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USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Where Patriots rank in salary cap space after major offseason spending
A year later, the New England Patriots have finally made good on that "burn some cash" comment by former head coach Jerod Mayo. They left no stone unturned in their efforts to put the broken franchise back together in the offseason. The team wasn't able to do it in the final years of the Bill Belichick era, and they failed miserably in the one-and-done Mayo trial run. Then Mike Vrabel walked into the building and the team was making it rain cash like a Lil Wayne music video. The Patriots entered the offseason with more money to spend than any other team in the league. They used it to make defensive tackle Milton Williams the highest-paid player in franchise history, along with doling out hefty deals to cornerback Carlton Davis and edge rusher Harold Landry. The team also signed Stefon Diggs, Morgan Moses, Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens. It was a massive haul aimed at raising the floor on the roster talent. But where do the Patriots stand currently after all of that spending? Surprisingly, the Patriots are still the No. 1-ranked team in the NFL in salary cap space. According to Over The Cap, they currently have $60.6 million in available salary cap space, with the San Francisco 49ers coming in second with $45.6 million. Even with all of the additions made to the roster, the Patriots didn't break the bank. They have created wiggle room for themselves to extend All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez at some point, while also adding other pieces in the future. Who knows? The Patriots could make another move for a pass rusher or receiver before the start of the season, if the right player and opportunity comes available. They clearly aren't done making moves, and they have the money and motivation to add more talent. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 25 New England Patriots had a remarkable offseason
Other NFL team previews: 32. Titans | 31. Saints | 30. Browns | 29. Panthers | 28. Jets | 27. Giants | 26. Raiders The length of time it takes to rebuild in the NFL is regularly overstated. Some teams get stuck with salary cap problems that take years to dig out of, others set themselves back by trading off too much draft capital, but typically NFL teams can turn around their fortunes fast. Advertisement The demise of the New England Patriots was real. Tom Brady left. The roster had as little talent as any in the NFL by the time Bill Belichick's unprecedented run with the Patriots was done. Last season, the Patriots suffered through a 4-13 season with a rookie head coach they obviously regretted hiring. It all seemed dire. 'The last two years have been really, really difficult — the worst two years of our ownership,' Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. A few months after the season ended and Jerod Mayo was unceremoniously fired, the Patriots might be back. Already. At the very least their situation looks remarkably better. The Patriots lost faith in Mayo fairly quickly, and the process of firing Mayo — a former star linebacker with New England who was saddled with a bad roster — and then having sham interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule wasn't a great look for the team. But they got their preferred target who is a nearly perfect fit. New England landed Mike Vrabel, another former Patriots star who has an NFL Coach of the Year award. It was a fantastic hire. He inherits second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the third overall pick in 2024 who showed plenty of promise late last season. Advertisement Then the offseason brought plenty of much-needed talent. They signed contracts with 15 outside free agents, mostly on the defensive side, for a combined total of more than $359 million. The top addition was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who signed for $104 million over four years. The draft, led by offensive tackle Will Campbell at the fourth overall pick, got the best consensus grade among all NFL teams. The Patriots have a proven head coach, an exciting quarterback and just had the best offseason in the NFL. Their win total at BetMGM is 8.5, which means oddsmakers believe the Patriots could be a .500 team. They've won eight games the last two seasons combined. Part of that optimistic win total is a schedule that is projected to be one of the easiest in the NFL this season. A bigger part is spending a ton of money on free-agent upgrades and potentially nailing the draft. Advertisement It's not like the Patriots will be a Super Bowl contender this season. The offensive line is a big question, even if their rookie left tackle plays well. The Patriots' longstanding ineptitude at drafting receivers means Maye's supporting cast probably won't be great. The defensive additions were plentiful, but they