ESPN's Patriots Offseason Grade Doesn't Make Much Sense (And Here's Why)
I want to preface this by saying I've gotten plenty of "B-" grades during my time through school. I can't be throwing stones around when it comes to the low-80s scores. It's part of life, right?
With that being said, I think the New England Patriots' 2026 offseason was better than a "B-." ESPN's Seth Walder graded each of the 32 NFL team's offseasons, highlighting some of their best and worst moves since the season ended in February.
The Patriots went out and brought in two high-end wide receivers, drafted what they hope to be their right tackle of the future, signed an elite safety and retained most of their roster from last year's run to the Super Bowl.
That alone should warrant a better grade than "B-."
Walder was a fan of the Patriots restructuring guard Mike Onwenu's contract, freeing up several million dollars in cap space in the process. He wasn't a fan of how much they paid for guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (three years, $42 million), citing his injury concerns as reason why they overspent.
The big move of the offseason, and one that people had come to expect for months, was bringing in A.J. Brown via trade.
"New England had one of the league's most efficient passing offenses last season, but the weakness at wide receiver was apparent, especially after the release of Stefon Diggs. The Patriots spent significant resources to address it, signing Romeo Doubs in free agency and dealing first- and fifth-round picks for Brown," Walder wrote.
"The latter deal was a bit rich, but I can understand why they did it. I feel Brown -- even after a down 2025 season -- could be a serious asset to the offense. He still can be one of the very best wide receivers in the NFL, and I would expect a production spike in a pass-heavy offense with a better passer in Drake Maye throwing to him."
Why "B-" Doesn't Feel Fair:
The deal is rich, but the Patriots had a need at the position. Moving on from Diggs and having a trio of Doubs, Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte just isn't going to cut it if the Patriots want to replicate last year's success. It's a fine room, but history has told us that young quarterbacks, especially ones as young as 23 years old, can thrive with the addition of an elite pass catcher.
Helping Maye's development under center is worth the first round price tag and shows that the team is committed to the "win-now" mentality that the fans are craving. Brown has already popped in OTAs and mandatory minicamp, highlighting what could be a franchise-altering deal if that carries into the regular season.
But Walder does point out that the team signing edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones to a three-year deal is the move he disliked. Why? Part of it is who they didn't decide to sign to begin with.
"One area that still looks a bit weak is edge rusher," Walder wrote. "New England lost K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency after a solid season and replaced him with Jones. Putting aside that Chaisson signed with the Commanders for a cheaper contract than Jones was signed to, I would rather have held on to Chaisson, as Jones recorded a pass rush win rate at edge in just the 22nd percentile."
The Patriots do have question marks at edge rusher. They decided to sign Jones over Chaisson because he plays the run better, but Chaisson's inspiring season last year was really fun to watch. That one was a miss that you could sense when it happened, and the veteran Jones will have a tough job trying to replace the 10.5 total sacks that Chaisson had in his lone year with the Patriots.
Patriots Have Done A Good Job Addressing Offseason Needs
But the team got plenty of value moves. They signed safety and NFL interception leader Kevin Byard to a one-year deal worth $10 million. They inked fullback Reggie Gilliam to fill a dire need on the offense. Safety Mike Brown and linebacker K.J. Britt have impressed during spring practices. There hasn't been a newcomer that has felt out of place at this point in time.
All in all, the Patriots had needs at several spots. At wide receiver. At offensive tackle. At edge rusher. While some of the moves are still up in the air in terms of on-field production, you can't fault the Patriots for going out and swinging for the fence in the first place.
I wouldn't go and say it was an "A+" offseason, especially if you want to add in the off-the-field drama that continued to swirl around the organization. I also wouldn't say an "A-" fits either. If I had to grade the Patriots' offseason test, I'd give it a hearty "B+." It's hard to judge these moves before we see them in full pads, but the team has done more than enough to combat some of their needs.
After all, if this offseason as been a "B-" offseason for New England, maybe I was the one who wasn't getting the right grades in school. Let's hope not.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as ESPN's Patriots Offseason Grade Doesn't Make Much Sense (And Here's Why).
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 6:30 AM.