Patriots Mailbag: Potential personnel changes, ideal 2025 draft and beyond originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 3-10 New England Patriots have reached their bye week. Fortunately. But even though there’s no game on the schedule this Sunday, there’s still plenty to discuss, especially regarding the state of this franchise moving forward.
For this week’s mailbag, we I returned to Reddit for another AMA (Ask Me Anything) on the r/Patriots subreddit. Once again, we received a slew of questions on all sorts of general topics, from coaching job security to 2025 NFL Draft prospects to Drake Maye upside and everything in between. Let’s get straight to it.
Fuqwon: It doesn’t look like Mayo is going to be removed. What are the chances of significant changes to the coaching staff outside of Mayo? Is Covington gone? Call on an experienced HC to supervise Mayo? The AVP is gone?
Fuqwon, you’re on it. Mayo will be back. And as it stands, given Drake Maye’s performance, I’d say it’s likely that Alex Van Pelt will be back. I even think DeMarcus Covington will be back.
Ownership has made a commitment to these guys in a very tangible way ($$), and I think they’re getting some leeway in that they’re all in these positions for the first time. (Van Pelt served as offensive coordinator, but hasn’t called plays every week since he did so on an emergency basis in 2009.)
That said! I could definitely see some personnel changes. Whether it’s adding an experienced voice to help Covington, who has led a defense that continues to have communication issues…Or whether it’s making a change in the receiving room …
Regardless, they need to make significant improvements in 2025 and the coaching staff should be on the roster, even if their three best players are back.
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F—Harambe2016: Realistically, what would it take for Kraft to clean up after this season or is everyone safe no matter how the season ends? Or who would be their “sacrificial” lamb so to speak?
I assume by “clean house” you mean Mayo and Eliot Wolf. I’d be stunned if Mayo wasn’t back. I would be surprised, but not to the same extent as a Mayo move, if Wolf was fired.
The owners knew it would take time. They want to give these guys they invested in ($$) time to prove they are worthy of their position. If there were sacrificial lambs, I think they would be assistants, both on the coaching staff and in the front office.
It wouldn’t surprise me, for example, if you saw the team move on from people whose contracts expire after this season. Some members of the organization had signed deals with the same name, i.e. after 2024, like Bill Belichick.
kiki_strumm3r: As things stand, is it unreasonable to think that if the team doesn’t make the playoffs next year, the entire front office and coaching staff should disappear?
Should being gone is strong, but I guess it depends on how it looks. If they don’t even sniff the playoffs? This could be grounds for a clean slate. But I don’t think you’d hear Jerod Mayo talk about this as a three-year build — he’s mentioned the Lions and 49ers as lineups in the past, and neither team has made the playoffs over the course of of the second year – if the property did so. I don’t see it the same way.
But they should undoubtedly improve. Three-win season after three-win season should be considered unacceptable. Especially with this quarterback.
Maye’s preparation, in my opinion, puts pressure on everyone (coaches, front office) to hurry up and get better. He’s so good you could argue with his presence on the list should impact on ownership expectations in the second year.
Are they now looking at this as a two-year process since they had The Guy? You’ll have to ask them soon.
DefeatFear: Do you think the Patriots should trade/pursue players in free agency?
Tee Higgins. He averages over 100 yards per game in games without Ja’Marr Chase. If he’s not a high-end No. 1, I still think he’s what they need: a boundary presence that would change the way defenses approach them on a weekly basis.
ZookeepergameSad645: Hey Phil, how likely is it that we’ll be able to attract high-end free agents next offseason when Chicago and Washington also have promising young QBs and plenty of cap space? Would it make sense to trade for veterans whose contracts are expiring?
You have to offer the most. Veterans on expiring contracts are interesting and should be considered. DK Metcalf is a free agent after 2025. He is the best of this group.
Terry McLaurin (I doubt Washington will let him go), Drake London (how good is he?), Garrett Wilson (in division), Deebo Samuel (worn out?) Chris Olave (health issues) are all in the same basket but are not. t ideal adds.
Timberstocker22: Outside of the core names, what’s your big picture for three or four prospects the Pats should seriously consider in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft?