all need to fit together. The Patriots had one of the worst defenses in the NFL a season ago, so there's a long way to go. But it seems like the miserable fall from grace after the NFL's greatest dynasty had ended is a lot further in the rear-view mirror than it actually is. It didn't take long for the Patriots to reinvent themselves. Offseason grade The Patriots might have the best free agency haul and the best draft class this offseason. Not bad. In free agency, the Patriots's top additions were defensive tackle Milton Williams, receiver Stefon Diggs, cornerback Carlton Davis, outside linebacker Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury. All of them are projected starters. The Patriots' Week 18 win last season — which the Buffalo Bills seemed to hand to them — cost New England the No. 1 overall pick. However, the Patriots got much-needed offensive line help with Will Campbell at No. 4 overall. They followed that up with running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round and receiver Kyle Williams in the third. The Patriots completely revamped the roster. Advertisement Grade: A Quarterback report Josh McDaniels is not NFL head coach material, but he is a very good offensive coordinator. Mike Vrabel picked McDaniels to run his offense, and that's good news for Drake Maye. Maye had a strong rookie season despite being put in a bad situation. He was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, without many reliable playmakers around him and with a coaching staff that ended up being one and done. Despite those roadblocks Maybe threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 starts, completing 66.6% of his passes while also rushing for 421 yards. Maye's talent was evident (his wild touchdown pass with time expired against the Titans was extremely impressive), even with a mess around him. The supporting cast has questions but it has been significantly upgraded. McDaniels is another key asset in Maye's development. BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'Year No. 2 in the Drake Maye era brings renewed hope in New England behind a strong draft and new head coach in Patriots legend Mike Vrabel. New England has a win total of 8.5 at BetMGM, nearly double its win total of 4.5 last season. And in perhaps my favorite betting nugget of the offseason, the Patriots are favored in 11 games this season, after being the only NFL team not to be favored in a single game last season. New England also plays the second-easiest schedule by opposing win totals, so expectations are reasonably higher this year in Foxboro." Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Drake Maye somehow kept his head above water in his rookie year despite very little help. Now he's an interesting breakout candidate entering Year 2. Advertisement "New England proactively tried to fix everything that was broken around Maye. The line will be better, the skill players have been upgraded. Josh McDaniels never worked as an NFL head coach but he's a smart rehire at offensive coordinator. And Maye is resourceful and athletic enough to supplement his passing value with occasional running. Maye currently sits as the QB17 in early Yahoo ADP — that shows some market confidence, but still reasonable room for profit." Stat to remember The Patriots haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver this decade. The last one was Julian Edelman in 2019. In fact, no Patriots receiver has gone over 866 yards since then. Last season, tight end Hunter Henry led the team with just 674 receiving yards. Will the newly signed Stefon Diggs become the Patriots' first 1,000-yard receiver in more than a decade? New England is hoping so. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) This is what happens when you whiff on just about every draft pick and free agent addition at receiver over many years. Even last year's picks of Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round and Javon Baker in the fourth seem like wastes after the two combined for 99 yards last season. Even worse, the Patriots traded down with the Chargers in the second round last year, and they took Polk while the Chargers picked instant star Ladd McConkey with New England's pick. Stefon Diggs was signed, but he's 31 years old coming off a torn ACL and had shown signs of decline before the injury. Maybe rookie Kyle Williams will be a hit. Many draft analysts liked Williams, a third-round pick who has high-end speed and made many plays at Washington State. Overall, the Patriots didn't succeed in finding a true No. 1 receiver, unless you buy that Diggs will find a fountain of youth. Maye won't fully blossom until the Patriots get him some blue-chip receivers, and we'll see if that's still an issue going into next offseason. Burning question How much better will the defense be? The Patriots weren't very good on defense last season. Mike Vrabel made sure there were some reinforcements. The Patriots signed defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis, edge rusher Harold Landry and linebacker Robert Spillane to contracts that total $234.5 million. There was some talent already on the defense, like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, linebacker Christian Elliss and safeties Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. Suddenly the talent level doesn't seem like an issue anymore. Advertisement Vrabel is a good defensive mind and he should have a positive impact. The Patriots weren't good on defense last season (they were 30th in DVOA) so expecting a leap into the top 10 might be asking a lot. It also doesn't seem like a defense with so much talent and Vrabel helping run it will finish in the bottom 10. Best-case scenario The Patriots get a break with their schedule this season. Using opponents' projected win totals to project schedule strength, New England has the second easiest schedule in the NFL via Sharp Football Analysis. Maybe that helps New England get in playoff contention. Plenty of things have to go right. The defense has to mesh. The offensive line has to be much better. The running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson could be very productive, and maybe Drake Maye elevates a passing game that has some interesting pieces at receiver but plenty of concerns, too. Mike Vrabel usually got the most out of his teams when he was the Titans head coach, which should transfer to the Patriots. Between Vrabel, Maye, some good running backs, major improvements on defense and a weak schedule, you can see a path for the Patriots to be a playoff contender. Given how bad New England was the last two seasons, that would be a great start to Vrabel's tenure. Nightmare scenario Plenty of teams have great offseasons and it doesn't result in a great record. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel understands that. Advertisement "We won March. Amazing. Which is something that's comical," Vrabel said. "We're never trying to just win March, we're trying to be ready when the season goes, and it's a long process." The Patriots added 10 players this offseason who are projected starters, according to depth charts. That doesn't count running back TreVeyon Henderson, who will have a big role. An overhaul was needed and it looks good on paper, but that's a lot of change in one offseason. It's normal to look at a team that added many new players and envision everyone fitting together perfectly. How often does that happen? For example, Milton Williams had great stretches of play with the Eagles, but now he'll need to play more snaps and he won't be alongside a dominant player like Jalen Carter anymore. And while Drake Maye looks like the real deal, he has just 12 NFL starts. It's hard to imagine the Patriots will be as bad as last season, but if the improvement is only a win or two it would be a disappointment. The crystal ball says The Patriots might be way too low in these rankings. Maybe the oddsmakers are right and New England has a huge improvement. There's just a lot of change to account for, and the Patriots have been miserable for two straight seasons. Mike Vrabel is a very good coach and most of the players the Patriots brought in are big upgrades. Still, it's hard to predict any team to more than double its win total from the season before. No matter how many wins the Patriots get, this will be a growth season. Vrabel will start establishing a culture. Drake Maye will continue to emerge as a franchise quarterback. The product on the field will look completely different after adding many impact players. The rebuild is practically over already; New England can move on to figuring out how to get back to AFC East dominance.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matt Vautour: The Bruins are asking a lot of Marco Sturm
BOSTON — There is no hard and fast predictive test from a press conference that indicates how the guy at the podium will fare when he's behind the bench. Jerod Mayo's introductory press conference was a coronation as the Patriots announced their next great coach. At Joe Mazzulla's first media availability, for understandable reasons, he seemed on edge and overwhelmed. Today, Mayo is unemployed and Mazzulla has a ring and as much confidence as anyone. Advertisement So, drawing too many conclusions from Marco Sturm's introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Bruins would be foolish. But, in his first public appearance as an NHL head coach, Sturm came off as comfortable, confident and intelligent. His German accent even added a bit of gravitas. But only time and games will show if he is ready. But he came off like he felt ready, which is good because the Bruins are asking a lot. They want him to: Develop the young players. Fix the power play. Maintain the culture. Get the Bruins back on the right path. Takeaways from Marco Sturm Day 1: All of this requires projection and imagination — Whether or not they did so intentionally, the Bruins lowered expectations on a big free agent haul. That doesn't mean they're not going to sign key pieces, but Sturm emphasized his belief in the current roster. Advertisement 'I still love our team, even without any additions,' he said. 