The New England Patriots came just short in 2025, falling in the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks.

While losing out in the Super Bowl was a bummer, the Patriots weren’t even supposed to be there. They were just into year two of their rebuild, and quarterback Drake Maye completely broke out, finishing as MVP runner-up.

Now with a solidified franchise quarterback and $45 million available in cap space, this is where New England can make a prepared run at taking it all home.

Who to Cut?

We are already in a good position with our cap situation, but this is our “all-in” season. So we’ll make some cuts to open cap space and make bigger moves.

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Our first cut is backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. This decision will save us $3.6 million in cap space. We also cut linebacker Marte Mapu, who saves us $1.5 million.

The final cut is linebacker Anfernee Jennings. Cutting the veteran saves us $3.8 million. Jennings has played well, but doesn’t fit in Mike Vrabel‘s system.

There was consideration for cutting Stefon Diggs, but the move didn’t make sense. While it would save us $16.8 million, the veteran wideout put together a 1,000-yard season and is our best option at receiver.

Restructure

We make two restructures to our defensive line.

Firstly, we restructured Milton Williams‘ contract, saving us $12.2 million for this season. The next move is restructuring DT Christian Barmore, who saves us $7.7 million on the year.

The two moves save us nearly $20 million in cap space for this season, allowing us to make a big move.

Trade!

This was a big move that took a lot of consideration. Maxx Crosby is a big-ticket free agent that every team will at least take a look at.

We send our 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Crosby and a 2026 third-round pick.

Crosby will be the big addition of the offseason, immediately adding to our pass rush. While it is a big commitment both financially and with draft picks, it helps us commit to trying for a Super Bowl in the next year or two.

Free Agency

The Crosby trade was big, but we have more big moves on the way.

The biggest free agency signing we’ll do is agreeing to a three-year contract with wide receiver Alec Pierce. The former Indianapolis Colts receiver is the best wideout on the market and agrees to a $24.5 million annual deal.

We add another playmaker on offense, agreeing to a two-year, $17.6 million deal with tight end Isaiah Likely. While it’s a big commitment to the inconsistent tight end, he is a big playmaker, and a change of scenery may boost his career.

We make two moves to our offensive line, adding Cade Mays on a two-year $28 million contract and Trevor Penning to a one-year $6 million contract. The offensive line was exposed in the Super Bowl, and these moves add a starting guard and a depth piece at tackle.

The Draft

Since we did the Crosby trade, we no longer hold a first- or second-round pick, but we now hold an early fourth-round pick.

3.95: CB Will Lee III, Texas A&M

We didn’t make any defensive additions outside of adding Crosby in the trade. So the draft will be more defensively focused. First, we add Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III. Lee has the ideal size for an NFL cornerback and makes a great fit across from Christian Gonzalez.

Lee has put up quality man reps on tape and is a promising addition to the defense.

4.102: LB Harold Perkins Jr, LSU

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. was promising in college. He has elite close-out speed and excels at rushing the passer.

There are many concerns around Perkins. He is undersized, no one knows what position he will play in the NFL, and he has a lengthy injury history. But the star LSU linebacker has too much talent and promise to pass up on.

Recap

Additions:

• DE Maxx Crosby
• WR Alec Pierce
• TE Isaiah Likely
• IOL Cade Mays
• OT Trevor Penning
• CB Will Lee III
• LB Harold Perkins Jr.

Losses:

• QB Joshua Dobbs
• LB Marte Mapu
• LB Anfernee Jennings

The offseason was centered around adding players who can make an immediate impact and increase our chances of winning a Super Bowl. Big commitments like the trade for Crosby or signing Pierce are risky but raise the team’s floor significantly.

The decision not to cut Diggs was considered throughout the rebuild, mostly when we added Pierce, but ultimately, the veteran stays on the roster.