The New England Patriots made the Super Bowl and don't have a ton of major free agents this offseason. That, in theory, should put Mike Vrabel's team in a terrific position going into the 2026 season. However, anyone who watched the Patriots get dog-walked in the Super Bowl would be quick to tell you that they need to make some offseason changes. And in many cases, that means finding upgrades from starters who played a big role this past season.
While nothing is a guarantee (especially when we're still in February), the Patriots have some very clear candidates in terms of starters who they will replace this offseason. It starts with a pair of free agents who will give New England difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks.
Patriots starters set to hit free agency who could be gone
S Jaylinn Hawkins
In the case of Jaylinn Hawkins, the defensive back could be considered one of the biggest steals of last offseason. New England landed him on a one-year, $1.8 million contract, and he was one of the better safeties in the league. He finished the season grading out as the 15th-best at the position according to PFF among 91 qualified players. That grade came along with four interceptions and 48 tackles on the year.
The problem with that is that Hawkins has certainly raised his price tag as the 28-year-old is set to become a free agent this offseason. Spotrac projects the AAV of his next deal to jump up to somewhere in the range of $8.3 million. That's a substantial pay increase that will certainly make the Patriots think about the possibility of letting him walk.
Of course, New England does have ample cap space and can open up even more. So it's entirely possible that they keep Hawkins in the building after playing so well for them. At the same time, there's a chance that they look to not over-invest in the safety room and explore alternatives in the draft or in the bargain bin of free agency — you know, where they uncovered Hawkins.
EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson
In reality, I expect the Patriots to quite aggressively aim to improve their pass rush this offseason. While they had a mix of solid veterans on the edge this past season, it feels like Vrabel and his staff could get more from that group with some talent upgrades. And that's where someone like K'Lavon Chaisson could come into the equation as he's about to hit free agency.
Now, on one hand, Chaisson has some things working in his favor after registering nine sacks on the season, and adding to that total in the playoffs. At the same time, he was middling overall with his underlying pass-rush numbers, logging just an 11.5% pressure rate on the year, good for tied for 75th. In addition to that, he was one of the worst run-defending edge rushers in the league last season.
Because of familiarity and perhaps other possible changes, I could see Chaisson being brought back. However, I do wonder if no matter what happens, the Patriots try to find a more complete and effective edge defender, while either letting Chaisson walk or relegating him to more of a rotational role.
Patriots who could simply be replaced, one way or another
DL Christian Barmore
In both of the next two cases, the off-field issues have to be considered. Christian Barmore, who is facing a misdemeanor charge for assault and battery on a household/family member, is the easier decision to cut loose, however. Set to make $17.1 million against the cap next season, the truth of the matter is that he simply wasn't good when he was on the field, regardless of how less desirable his off-field problems make him for New England.
Barmore finished the season grading out as the 84th-best defensive lineman in the NFL among 127 qualifying players. While he was moderately effective as a pass-rusher, his overall efficacy just wasn't up to snuff for a player making the salary that he's set to for the 2026 season.
The Patriots can save $4.3 million by cutting him pre-June 1, or bump that up to $11.5 million in savings with only $5.6 million in dead money by designating him as a post-June 1 cut. In either case, I don't see New England taking on Barmore for another season, and they could certainly be on the hunt to easily upgrade from what he delivered the defense last season.
WR Stefon Diggs
The other player with off-field issues right now, Stefon Diggs pled not guilty earlier in February to charges of felony strangulation and suffocation, as well as misdemeanor assault and battery from an alleged incident with his personal chef over a payment dispute between her and the receiver. That certainly will be under consideration by the Patriots when determining what happens with Diggs' future with the organization.
Of course, cutting Diggs would make him obviously replaced going into next season. However, I would've included Diggs on this list regardless of the charges against him. Whether he's on the team or not, I fully believe that the Patriots are going to replace him as the WR1 in this offense with Drake Maye going into next season.
New England is already being heavily connected to a potential A.J. Brown trade, and there should be no shortage of other top-end receivers available to the Patriots this offseason. After upgrading the pass-catchers last offseason, there's still work to do, and I believe they do just that, which would either replace Diggs or push him to a different space on the depth chart.
LB Christian Elliss
Make no mistake, Christian Elliss has turned into a more-than-fine player with the Patriots. At the same time, I think we saw his ceiling when Robert Spillane missed time this past season, which forced Elliss into a bigger role. The defense, especially in the middle of the field, became quite susceptible. And because of that, I think we could see New England shuffle the pieces a bit this offseason.
Elliss isn't going anywhere. He'll still be a crucial depth piece for this defense, and will still see plenty of time on the field. Having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if the Pats either spent on linebacker in free agency, or used a higher-than-expected pick in the draft to upgrade at the position. But at the end of the day, the defense's drop-off when forced to rely more on Elliss will likely lead to the franchise aiming to upgrade.
OT Morgan Moses
Morgan Moses differs from the rest of this group, because I don't think it's a guarantee that he's replaced in Week 1 as the starter at tackle. He's signed for another season and, if he wants to continue playing, it feels like the door is opened for him. While that may be true, I also believe that the Patriots absolutely need to explore their longer-term options at tackle with Will Campbell for the future, and Moses isn't that at this point in his career.
Depending on how the board falls come April, I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if New England's first-round pick or second-round pick on an offensive tackle. Because that player would be a rookie, again, I could see Moses still being the starter in Week 1. However, the plan should be for the younger option to start seeing more time throughout the season, and hopefully replacing Moses. While that's not a guarantee, the spirit of such a projected move is in line with the veteran bookend being replaced this offseason.