'We have good goaltending. When everyone stays healthy, we have a really good D-corps. We're hopefully going to add a few pieces up front.' And when Sweeney was asked about roster-building, he talked about decisions regarding Matt Poitras or Fraser Minten, not Mitch Marner or Sam Bennett. That's probably the realistic approach. The Bruins have the eighth most projected available cap space ($26.27 million) according to Puckpedia, but they also have the fewest players signed to NHL contracts of any team in the league. Not including the goalies, they have five forwards (David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, Mark Kastelic and Elias Lindholm) and four defensemen (Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Andrew Peeke) who are roster locks for next year. So that money is likely going to be spread around. Some is presumably going to Morgan Geekie and Mason Lohrei, who are restricted free agents. The rest has to go toward filling a lot of roster spots. Advertisement Development will be key — No matter who the Bruins sign, draft or trade for, they'd benefit from increased contributions from their young players. They're counting on Sturm, who did a good job of drawing improvement from Los Angeles Kings prospects in the AHL, doing the same in Boston with Matt Poitras, Fraser Minten, Fabian Lysell or any one of a handful of other players, who have straddled the line between the AHL and the NHL. 'He's been part of player development, so he knows that path and what it takes to make those steps, so he can challenge whoever it's going to be,' Sweeney said. 'So that was more about the process of how we're going to get there, but it was always about the coaching.' It's not just developing young guys but putting older players in position to succeed. Can he get more out of Elias Lindholm or Casey Mittlestadt? More offense out of Charlie McAvoy? Sturm said he was being picky about which jobs to pursue — In addition to his family being partial to living in Boston, Sturm said he wanted his first head coaching job to come under the right circumstances. Advertisement 'I wanted to be an NHL coach. But also I looked at some teams and I knew that wouldn't be, probably a good fit. There's a reason why I took my time,' he said. 'I always wanted to come back here, obviously, but I think the timing of it was just perfect, right? I mean, selfishly, I'm glad the Bruins didn't play well last year, because otherwise I wouldn't be here, let's be honest.' Sweeney's candidate pool ran deep — While all interviews are obviously not created equal, Sweeney said he spoke to 14 coaching candidates during the process. At a time when the Bruins are reimagining what their system, culture and roster should look like, there's an advantage to hearing a lot of ideas. Sweeney said hearing the parade of hopefuls critique the roster was difficult but valuable. Advertisement 'Coaches came in and gave their honest opinion of how they wanted to see things. The things you had done well, the things you hadn't done well, the outside perspective that teams have had of the Bruins organization over the years, the changes that have gone well and haven't gone well during those years, and success or not having success,' Sweeney said. 'Those are eye-opening at times, and it's constructive. You have to take it to heart and make adjustments. ... Marco went through some of the things that he felt that we had done well, but things that we had gotten away from, and where the league is at and where the league is headed to. ... There were some very constructive things that took place during the process that I'm grateful for.' Sturm is keeping a guy on his staff who was a candidate for the job — As the Bruins have often done, they're keeping much of their staff intact even with a new coach. That's a challenge for anyone, but in Jay Leach, Sturm will have a guy working for him, who interviewed for his job. That might work fine. But it's at least a strange dynamic. The Bruins weren't quite ready to disconnect themselves from their recent history — Is Bruins culture something that can continue with new players and new leaders or is it something that needs to be re-imagined and rebuilt? While they no longer have any players from the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, the culture created by Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand was referenced often. Advertisement 'The culture we built here 20 years ago. It's still here, that the style and the winning mindset we had,' said Sturm, who was a player on the teams that first established that culture. 'I think that's something that gets me really excited, and that's what I believe in.' More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Getting back to the Patriot way, Lions & 49ers star recoveries, plus camera-shy Buffalo
