The New England Patriots entered the 2024 season looking like the worst team in the league. They had a huge question mark at quarterback with rookie Drake Maye beginning the season on the bench behind Jacoby Brissett.
But Maye quickly worked his way to starting for the Patriots and the team seemed like a completely different unit with Maye under center. As Maye continues to develop this offseason and into next season, New England is going to need to add some talent around him to ruin the offseason for the rest of the league.
The Patriots had one of the worst offensive units in the league last season, yet Maye still found ways to flash excellence. This offseason, the Patriots could afford to add talent at running back and across the offensive line. But most importantly, New England needs to add playmakers at wide receiver. Their wide receiver unit was the clear worst unit in the league last season and it didn't give Maye much chance at success.
As we head into the offseason, which free agents could the Patriots realistically target in order to take their team to the next level?
3. DE Chase Young
The Patriots need to do anything they can to add talent around Maye. While adding to the offense will obviously make his job easier by adding the talent directly around him, adding to the defense will make his job much easier too.
One player the Patriots could look to sign is free agent edge rusher Chase Young, formerly of the New Orleans Saints. Young, 25, is one of the younger players in free agency. While he hasn't exactly lived up to his pre-draft hype yet, there's still plenty of time for him to dominate in the NFL. The Ohio State product has recorded 22 sacks in 60 games played. That's good for just over .33 sacks per game which translates to about six sacks per 17 games played.
If the 25-year-old can get and stay healthy, he could perform much better than he did in 2024. Joining a rebuilding team like the Patriots could make sense for both sides. New England has the money to spend to land him on a two or three-year contract and Young could fit nicely into the Patriots defense.
Adding an explosive edge rusher could make Maye's job much easier, especially if Young can force turnovers for New England.
2. WR Davante Adams
The easiest way to make Maye's job easier and bring the team to the next level would be adding a wide receiver or two. While the Patriots will likely address wide receiver with one of two of their draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, that won't be enough to completely revamp their wide receiver room. One name they could look to sign is New York Jets free agent Davante Adams.
While Adams played for two teams in 2024, he still produced at an elite level. The 32-year-old pass catcher posted over 1,000 yards split between the Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, the Jets have released him and he's free to sign wherever he wants.
If Adams isn't set on following quarterback Aaron Rodgers wherever he goes, he could land perfectly in the Patriots' lap. Adams may not be the pass catcher that he was a few years ago, but he's still among the best in the league.
Adding a veteran with the experience like Adams has could be the best option for Maye, especially if New England drafts a wide receiver this year too. Adams could be a mentor for both a rookie wide out and the young franchise quarterback as New England looks to rebuild the team.
1. RB Najee Harris
The Patriots struggled the most at wide receiver, but they also struggled in the run game. Having a solid running back and running game takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback. While this is mostly on the offensive line, the Patriots could sign Pittsburgh Steelers free agent running back Najee Harris to improve the backfield.
Harris, 26, began his career with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The 26-year-old has done this despite having questionable offensive lines with the Steelers. But it seems as though Pittsburgh is ready to let Harris leave in free agency which could line the Patriots up to land him if they see fit.
Harris is quite an impressive bruiser-style running back. While in Pittsburgh, he was paired with a faster running back and they formed quite an impressive duo. If the Patriots sign Harris and draft a faster running back like TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State, they could form an explosive duo in the backfield.
Patriots running backs ran for less than 1,500 yards as a total unit. Harris was able to post over 1,000 yards while splitting time. He would be quite an upgrade for Maye's offense.