An evaluation of the New England Patriots' roster at their bye week could consist of just three words: More talent needed.
The Patriots own the NFL's fourth-worst record (3-10) in part because they severely lack high-end players on both sides of the ball. As such, there's already been plenty of discussion about how New England can bolster its roster via free agency and the NFL Draft next offseason to capitalize on the lofty potential of dynamic rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
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Talent doesn't get added in a vacuum, however, and any offseason lookahead also should include mention of which players could leave the team next March.
With that in mind, here's a rundown of every player on the Patriots' active roster set to become a free agent in 2025, followed by an analysis of what it means for the team's offseason plans.
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The biggest takeaway here? There isn't a whole lot of talent heading out the door.
Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones is the only player making north of $10 million who's set to become a free agent, and it's possible the Patriots look to re-sign him this offseason.
New England has a decision to make on whether to bring back Jacoby Brissett as a mentor and backup to Maye, while Deatrich Wise is a steady contributor on the offensive line. Tight end Austin Hooper has been a pleasant surprise as well -- third on the team with 31 receptions for 337 yards -- and Jaylinn Hawkins assumed a starting safety role while Jabrill Peppers was out.
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Relatively speaking, however, the Patriots aren't losing many starting-caliber players. That's in part because the Patriots don't have many starting-caliber players to begin with, but also in part because the team extended many of its "core" players last offseason, with Rhamondre Stevenson, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, David Andrews, Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux, Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai and Peppers all getting new deals.
Despite that internal spending spree, New England still has plenty of resources -- the team projects to have an NFL-leading $132 million in cap space entering 2025 free agency.
That's all to say de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and the front office have a golden opportunity to add an influx of talent via free agency and the NFL Draft, without losing many of their core players. Whether Wolf and his staff can add the right talent remains to be seen, however.
