd or 3rd year. I’m not making that up. We’re still waiting for Doubs to do that.

To clarify, those are 59 regular season games. I didn’t look at the postseason. My bad.

And to make their team better he would theoretically have to at least put up Diggs stats or close to it. He hasn’t come close to that yet.

 

[Deepster]

Interesting move today.

Denver trades a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 30 overall), along with third- and fourth-round picks (Nos. 94 and 130) to Miami in exchange for Waddle and a fourth-round pick (No. 111). He signed three-year, $84.75 million contract extension signed with Miami in May 2024. The deal included $76 million in guaranteed money.

I'd much rather have Doubs slightly cheaper and without giving up a 1st and 3rd rounder.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Interesting move today.

Denver trades a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 30 overall), along with third- and fourth-round picks (Nos. 94 and 130) to Miami in exchange for Waddle and a fourth-round pick (No. 111). He signed three-year, $84.75 million contract extension signed with Miami in May 2024. The deal included $76 million in guaranteed money.

I'd much rather have Doubs slightly cheaper and without giving up a 1st and 3rd rounder.

Agreed. Good trade for Miami. KC Concepcion is a pretty similar WR to Waddle and will probably be there at #30. You can just draft him and have him for 4 years for a total of about $18M instead of giving up those picks and taking on that cap hit. It's not like Waddle has really been a standout. Like DeVonta Smith, he's good but not great.

I feel like Vrabel did learn some things about roster management from Belichick. Have to build via (a) the draft and (b) superior scouting. Bill was terrific at identifying guys like Vrabel himself, who were under utilized or badly utilized and could do more in his system than they did before. Welker was another guy like that. I think Spillaine was a similar signing last year.

I said 2-3 years ago in this forum that Miami was collapsing and their their reckless signings would come back to haunt them. They have $162m in dead cap. Not one player with a cap hit of even $12M and yet they are still over the cap. They are finally embracing the rebuild.

 

[Deepster]

Not to reroute the Pats thread, but if you're Miami and you let Tua go absorbing a gigantic cap hit, you let Tyreek Hill go, then move Waddle....why would you throw a bag at Malik Willis? Are you that convinced he's your franchise QB?