Are the Patriots still in a ‘rebuild’?
Eliot Wolf spoke to reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday and explained how the Patriots are ‘building’ but not ‘rebuilding.’
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.
Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesAfter back-to-back four-win seasons, it was clear the New England Patriots needed a rebuild. Typically in the NFL that takes multiple seasons, but in Year 1 under Mike Vrabel the team reached the Super Bowl. In terms of results, that put them way ahead of schedule.
But how will that Year 1 success impact the overall plan? That's one of the biggest questions heading into the offseason for the Patriots.
On Tuesday morning, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf spoke to reporters for the first time this offseason. He was asked directly if he still views the team in being in a 'rebuilding' state.
"I don't know that I'd call it a rebuild. I think we have a nice core of players, whether that's the core of veteran players that we rely on or some of the younger, up-and-coming players like the [2025 draft class]," Wolf said. "Every year is different. Every year is an opportunity in free agency and the draft to improve your roster. It's not just free agency and the draft, it's trades and waiver claims. We're going to explore everything that we can."
Still, Wolf said the fact alone that the team made the Super Bowl does not impact how he or others in the building view the current roster.
"I'm really proud of our players," he said. "They bought in quickly, they figured out how to win. But I think everyone on the roster is aware we still need some pieces and we're going to create as much competition as we possibly can."
So for the Patriots it may not be a 'rebuild' directly, but the team is still building. According to Wolf, that will be the case across the board.
“We're going to explore every avenue to try to improve the team," Wolf told reporters. "We filled a lot of needs last year. We're still building. We have areas that maybe we feel good about the starters, but maybe the depth's not where we want it to be. We have areas where we maybe need to add a starter. I think it's gonna be sort of a holistic approach."
As the Patriots go about continuing to build, it has plenty of resources at its disposal to do so. OverTheCap.com currently projects the Patriots with about $40 million in cap space, and the team owns 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
