After seven months, 21 video games, three exhibitions and a Tremendous Bowl to neglect, the Patriots’ 2025 marketing campaign is properly over.
However are we finished with that season fairly but?
In no way.
Listed below are 9 ideas on the season that was and what comes subsequent in New England:
1. Drake’s subsequent step
The quarterback who dedicated the fewest errors was certain to win Tremendous Bowl LX.
That proved to be Sam Darnold by a landslide.
Darnold not solely had zero turnovers to Drake Maye’s three, however he took 5 fewer sacks whereas averaging the identical snap-to-throw time because the MVP runner-up. Darnold’s potential to slide out of sacks and keep away from damaging performs prolonged possessions for Seattle, whereas each Maye sack was successfully a dying knell for that drive. Maye completed the postseason with a 14.9% sack charge, nearly twice his regular-season share, which was among the many highest within the league.
Maye should be taught to eradicate these damaging performs with a throwaway or quicker decision-making. Typically, throwaways and checkdowns are unsexy. Different instances, they’re important. Simply ask the Tremendous Bowl champs.
2. Stefon Diggs’ future
Are we certain Stefon Diggs returns subsequent season?
Like, 110% optimistic?
There are solely two potential hangups I see for the Patriots’ finest receiver who, it needs to be famous, doubled as a flag bearer for Mike Vrabel’s new tradition: his contract and playoff manufacturing.
Diggs is scheduled to hold a cap hit of $26.5 million subsequent season with solely $1.7 million of his massive base wage assured. These figures needs to be unpalatable for the entrance workplace and Diggs, respectively, heading into this offseason. The three-year deal they agreed to final spring was at all times a flier contract in disguise; a solution to check the waters collectively with out the Patriots absolutely committing to a then 31-year-old coming off an ACL tear.
Diggs recovered in time to provide the Patriots’ first 1,000-yard season since 2019. However would possibly that be the most effective soccer Diggs has left?
That is the place the playoff considerations enter. Diggs, who turns 33 this upcoming November, totaled 110 receiving yards over 4 postseason video games. Rhamondre Stevenson had greater than that, and so did two gamers whose groups have been knocked out within the Wild Card spherical (Packers receiver Romeo Doubs and Panthers wideout Jalen Coker). Defenses have been largely unafraid of Diggs, who deserves a world of credit score for his regular-season manufacturing after a significant damage.
However subsequent season can be his twelfth within the NFL, and that is to say nothing of his historical past in Buffalo and Minnesota, the place he started to wear down his welcome after a honeymoon section that adopted new cash in each locations. Diggs received his cash final spring, produced, and if he doesn’t love how his contract is adjusted this offseason, now what?
It’s a tough scenario. Diggs is the Patriots’ finest receiver and a powerful locker-room presence. With out him, the group would revert to rostering one of many 5 to 10 worst receiving corps within the league. If the Pats reduce bait, they eat a $9.7 million lifeless cap hit with out making use of a post-June 1 designation or incur an $8 million hit in the event that they commerce Diggs.
Or they’ll commit actual cash to an getting older veteran getting into his age-33 season after a playoff run the place opponents and his tape confirmed you the No. 1 receiver label now not matches.
3. High offensive want
Move safety is a chief concern for the Patriots, however there’s cause to consider inner growth from Will Campbell and Jared Wilson might — emphasis on “might” — alleviate most of that concern. Now, what about their weapons?
Even when Diggs returns, the Pats lack explosive gamers who can create yards exterior of play design. DeMario Douglas is their finest run-after-catch participant, and he was solely adequate to take 26% of their offensive snaps this season. TreVeyon Henderson couldn’t be trusted in blitz pickup or to maximise the speeding yards obtainable due to his poor imaginative and prescient when working. Is
The Pats want extra dynamic playmakers. The very best free-agent receiver obtainable is Colts wideout Alex Pierce, who can be coveted by a number of groups and feels destined for an overpay. So the place can they appear if not Pierce?
Perhaps Doubs, one other free agent? A commerce? Or the draft?
