We are in the midst of the NFL offseason, with little going on around the league as a whole and the New England Patriots specifically at the moment. Naturally, this week’s version of our Sunday Patriots Notes is therefore a shortened one.
Naturally, there are always still a few things to talk about. So, let’s dive straight in.
Advertisement
Skill positions
The New England Patriots walked off the field in Santa Clara after Super Bowl LX knowing they needed more around franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
That led to an offseason makeover — one that now has the Patriots’ playmakers ranked as the 10th-best unit in the NFL, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in his annual rankings.
The changes started at wide receiver, as the Patriots released Stefon Diggs before signing Romeo Doubs in free agency. Then came the blockbuster move, when they acquired A.J. Brown in a trade on June 1, putting the finishing touches on what is now a deep wide receiver room.
“[The Patriots] added an elite receiver to the mix after trading for A.J. Brown this summer,“ Barnwell wrote. ”“Brown left Philadelphia after a frustrating 2025 season, but there’s still plenty of evidence that Brown is one of the top wideouts in all of football. A quarterback upgrade to Drake Maye might help Brown, 28, reach the heights we saw from him in 2022 and 2023.
“While there’s a drop-off from Brown to the rest of the lineup, the Patriots are much deeper than they’ve been in years.
“Adding Romeo Doubs to the mix lands the Pats a 26-year-old wideout who ranked 28th in ESPN’s receiver score last season; there’s a possibility that he improves with more regular playing time. With Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams all vying for reps, there’s a decent chance New England trades a wideout (likely Boutte) before the start of the season. As it stands, while this isn’t the best wide receiver room in the league, it might be the deepest — albeit one in which Maye likely elevated talent and receiving efficiency across the board last season.“
New England will have to sort out their depth at wide receiver this offseason, which likely ends with a trade of Kayshon Boutte, as Barnwell noted
Advertisement
But the playmakers don’t stop there.
The Patriots added third-round tight end Eli Raridon in the NFL Draft, and he is expected to slot in behind Hunter Henry on the depth chart. In the backfield, Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson return to form one of the league’s better running back tandems.
“Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson were big playmakers at running back. Pats backs ranked fifth in the league in explosive play rate on designed runs last season (14.4%). And with five 50-plus-yard runs, the halfback pair had two more than any other team. Stevenson has dealt with fumble issues as a pro, and Henderson was enough of a liability in pass protection to essentially get forced out of the lineup at times, but they represent one of the best rotations in the NFL here.”
The jump to No. 10 underscores how far the Patriots have come in a short amount of time. During Maye’s rookie season, New England’s skill-position group ranked 31st in Barnwell’s rankings. They entered 2025 ranked 30th.
Now sitting inside the top 10, the stage could be set for Maye to lead one of the more productive offenses in football this season.
Advertisement
Coaching advantage
Namdi Obiazor has quite the knowledge around him at the linebacker position. Head coach Mike Vrabel and positional coach Vinny DePalma are former linebackers themselves, while defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr and analyst Shane Bowen have history coaching the position.
As a sixth-round rookie, Obiazor is using the entire staff’s knowledge to his advantage.
“All the defensive staff, it’s not really just one coach you’re working with,” Obiazor said recently at the Newton North football clinic. “I’m talking all the defensive coaches… linebacker, DC, head coach, and even the DB coaches too, just knowing how they’re playing behind us or the D-line, knowing how they’re going to be fittikng in the run. So I’d say we’re all working together just to know how everything’s going to fit.”
Advertisement
Barefoot work
Wide receiver Mack Hollins has been doing his usual work this offseason to prepare for the season. That included some (barefoot) workouts shared by Melbourne Muscular Therapies, who Hollins has worked with since 2019 and credits for his barefoot lifestyle.
Raekwon’s retirement
Former Patriots linebacker Raekwon McMillan announced his retirement on Instagram this past week. McMillan, a former second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, went on to play in 25 games for the Patriots after signing in 2021. He wrote:
“Always for the name on the back of my jersey! 8 years flew by but this next chapter is going to be my best chapter. I hope I made y’all proud! #retirement
Advertisement
Mondre’s pursuit
Rhamondre Stevenson enters the season ranked 5th all-time in Patriots franchise history with 3,669 rushing yards. That puts the 28-year old 1,784 rushing yards behind the franchise’s leader, Sam Cunningham.
A 1,000-yard season from Stevenson in 2026 would push him past Curtis Martin and Tony Collins into third place.
Setting up the week ahead
Despite the calendar flipping to July — where training camp will start later in the month — the quiet portion of the offseason continues for now.
While things will get toned down as we wait for training camp, Pats Pulpit will still provide you with daily coverage, including additional offseason wrap-up coverage, training camp previews, and our roster scouting report series. So, make sure to stay tuned.
Read the full article here