Inside: The Patriots aim to make a quick return to the postseason, plus a health checkup on Aidan Hutchinson, Brandon Aiyuk, and a spotlight on the 2025 Bills. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. The word in New England last offseason was change. The goal? Establish a new culture, replacing the emotionless, do-your-job style of Bill Belichick with a more modern, player-friendly approach. To begin the Jerod Mayo era, a Week 1 upset win over the heavily favored Bengals signaled that perhaps today's players respond best to positivity, to a coach willing to install a locker-room basketball hoop. That victory concluded with a post-game Gatorade shower to celebrate Mayo's first win as a head coach. Advertisement There wasn't another opportunity to celebrate like that. New England lost their next six games and finished 4-13 for the second consecutive year. It's fair to wonder if any coach would've succeeded with that roster, but Mayo's inversion of Belichick's approach — best illustrated by Chad Graff's story about card games being prioritized over film — seemed a poor fit for a franchise built by maintaining the highest standards. It was clear the Patriots had lost their way. Enter new head coach Mike Vrabel, tasked with returning New England to the road he helped pave. 'The banners that hang in our stadium, they're not going to help us win,' Vrabel said during his introductory press conference. 'But I think they're a reminder of what it takes to win.' Vrabel and de facto GM Eliot Wolf immediately started remaking the roster in the new coach's linebacker image. They spent nearly $150 million in guarantees on improving their defense in the first wave of free agency and used an early draft pick on the offensive line. But there's also been flash, including the signing of former Pro Bowl WR Stefon Diggs. Now armed with the full schedule, The Athletic's Jeff Howe and Austin Mock ran 100,000 simulations to project 2025. (The results include the 49ers and Bengals replacing the Vikings and Steelers in the playoffs.) Of the eight teams with the worst records in 2024, Vrabel's Patriots are projected to have the biggest turnaround. Their 8.9 wins have them a hair behind the Chargers for the AFC's final playoff spot. History suggests they might make it. Each of the past 10 seasons, at least one team that finished with a bottom-eight record has made the playoffs in the next year. Most of those playoff appearances required strong quarterback play. Even the worst of the bunch got solid seasons — in 2015, Kirk Cousins led the league in completion percentage for Washington. Mitch Trubisky was a 2018 Pro Bowler for the Bears. Even Marcus Mariota (Titans, 2017) and Blake Bortles (Jaguars, 2017) played well enough to let their talented teammates lead the way. Advertisement This new generation of Patriots will go as far as sophomore QB Drake Maye can take them. Thankfully, he now has help. New England transformed last year's 30th-ranked defense (by DVOA, per FTN Fantasy) into one of the league's most improved units. Their most glaring needs — a No. 1 receiver and left tackle — are being addressed by Diggs and Campbell. Now, with nearly half a century (48 years, five months) separating the combined ages of Belichick and Tom Brady from current counterparts Vrabel and Maye, we'll quickly learn if this duo can restore New England to the winning course in a new way. Certain moments can devastate an NFL season. Injuries top the list. Entering Week 5, Aidan Hutchinson's 6.5 sacks had him on pace for 28, which would've smashed the NFL single-season record of 22.5. He was arguably the league's best defensive player, also leading in quarterback hits and pressures. \ He then broke his tibia during the Lions' next game, a 47-9 blowout win in Dallas. It was a moment that reminded us how cruel the sport can be. While Hutchinson planned for a Super Bowl reunion with his team, a 45-31 loss to Washington in the playoffs never gave them the chance. And without Hutchinson's pressure, Detroit had to force the issue. Even with the midseason trade for Za'Darius Smith, losing their star pass rusher forced them to go from blitzing at an average rate (29.4 percent, 13th in NFL) to being the league's second-heaviest blitzing team (41.5 percent per dropback). That put more of a burden on an already leaky pass secondary: It's also fair to question how serious his idea of a Super Bowl return was, considering he only was fully cleared for football activities late last week. I tagged in The Athletic's Lions beat reporter, Colton Pouncy, to learn how Hutchinson looks. How has rehab gone for him? Do the Lions expect him active in Week 1? 💬 Colton: 'Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard told reporters recently that Hutchinson looks 'really good' as he works his way back from a broken tibia and fibula that ended his 2024 season just five games in. 