Patriots Mailbag: Where are the next additions coming from

• GaryC103 on X (formerly Twitter): "Hi Alex, were you disappointed yesterday that the Pats didn't start rebuilding now!!! and if so what do you think the front office should be prioritising in FA? / X"

  Hi Alex, were you disappointed yesterday that the Pats didn't start rebuilding now!!! and if so what do you think the front office should be prioritising in FA?

  As I wrote Tuesday night, I didn’t expect the Patriots to make a ‘big’ move at the trade deadline. Based on the reporting around the league, the circumstances for such a move didn’t seem to be there. I was more surprised they failed to trade away players from the back end of their roster on expiring contracts, even for late-round draft picks.

  Looking ahead to free agency/trades (veteran acquisitions), the Patriots’ biggest target to me still should be wide receivers. Going through the draft and developing players at that position continues to be an issue, and at this point the team should be looking for established NFL talent. Pass rusher is another need that will probably make more sense as a veteran acquisition.

• Nate on X (formerly Twitter): "Do you think elliot wolfe has failed free agency, the draft, and the trade deadline? / X"

  Do you think elliot wolfe has failed free agency, the draft, and the trade deadline?

  To me, they’re three separate entities. The biggest failure of the three is last year’s free agency. Understanding the Wolf philosophy is about building through the draft, that’s much more sustainable when there is already a baseline of talent on the roster – like the Packers had for years. Using this year’s free agency to build up that baseline could have helped Wolf’s plan long-term.

  In the draft, standing pat and taking Drake Maye rather than getting too cute by trading down for more picks and a lesser quarterback is a win. As I said on draft night, selecting Maye made it a “good draft” and the rest of the selections would make it a “great draft.” Obviously the jury is still out there as the remainder of the class has yet to make an impact.

  As for the trade deadline, not moving one of K.J. Osborn or Tyquan Thornton feels like a missed opportunity. At the same time, the fact they didn’t make a ‘big’ move didn’t come as much of a surprise given what happened around the league.

• David Jacobs on X (formerly Twitter): "With Thorton and Osborne still here after all the speculation. What is the plan? Is there a realistic way of them being inserted into the rotation? / X"

  With Thorton and Osborne still here after all the speculation. What is the plan? Is there a realistic way of them being inserted into the rotation?

  Right now, it’s tough to find a role for K.J. Osborn or Tyquan Thornton in the Patriots’ offense. Obviously injuries can change that, but that feels like the only path right now, especially if the Patriots prioritize playing their younger receivers (as they should).

  ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on Sunday that Osborn could be released if a trade wasn’t reached, which would make sense. As for Thornton, he still has another year on his contract so the team could hold onto him to keep some depth at the position, and try to trade him again this offseason.

• Steve L'Heureux @NHLBruins 🥃 on X (formerly Twitter): "What will it take to get Javon Baker some real reps? Even with Thornton and Osborne inactive he barely got WR reps. / X"

  What will it take to get Javon Baker some real reps? Even with Thornton and Osborne inactive he barely got WR reps.

  At this point, Javon Baker should be getting more opportunities. While he did have a rough start to the season the Patriots used a fourth-round pick on him and it’s too soon to give up on him entirely, especially given the lack of production elsewhere in the wide receiver room.

  What will it take to make that happen? Based on Jerod Mayo’s comments on Wednesday it sounds like it’s just a matter of performing well in practice. He’s trended in the right direction the last two weeks – being active for the first time in a while two weeks ago then getting offensive snaps last week – so it seems like he’s doing something right.

• Matt Ryan on X (formerly Twitter): "The obvious needs are WR and OT which would you choose to address with our first round pick and which would be the first free agent target. Who would be your draft pick and top free agent / X"

  The obvious needs are WR and OT which would you choose to address with our first round pick and which would be the first free agent target. Who would be your draft pick and top free agent

  Tackle should be the Patriots’ top draft priority. Established veteran tackles rarely become available in the modern NFL. Getting a potential blue-chip player at that premium position almost has to be done through the draft. That leaves wide receiver for the veteran market, which could be via free agency or a trade.