4. High defensive want
Edge move rush, and there’s not a detailed second.
Ok’Lavon Chaisson is ticketed without spending a dime company after a breakout season, and profiles as one other participant who might far exceed market expectations due to his age (26), place and up to date manufacturing. If the Pats lose Chaisson, they’ve Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder and a giant drawback at exterior linebacker.
Anticipate them to handle this place through each free company and the draft. Or possibly a giant swing within the commerce market…
5. All in on Maxx Crosby
If I’m the Patriots, I fortunately commerce my first-round choose this yr, at No. 31 general, plus one other late-round choice and/or a younger reserve (DeMario Douglas, anybody?) for Raiders defensive finish Maxx Crosby.
I’d do it yesterday.
Crosby is an authorized game-wrecker, who had 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss simply final yr. He’s a perfect match for Vrabel’s tradition, as a high-effort, high-energy participant with a ferocious play demeanor. Crosby reportedly has expressed to the Raiders he won’t ever play for them once more, although group management is endeavoring to get him to alter his thoughts (or a minimum of pretending to as a solution to prime the commerce market).
As long as Maye is on his cost-controlled rookie contract, the group is now for strikes like these for the reigning AFC champions and a projected contender for years to come back.
6. Sufficient about Will Campbell
Will Campbell had a foul Tremendous Bowl. Actually unhealthy.
He allowed eight pressures, per the Heralds’ charting, most of which have been surrendered within the fourth quarter. A number of former gamers, together with one-time Professional Bowlers and All-Professionals, took to social media to defend Campbell and/or clarify his poor play as a operate of unhealthy method. In that case, that’s excellent news for a participant whose bodily traits embrace elite athleticism, shorter arms and an abnormally quick wingspan.
For many of this season, Campbell overcame these deficiencies and exceeded expectations. He allowed sacks in 4 video games throughout the common season, when he graded out as an above-average participant at Professional Soccer Focus. In comparison with rookie offensive tackles lately, Campbell was an unquestioned success at left deal with.
The 22-year-old’s finest positional match could finally nonetheless be at guard. However that isn’t the query at hand. The query is: is Campbell adequate to stay at left deal with?
Even on the disastrous finish of a subpar postseason, the tape’s reply was sure. A convincing sure.
7. Promote Zak Kuhr
On Thursday, it was reported the Patriots are opening their defensive coordinator place and transferring Terrell Williams to a brand new position.
Williams, who final month was declared cancer-free after a four-month bout with prostate most cancers, maintained the title whereas he was away for many of the season and final spring when he handled a separate, unrelated well being scare. The 51-year-old was Vrabel’s prime choose to steer his protection a yr in the past, however his well being points and the emergence of defensive play-caller/inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr have clearly modified the image right here.
“There’ll be plenty of issues that we’ll need to work by there,” Vrabel mentioned final Monday. “(Williams)’s wholesome and (has) been given a launch to be again and be again at work. So once more, I’ll work by all these issues right here within the subsequent couple days, weeks, nonetheless lengthy these selections could take.”
From this view, Kuhr is simply too a logical full-time substitute to not get the job. Different coaches with coordinator expertise, resembling Jim Schwartz and Shane Bowen, loom, however Kuhr was on the forefront of a late-season change to turning into a excessive blitz unit that finally keyed a dominant defensive run for the Patriots. He’s younger, proficient, revered and sure to attract exterior curiosity quickly for coordinator positions elsehwere.
Preserve Kuhr within the constructing with a promotion, and preserve this prepare rolling.
8. Do you know?
Drake Maye was the one Patriots participant to attain a number of touchdowns throughout the postseason.
Maye additionally had extra speeding yards within the playoffs than any Patriots participant had receiving yards.
9. Quote of the Week
“Will (Campbell)’s 22 years outdated. He’s our left deal with. He’ll get higher, he’ll get stronger. There have been moments the place he performed properly, moments the place he blocked the man. There’s performs he’d prefer to have again. We’re not transferring Will to protect, to middle, to tight finish or anyplace else. So, I don’t know what to inform you.” — Mike Vrabel
