INDIANAPOLIS — Patriots govt vice chairman of participant personnel Eliot Wolf kicked off the NFL Scouting Combine with a press convention and facet session with native reporters Tuesday morning.
Head coach Mike Vrabel will converse with reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Right here’s all the pieces we discovered from Wolf concerning the Patriots’ upcoming offseason, which formally begins March 11 with the beginning of free company.
How the staff will method free company
The Patriots spent a team-record quantity in free company final offseason, handing out over $360 million in whole worth. The staff now enters this offseason ranked tenth in whole cap area, per OverTheCap.com, at $42,698,596.
So, don’t count on the Patriots to be as prolific in free company in 2026.
“We’re going to discover each avenue to attempt to enhance the staff,” Wolf stated. “We crammed quite a lot of wants final yr and we’re nonetheless constructing. We now have areas that perhaps we be ok with the starters, however perhaps the depth is just not the place we would like it to be. We now have areas the place we perhaps want so as to add a starter.”
Ideas on draft class
The Patriots are in a much different place getting into the 2026 NFL Draft, holding the thirty first total choose after consecutive years choosing within the prime 4. Wolf offered his ideas on the 2026 NFL Draft class as a complete.
“I really feel like yearly for the final 5 years, everybody stated, ‘Oh, it’s not a great draft, it’s not a great draft.’ I don’t actually purchase that,” Wolf stated. “I really feel like in case you’re doing all of your job, you’re going to have the ability to discover gamers in rounds one by way of seven that may assist your staff.”
Highlighting main want
The Patriots at the moment have Harold Landry III, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson beneath contract at edge defender, whereas Ok’Lavon Chaisson is among the staff’s prime free brokers.
So, that’s one spot the place the Patriots may doubtlessly add a promising participant within the draft.
“I feel this draft provides quite a lot of totally different depth at various areas, edge (defender) being one among them,” Wolf stated. “I feel it’s a reasonably deep class at that place that’s clearly an space of want for our staff, so it matches up properly.”
One other want highlighted on offense
Wolf known as a report that the Patriots could be curious about buying Packers offensive deal with Rasheed Walker and shifting Will Campbell to proper deal with “not true.” He did nonetheless name offensive deal with a necessity, nevertheless.
“Vederian (Lowe’s) a free agent. Thayer (Munford) is a free agent and Morgan is 35 years outdated, and you realize, he performed superior this yr, however he’s 35 years outdated,” Wolf stated. “So, deal with could be a necessity for our staff.”
Wilson’s future place
Jared Wilson, a 2025 third-round choose, performed left guard for the Patriots in 2025, however his pure place might be nonetheless at middle, the place Garrett Bradbury began final season.
The Patriots are versatile with Wilson’s future place.
“I feel there’s openness to all the pieces with him,” Wolf stated. “He had by no means performed guard earlier than. He had good moments and dangerous moments, however he definitely has the bodily skill to play there, and he additionally has the intelligence and the vocal skill to play middle, so I feel these are conversations we’re nonetheless having.”
Open to buying and selling first-round choose
The Patriots made Tremendous Bowl LX of their first yr with Vrabel as head coach and will make one other push for a championship if they’ll purchase the suitable participant to push them over the sting. Two gamers who’ve been mentioned in media circles are Raiders edge defender Maxx Crosby and Eagles extensive receiver A.J. Brown.
Wolf stated the staff is prepared to commerce their first-round choose in the suitable state of affairs.
“Yeah, we’re open to something if we expect it’s going to assist the staff each within the brief and long run,” Wolf stated. “Then, it’s one thing we’ll take a look at.”
Extending Gonzalez a precedence
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, one of many Patriots’ prime total gamers, is now eligible for an extension after finishing his third NFL season. A number of the Patriots money might be spent on extending the Professional Bowl cornerback.
“Christian, clearly, was good earlier than, and made an much more vital bounce this yr,” Wolf stated. “And he’s somebody that we need to work with sooner or later, clearly. And we’ll have these conversations on the acceptable time.”
Campbell’s harm impacted playoff efficiency
Wolf believes a few of Campbell’s struggles within the 2025 postseason had been because of a knee harm he suffered Week 12 and landed him on injured reserve for 4 weeks.
“When he got here again from that harm, I personally didn’t see the identical degree of lower-body power that you simply noticed earlier than the harm,” Wolf stated. “I feel the movie would attest to that. He most likely had three of his 4 worst video games within the playoffs. However earlier than that, I believed Will performed very well all yr.”
Vrabel stated Campbell will stay at left tackle this season.
Noncommittal on Diggs
Large receiver Stefon Diggs is beneath contract for the Patriots in 2026, however Wolf wouldn’t concretely say that the veteran extensive receiver, who’s due a $20.6 base wage, could be again on the roster. On March 13, $6 million of Diggs’ wage turns into totally assured.
“I’m not going to get into any particular gamers in the present day. There are specific conversations that we’re having, and we’ll see what occurs with everybody,” Wolf stated.
Diggs pleaded not responsible to felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault fees after the Tremendous Bowl. His subsequent listening to is scheduled for April 1.
“We’re monitoring these conditions,” Wolf stated. “We’ll simply type of see what comes of it. I do know he had a listening to final week or two weeks in the past. We’re monitoring these conditions not solely with our authorized and safety division, but additionally with Stef’s individuals as nicely.”
Two veterans anticipated to return
Wolf did say he expects Landry and Moses to be again subsequent season.
On Landry, who missed time with a knee harm late within the 2025 season: “He’s received to attempt to get wholesome. And once more, one other tradition man that got here in and actually was capable of ship and act upon coach Vrabel’s messaging to the protection. So yeah, we might count on him again.”
On Moses: “I’m beneath that impression, sure. I haven’t heard something in any other case. He was so nice for us, not solely on the sphere, however off the sphere, type of setting the tempo in that room. And, I positively suppose he loved it. And he performed each recreation, in order that was a testomony to his sturdiness and toughness.”
Open to buying No. 1 receiver
Wolf was requested how the staff would profit from buying a No. 1 receiver. He acknowledged that “having extra playmakers is an efficient factor” however “if you run your offense and you’ve got one among these No. 1 receivers, the quarterback can get in hassle by making an attempt to drive the ball to that individual.”
Wolf was requested if that may preclude the staff from buying a “diva” extensive receiver.
“We’d choose to not have a diva receiver. However look, the receiver place is attention-grabbing,” Wolf stated. “You’ve received to need the ball. You positively don’t need a receiver that doesn’t need the ball. So it’s all about how they handle that off the sphere.”
Replace on in-house free brokers
Chaisson, security Jaylinn Hawkins and defensive deal with Khyiris Tonga are among the many Patriots’ prime free brokers this offseason.
“We now have had conversations, we had good exit conferences with these guys and I feel they perceive the place we’re at,” Wolf stated.
On Hawkins particularly, Wolf stated, “he’s definitely somebody that we might welcome again.”
