New England Patriots Insider Reveals How High New England Patriots Are

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 4:21 AM

new england patriots insider reveals how high new england patriots are

In a development very few—if any—football experts saw coming, the Patriots have the best record in the NFL as we creep toward the midway point of November. There was nothing particularly surpising about New England's dominance against the Jets on Thursday night because Drake Maye has turned himself into a household name and Justin Fields is apparently not an NFL quarterback. But with each win, the notion that the Pats are legit and poised to sail to unexpected heights gets more and more reasonable. So it was only a matter of time until someone took the jump from “Patriots are going to win the AFC East” to "Patriots are going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.”... Asked if he was convinced that the AFC will go through Foxborough, Clark offered a confident “absolutely.” .@Realrclark25 is convinced the Patriots WILL win the AFC 👀 pic.twitter.com/BzqvKwRdtZ

The Patriots may have arrived at the top of the AFC a bit early here in 2025. Certainly, the hope always was that New England would rebuild after a pair of 4-13 seasons, some coaching churn from Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel and the development of quarterback Drake... But few expected the arrival to come in the first half of Vrabel’s first season. The Patriots certainly spent in the offseason in such a way as to indicate they are serious about getting things turned around. They shelled out more than $300 million in free-agent contract, with well over $120 million in guaranteed money. That’s a dangerous game in the NFL–free agency is the least efficient way to build a team in this league.

But the Patriots hit on multiple players, from Milton Williams and Robert Spillane, to Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. And what’s more, they were careful with how they structured deals so that, when they arrive at next winter’s free-agent market, they will be positioned to create another $100 million in space to spend... At Spotrac, the contract-expert site, editor Mike Ginnitti gushed this week about where the Patriots are and, more important, where they are headed, especially with a spike in the NFL salary cap expected. “They have set themselves up for a little bit more free-agency, draft, extension space in 2026, and I guess that’s where I will switch my focus. …” Ginnitti said on “The Spotrac Podcast.” “The Top 51 space looks pretty darn good, there is $66 million and change to work with, that’s with 44 contracts on the books and a few... We're all about NFL, CFB, NBA, and MLB news, rumors and lists.

Sportsnaut.com prides itself on being #NautOpinionated. The New England Patriots have the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, providing the franchise with an opportunity to land one of this year’s elite prospects with quarterback Cam Ward now expected... 1 pick. Weeks out from draft day, the biggest name being talked about is two-way player Travis Hunter . Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is viewed by a majority of teams as the top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the quarterback-needy Tennessee Titans are expected to take Ward with the first pick and the exploding cost of salaries for edge rushers makes pass rusher Abdul Carter a top option.

Related: New England Patriots have high asking price for a Joe Milton trade New England already addresses its cornerback room this offseason, signing free agent Carlton Davis to a multi-year deal with $20 million per season. Paired with third-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots’ defense next season will field two high-end starters on the outside. However, there are plenty of other Patriots draft needs to address. Stay up to date with all the most recent Patriots news! Fifth-round pick Bradyn Swinson will take the open roster spot.

Both veterans served as standard elevations against the Jets. The New England Patriots have the most cap space in the league this offseason, with more than $100 million that can be spent in NFL free agency. While a few of the top NFL free agents have come off the board, there are reportedly still several high-end Patriots free agent targets who could be signed. When the 2025 NFL offseason began, guard Trey Smith and wide receiver Tee Higgins were viewed as the top Patriots free agent targets. With nearly $130 million in cap space, New England had the financial flexibility to get into a bidding war with anyone and come out on top. However, Higgins and Smith are receiving the franchise tag from their respective teams.

Related: 2025 NFL mock draft, see who New England Patriots land While that’s a bit of a blow to New England’s initial plans, there are still quality starters available at multiple positions of need. That includes the offensive line and at wide receiver, positions that the team is also expected to prioritize early in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, the Patriots’ top targets in NFL free agency are offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, cornerback Charvarius Ward, wide receiver Chris Godwin and defensive tackle... The New England Patriots had significant work to do this offseason. As one of the worst teams in the league, finishing with only four wins, they needed to overhaul nearly every aspect of their roster.

Their first major move, hiring Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, seemed like a surefire way to improve the defense. However, they also had to make major adjustments to an offense that, aside from some stellar play from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, had several glaring weaknesses. So far, they’ve done an excellent job of adding talent to the squad, especially considering the challenges they’ve faced along the way. The offense for the Patriots was a major concern last season, finishing 26th on PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Even though Drake Maye was far from the perfect quarterback as a rookie, some of the shortcomings also stemmed from the receiving core. No wide receiver tallied more than 611 yards on the season, with tight end Hunter Henry leading the team with 674 yards.

As a result, the Patriots made a concentrated effort to add a few wide receivers to the roster, starting with the signing of Mack Hollins earlier in the offseason. However, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that the team had their eyes on a plethora of high-end veterans to add to the squad. Eventually, they struck with Stefon Diggs, albeit on a three-year deal worth $69 million. The New England Patriots put together a notably productive offseason, all things considered. When combining their work on the offensive side of the ball, multiple starting-level acquisitions defensively, and a fully re-hauled coaching staff, it's been both a busy and positive past few months for this Patriots... However, when pooling together all of the Patriots' moves from this offseason, one notable NFL insider sees one major takeaway that could define just how high New England's ceiling might be for the year...

In the mind of Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, a ton of success for the Patriots next season centers upon one spot and one name on the offense, and it's not Drake Maye – it's... "I can’t remember a rookie offensive lineman as critical to his team’s success as Will Campbell," Breer wrote. "If he delivers at left tackle, amid questions of his length for the position, the rest could fall into place. Drake Maye looks like he can play, and the skill group is better than average. The team’s defense should be good, too, if they can get a little uptick in performance from the edge rushers." The New England Patriots have transformed their pass rush under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel.

After recording the fewest sacks in the NFL last season, the Patriots now lead the league in one stat through two games of the 2025 season. This dramatic turnaround represents one of the most significant defensive improvements across the league. The Patriots struggled to generate consistent pressure in 2024, ranking dead last in quarterback takedowns. The statistical shift has caught attention, as insider Chad Graff posted on X about the unexpected development facing New England’s defense.

New England Patriots Insider Reveals How High New England Patriots Are

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