After missing the playoffs for the past three seasons, there is renewed optimism surrounding the New England Patriots after an extremely successful offseason.
The Patriots’ 2024 finish may have looked the same as their 2023 finish, ending the season at 4-13, ranked last in the division, but the emergence of rising star quarterback Drake Maye seems to have accelerated the team’s timeline toward competing.
New England has made improvements this offseason, bringing in head coach Mike Vrabel, as well as signing star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and drafting offensive lineman Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
After an exciting offseason, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked the Patriots as the fourth most interesting team to watch out for in the league this season.
“Drake Maye’s promising rookie season is enough to make the rebuilding Patriots an intriguing watch in 2025,” Gagnon wrote. “The return of Mike Vrabel (this time as head coach) and major additions throughout the offense (namely fourth overall pick Will Campbell and the acquisition of veteran wideout Stefon Diggs) work as cherries on top.”
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“Are the Patriots suddenly a Super Bowl contender again? Hell nah. But could a well-coached team with decent talent and sneaky experience on both sides of the ball shock the football world and help Maye become a bona fide franchise quarterback? Absolutely. Don’t be surprised if this squad leapfrogs the Jets and Dolphins and works its way into the wild-card mix with a campaign that includes some stirring upsets.”
New England’s rebuild has not been entirely smooth the past couple of seasons, but with the overhaul of new additions this offseason, the team seems ready to make a run for the playoffs again.
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