New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots will soon embark on a transformative offseason, which includes major organizational, staffing and roster changes. NESN gave me a shot at predicting what those changes will look like, helping turn things around for New England entering 2025. Welcome to the latest installment of our Patriots Manifesto, where we’ll do some wheelin’ and dealin’.
Part 1: The Patriots Manifesto | Part 2: Organizational Changes
The Patriots don’t have much talent on the roster, but they sure as hell aren’t devoid of assets.
New England could have entered this offseason with the ammunition necessary to make huge changes, as it had the inside track to the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s tough to forget what happened with that, though, as one game pushed the club all the way down to No. 4.
Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden can still use the ammunition they currently have to make major roster changes, however. It’s probably just going to take some creativity, which is what we looked to have while exploring ways to upgrade this roster. Vrabel’s boys should pick up the phone and make these calls:
The Patriots trade the No. 219 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for EDGE Bryce Huff
Huff, 26, was a highly coveted free agent last offseason and parlayed tons of interest into a three-year, $51.1 million contract from Philadelphia. It’s understandable why he earned that deal, as many expected him to slide directly into the pass-rushing role that opened when Haason Reddick was traded to the New York Jets. But it was actually taken by up-and-coming rushers Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.
Huff never quite found his form in a new shade of green, essentially being benched in Week 7 and never getting back to a consistent role. The Eagles could look to cut ties early, getting off the majority of that remaining money this offseason by shipping him elsewhere. Philadelphia clearly didn’t lack talent along the front line, so trading for someone who was inactive for the Super Bowl isn’t as crazy as it sounds!
The Patriots should be among the teams calling, as their exterior rush group was among the worst in football last season. Huff could come in and immediately improve the talent in that room while allowing guys like Keion White and Anfernee Jennings to play in positions better suited to their strengths.
The Patriots trade the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns for OT Jack Conklin
Conklin, 31, makes almost too much sense for an exercise like this, having originally been drafted by the Tennessee Titans, where he overlapped for one season with Vrabel. Conklin then cashed in with the Browns, but a bad string of injuries and their horrific financial situation have him looking like a potential cap casualty.
The Patriots would have to take on a decent chunk of his salary, but $20 million isn’t a bad investment over the next two...