I think their first round pick should be Travis Hunter or Will Campbell, and I think they’ll have a chance at one or both.
Some have the Patriots as the team most likely to end up with the No. 1 overall pick. Even if they don’t, there’s a chance a few teams in need of QBs will turn to Sanders/Ward near the top of the draft, leaving the Patriots — if they pick third or fourth — with a shot at one. of the two best non-QBs in the class.
Hunter is the best player in the draft. My buddy Mike Renner from CBS just joined me on Next Pats and told me that as a receiver he could be a Garrett Wilson type. Similar physical profiles. Equally moving parts throughout the formation.
I think an ideal result for the first three rounds would be something like:
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Hunter or Campbell
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Texas OT Cam Williams or WR Isaiah Bond (betting on traits at any spot that wasn’t hit in the first round)
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Iowa State CB Darien Porter if he gets there (a massive guy outside the numbers to play opposite Gonzalez) or LSU CB Zy Alexander (another long coverage corner)
Dr. Dotrat: Knowing the Patriots weren’t able to address all of their needs in free agency and last year’s draft…. What position should they (or would you) target using their premium draft pick (round 1) this year – OT, WR, CB, other?
This is a loophole, but it depends on the player. If it’s Travis Hunter, I’ll take him over anyone. If it’s Will Campbell vs. Tetairoa McMillan, I’ll probably go Campbell.
The problem with this draft is that it’s not loaded with talent at the premium spots, so you’re better off going with that first pick. No guarantee you’ll fill an immediate need with your second.
burndadsrule: Looking at last year’s draft, we took 3 OL talents but the line still has major problems. This year’s draft looks thin at the top, so it doesn’t look like anyone will come to the rescue. Where do you think the Pats are headed in re-evaluating their offensive line selection, development and deployment process?
I think they just need to be more aggressive. They can’t assume they can develop the guys they hire on Days 2 and 3.
Pay one. (Garett Bolles looks like he’s going to be a free agent. Closer to the end than the beginning…but he’s a left tackle.) Draft one early. (If that means trading up to draft the one you like, do it.) Trade one.
Attack it with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, as Jim Harbaugh would say. Because if you get cute and hope that right tackles can turn into left tackles, or if you assume that lower level starters can become average starters for you, you’re probably overestimating your ability to coach/develop. Pay – with provisional capital or real capital – for talent.
BAF_DaWg82: Where do you rank Drake Maye among the other quarterbacks in this draft?
I ranked Maye as the top QB prospect in the draft before the draft. I still feel the same way, which means I think – all things being equal – he will have the best career.
Jayden Daniels had the best performance this season, I think, but that doesn’t surprise me. He registered more than twice the number of entries into Maye University.
Plus… it’s closer than some people want you to believe. What Maye does with the cast around him, to me, makes his season perhaps the “most impressive”, even if it’s not the “best”.
4ndy1211: What are your expectations for next year? Is Maye already in the top ten?
I’m not sure I’d put Maye in the top 10 for his play this year. But I’m sure there won’t be 10 quarterbacks to replace him in the next three years.
Mahomes. Allen. Jackson. Terrier. Herbert… That’s all. This is the list. He’s got that kind of ceiling, and I wouldn’t take any other quarterback to see where that ceiling ultimately is.
Any expectations for next year? They should be in the playoff race in December and win at least seven games.
SmartName_: On a scale of 1 to 10, how attractive would the Patriots be as a destination this upcoming offseason? Does a clearly promising quarterback trump the coaching staff with a lot to prove?
If you’re talking about free agents? Number 1 is money. Number 2 is opportunity. And you can define the opportunity however you want.
If it’s an opportunity to extend a career and get a third contract…if it’s marketing opportunities…if it’s winning opportunities…I think the Patriots are probably around ‘a 5 or 6.
This was probably the 2 last offseason. This increase is entirely due to the quarterback. This offseason and last time, they had a lot of money to spend.
Potatoman_is_taken: Is Curran more proud of his Belichick or Kraft impression? Which one do you think is the best?
His Kraft is by far his best, IMO. I don’t know how accurate it is. But it’s his best.