'Sheppard said Hutchinson has been the most energetic guy on the field during offseason workouts and alluded to him starting to look like his old self. He'll be given ample time to recover and the Lions won't rush him back, but the expectation is he'll be good to go for training camp. If he can return to form quickly, he'll be right back in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year. It was his to lose before his injury.' Advertisement A healthy Hutchinson is one of many positives in Colton's pre-OTA Lions report. Positive news in Detroit? It must be a new year. The 49ers will welcome a new year, given they shared a similar injury-plagued 2024. How is their star receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, recovering from his October ACL tear? Let's ask 49ers beat reporter Matt Barrows. This team was Super Bowl favorites before the injuries led to a 6-11 finish. Are there any lingering health issues with Aiyuk? 💬 Matt: 'Aiyuk's coming back from an Oct. 20 ACL tear, is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and Kyle Shanahan has said there's 'a chance' Aiyuk will be ready for the start of the season. Another scenario has Aiyuk beginning the season on PUP and missing the first four games. If that's the case, the 49ers would lean on Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and perhaps second-year player Jacob Cowing.' One player to watch is fourth-round receiver Jordan Watkins, one of 11 rookies whom Matt spoke about with the team's director of player personnel and college scouting guru, Tariq Ahmad. You can find his full report on the 49ers rookie class here. It's been a good offseason for Bills fans. It projects to get better: For the first time in history, they can follow along on 'Hard Knocks.' Buffalo's sneaky-strong offseason began with reasonable extensions for cornerstone players like MVP Josh Allen, now under contract through 2030, and DE Greg Rousseau (2029). The core intact, they also addressed gaps: Star OT Dion Dawkins also helped usher in a new era for offensive linemen, as he is credited with launching the campaign that led to the new Protector of the Year Award, which will be given to the league's best offensive lineman each season. What's next for the Bills? They are the only team favored in every game this upcoming season, notably over the Ravens (-1.5) in Week 1 and Chiefs (-2.5) in Week 9. This spotlight led to their selection for 'Hard Knocks', for which Tim Graham explains the Bills will begrudgingly allow the invasive cameras. But hey, at least it can't go worse than the Giants' experience last year. The NFL Films team decided to run that one back, putting the Giants under the spotlight for this year's in-season version covering the NFC East. 📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's free daily NFL newsletter in your inbox. Also, check out our other newsletters.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Patriots weren't favored in any games last year. What about this year?
The Patriots didn't inspire much in the way of confidence prior to the start of last season. Coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons, oddsmakers didn't favor them in any of their 2025 regular season games. They had the Patriots as underdogs from start to finish. Advertisement This year? The script has flipped. In a big way. According to DraftKings, the Pats are favored in 11 of their 17 games. While Jerod Mayo, who took over for Bill Belichick last year, didn't generate much in the way of optimism, Mike Vrabel certainly has sparked considerable buzz around New England. Between his track record as a head coach, offseason moves made, Drake Maye entering Year 2, and the hype over the newest draft class, he's already hooked some into being believers. While they aren't favored by much in any of the 11 games, the fact they're favored at all says something. It helps that based on last season, the Patriots have the third-easiest schedule in terms of strength of schedule. Advertisement The only teams they're not favored against are the two games with Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and one of the games with the Dolphins in Miami. While lines can change, here are the games the Patriots are favored in: Week 1 vs. Las Vegas: Patriots favored by 3.5 points Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh: Patriots favored by 1.5 points Week 4 vs. Carolina: Patriots favored by 3.5 points Week 6 @ New Orleans: Patriots favored by 3.0 points Week 7 @ Tennessee: Patriots favored by 1.5 points Week 8 vs. Cleveland: Patriots favored by 5.5 points Week 9 vs. Atlanta: Patriots favored by 3.0 points Week 11 vs. New York Jets: Patriots favored by 5.5 points Advertisement Week 13 vs. New York Giants: Patriots favored by 3.0 points Week 17 @ New York Jets: Patriots favored by 1.5 points Week 18 vs. Miami: Patriots favored by 2.5 points More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
