Fans of the New England Patriots grew accustomed to being perennial Super Bowl contenders during Bill Belichick's tenure with the franchise. The team's 2024 regular-season could was the complete opposite of that standard of excellence. That's why Mike Vrabel has returned to the franchise to lead what ownership hopes will be a quick revival in Foxborough.
The former Patriots' defender has a big task ahead of him. The team he's inheriting thoroughly deserved its 4-13 mark under former head coach Jerod Mayo last year. A quick survey of the roster shows that New England has a lot of changes to make before it's prepared to mount a serious playoff push.
The good news for Vrabel and the team's passionate fan base is that they do seem to have a young quarterback worth building around. Drake Maye managed to show flashes of real progress last year despite the unhealthy ecosystem surrounding him. It's easy to envision a scenario where he takes another step forward this year and becomes one of the most exciting young signal-callers in the NFL.
Of course, Maye's job would be a lot easier if he had a better group of skill players to work with. The front office hopes the addition of veteran Stefon Diggs can give him a true No. 1 option, but it remains to be seen whether or not Diggs' body will hold up for another season.
The offensive line also enjoyed a massive overhaul in the offseason. First-round pick Will Campbell lacks the ideal length to play left tackle at the pro level, but he will still serve as a massive upgrade over the protectors of Maye's blind side last year. Add in the signing of Garrett Bradbury in free agency and it's clear Maye should play from a cleaner pocket in 2025.
The defense should get an immediate jolt of energy from Vrabel's coaching. Landing Milton Williams and Carlton Davis on the open market gives the front-seven and secondary nice leadership to leverage when times get tough.
Add it all up and the Patriots should be primed to improve from their dreadful 2024 campaign. The outcomes of the following three bold predictions should be indicative of just how much better they can be.
1. Treyveon Henderson will rush for over 1,000 yards
The Patriots ground game was shockingly inefficient last year. Rhamondre Stevenson led the team with 207 carries on the year, but averaged less than four yards per rush.
Stevenson is still on the roster but it's telling that New England spent a second round pick on Treyveon Henderson. He is not the sort of battering ram that Vrabel has utilized in previous seasons but he has a rare ability to turn ordinary carries into explosive gains.
New England needs to do whatever they can to stop Maye from feeling like he needs to produce all the big plays. That's why Henderson is going to get a lot of work ahead of Stevenson as the season rolls along. He may start slow but he'll finish strong and top the 1,000 yard mark as a rookie.
2. Milton Williams will get 10 sacks
Milton Williams signed a massive contract with the Patriots in free agency. He got big money despite the reality that his career high in sacks is just the five he got last season with the Eagles. Vrabel and his staff clearly believe he has the ability to exceed that in a starting role.
Count on their big free agent investment paying off. Williams is a massive human with sudden movement skills on the perimeter. As long as he stays healthy he's going to get plenty of chances to rush the passer with his new defense. He may not turn into an All-Pro but a Pro Bowl berth and 10 sacks should be the baseline of Williams' expectations.
3. Kayshon Boutte will agitate for a trade
The acquisition of Diggs is good news for almost everyone on the Patriots' roster. Fellow wide receiver Kayshon Boutte might be the exception to that rule.
He's the player who is currently projected to lose snaps to Diggs at the outside receiver spot. Boutte came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick but he enjoyed a lot of hype at LSU during his collegiate career. He is not a player who relishes sharing the spotlight with anyone.
When it becomes clear to Boutte that he's losing significant targets and playing time to Diggs he's going to take the media to air his displeasure. That won't sit well with his new head coach. Look for Boutte to air his dirty laundry in public and for Vrabel to grant his wish of playing elsewhere.