• Eddie on X (formerly Twitter): "Great morning to you Alex!! Do you think we can get away with signing a top tackle in free agency and spending a 2/3 rounder on a center instead? Parker Brailsford seems like a stud to pair with Maye for long term with Andrews having one season in him tops. Thanks!😊 / X"

  Great morning to you Alex!! Do you think we can get away with signing a top tackle in free agency and spending a 2/3 rounder on a center instead? Parker Brailsford seems like a stud to pair with Maye for long term with Andrews having one season in him tops.

  In all likelihood, the top tackles in free agency won’t represent the kind of franchise player the Patriots should be looking to add at the position. The current top projected free agent tackle is 30-year-old Ronnie Stanley, and after him it’s mostly older players who signed one-year deals last year like Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses.

  Given that, a Day 2 pick may be a little more than the Patriots should invest in a center. It’s a position the Patriots should look to add youth at this offseason, but with another year of David Andrews and Ben Brown still in the mix, they can afford to go with more of a project player.

• Will Malone on X (formerly Twitter): "There are obvious deficiencies are both sides of the ball, and I think we are still 2 off-seasons away from being consistently good. I'm curious if you think they will still prioritize drafting players for the offensive or go for a best player available route? / X"

  There are obvious deficiencies are both sides of the ball, and I think we are still 2 off-seasons away from being consistently good. I'm curious if you think they will still prioritize drafting players for the offensive or go for a best player available route?

  Right now, it looks like those two will end up being one in the same. Outside of quarterbacks, there’s a good chance the best players on the board for the Patriots are wide receivers and tackles. The one exception might be Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, so there could be an argument to take him. At the same time, that might be a spot where the Patriots see more value in trading down.

• Geoffrey_Locket on X (formerly Twitter): "It seems that edge and DL will be strong at the top of the 2nd round.Do you think the patriots can afford to take a defensive player with the 2nd round pick given their deficiencies on offense? I am worried that if them ignoring the defense again in the draft (albeit... / X"

  It seems that edge and DL will be strong at the top of the 2nd round.Do you think the patriots can afford to take a defensive player with the 2nd round pick given their deficiencies on offense? I am worried that if them ignoring the defense again in the draft (albeit...

  It’s tough to answer this question directly at this point, because it depends on what happens in the first stage of the offseason. If they can add a coverage-dictating wide receiver in free agency or via trade, then going tackle in the first and defensive front player in the second would make a ton of sense.

  I agree that this is a good draft for the front seven and there should be good players on the board there early in the second. If they do need to make two offensive picks in the top 50, maybe the answer is trading down somewhere to add a third pick in that range.

• Adam Diez on X (formerly Twitter): "Are Barmore and Bentley enough to fix the run defense? / X"

  Are Barmore and Bentley enough to fix the run defense?

  Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley would certainly be a big help to the Patriots’ run defense right now (especially Bentley). They may not fix everything, but those are two key players for the Patriots up front.

  The one other piece the team seems to be missing is another edge setter opposite Anfernee Jennings. Maybe that’s Jahlani Tavai moving back to that spot with Bentley returning to play off the ball, or maybe it’s an offseason acquisition. Whatever the case, that’s one other spot where the Patriots need to improve against the run.

• 🍀 BOURNE🚀READY 🍀 on X (formerly Twitter): "Given the issues on the OL and having found no real solution, why are the Patriots not going Caleb Jones an opportunity off of the PS? / X"

  Given the issues on the OL and having found no real solution, why are the Patriots not going Caleb Jones an opportunity off of the PS?

  As weird as it may sound the Patriots’ biggest offensive line issues right now are at guard, not tackle. Caleb Jones is a pure tackle, but the combination of Vederian Lowe on the left side and Demontrey Jacobs on the right side has started to offer some stability, so it’s probably not worth changing right now (the fact the Patriots did so last week was one of the coaching staff’s major mistakes of the game).

  Down the road, it might make sense to give Jones a look and see what he can do in game action. That could be later this year, or potentially in the preseason next year via a futures deal. Right now though the Patriots finally have something going at tackle, and it seems best not to mess with it.