What do Patriots need this offseason? Jonathan Jones lists his prioritiesÂ
"You can have the greatest receivers out there — the quarterback’s on his back, he’s never completing a pass."
Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel, and the rest of the Patriots’ top brass have their work cut out for them this offseason when it comes to bolstering New England’s lackluster depth chart.
Even with New England entering the offseason with a league-best $120 million in cap space — coupled with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — the Patriots have multiple areas of deficiency across a roster in need of an injection of talent.
So where exactly does New England begin when it comes to such a consequential offseason?
Patriots veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones gave his take on the “Pats Interference” podcast, stressing that New England’s emphasis has to start in the trenches.
“Starting up front, man,” Jones told the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “I think at this point our answers are in the public. We were terrible last year. There weren’t a lot of bright spots if we’re just being honest. So, it’s going to be a lot of filling in and getting good players in the building.
“That’s the first thing, honestly, is getting a lot of good players in the building because there just weren’t (last season). At times, a lot of guys out there just say, ‘This guy’s going to dominate the guy in front of him.’ And so, when that happens, you’re depending a lot on out-coaching people and out-scheming people. This is the National Football League, you’re not going to do that. At some point, you just have to go through another individual.”
The offensive line — especially at the tackle position — has been an Achilles’ heel on New England’s roster for years. New England allowed 52 sacks this season — the fifth-most in the NFL, and the most sacks allowed in New England over one year since 1999.
But New England’s defensive line and pass-rushing capabilities also left a lot to be desired in 2024, especially with Christian Bamore sidelined for most of the season due to a blood-clot issue.
With Barmore’s status moving forward still unclear, the Patriots could opt for an impact pass rusher up front in either Penn State’s Abdul Carter or Michigan’s Mason Graham with the No. 4 pick.
“It’s got to start with getting good football players up front,” Jones added. “Offensive line, defensive line, that’s where the game’s won and lost. The media wants to hype on receivers and skill players — which are important, I get it.
“You can have the greatest receivers out there — the quarterback’s on his back, he’s never completing a pass. So, you have to protect him. And vice versa. As a DB, I don’t care how great you are at covering, if the defensive line aren’t getting any pass rush, your guy’s going to get open. That’s just what football is and we have to start there. I think that’s what the program needs to be built off of.”
Jones’ comments fall in line with Vrabel’s comments last week about offseason priorities, with New England’s latest head coach emphasizing the need to both protect quarterback Drake Maye moving forward and build a strong foundation for the offense.
“You look at the teams that are able to protect the QB and dictate the flow of the game offensively, making sure that, up front, we’re sound, we’re strong,” Vrabel noted. “Whether that’s through free agency or through the draft, that’s something that’s critical.
“The D-linemen, they’re getting better every year, they’re getting more disruptive, they’re getting bigger, they’re getting more powerful, so as they try to affect our QB, we have to have some things that counterbalance that.”
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