The free agent market has entered a quiet period. While there are still some moves being made across the NFL, including New England doubling down on its long snapper depth, big splashes have become rare.
From the Patriots’ perspective, the first wave of free agency added some key pieces such as wide receiver Romeo Dubs, linebacker Aliyah Vera-Tucker, edge defender Draymont Jones and safety Kevin Baird. It also doesn’t cost the team much: According to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Elliott Wolff’s team has about $33.3 million to work with.
advertise
That’s a lot of money for a week into free agency and puts the Patriots in the top 10 in league-wide comparisons. The question now, of course, is how they will take action with the vast resources available to them.
They can spend money in three ways:
contract extension
The Patriots enter the 2026 offseason with a total of 14 players hitting free agency, a group that’s neither quantity nor quality worth paying attention to (although defensive linemen K’Lavon Chaisson and Khyiris Tonga and safety Jaylinn Hawkins were valuable contributors last season). Going forward, this outlook will change significantly.
advertise
As of today, the Patriots have 37 players set to become free agents, including 16 unrestricted players. Needless to say, these numbers are likely to change in the coming months, but there are some names on the list that are worth mentioning.
The most notable UFAs include wide receivers Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins, tight end Hunter Henry, linebacker Mike Onwenu, linebacker Christian Elliss and safety Kevin Byard. Bute, Ellis and Onwenu, in particular, could have their contracts extended as early as this offseason.
Of course, one name stands out: Christian Gonzalez, one of the best cornerbacks in football.
Gonzalez’s rookie contract is set to expire next offseason, and while the Patriots do have a fifth-year option, an early extension seems to be in the best interest of both parties. Of course, such a deal wouldn’t come cheap: The 2023 first-round pick would become the highest-paid cornerback in football, which in turn would likely result in a salary cap increase from the current $4.8 million.
advertise
For a team with plenty of cap space, signing Gonzalez to a new contract still appears to be a realistic option. While he’s clearly the priority, there are other pending free agents who could also be locked up long-term.
trade acquisition
Despite signing the aforementioned Romeo Dubs to a four-year, $68 million contract last week, the Patriots are still in the market for help at wide receiver. Prior to Dobbs’ transfer, New England not only informed 2025 leading receiver Stefon Diggs that he was being released, but the team also had the aforementioned Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins all entering contract seasons. Add to that the fact that a true No. 1 wide receiver is still missing, and you get a recipe for the Patriots potentially getting active on the trade market to fill a need.
The market is volatile, but there’s a lot of doubt surrounding one potential move: the Patriots acquiring A.J. Brown from the Eagles to reunite him with his former head coach, Mike Vrabel.
advertise
No action has been taken yet, with June 1 being the next important deadline to watch. At that point, Brown’s contract will become more moveable from Philadelphia’s perspective, which could help facilitate a trade.
From the Patriots’ perspective, Brown’s salary cap impact will be $7.04 million or $28.75 million, depending on the option bonus on his deal for the 2026 season. Not exercising the option would result in a higher salary cap impact this season, significantly impacting New England’s current salary cap space, although there would be time to prepare before the Sept. 1 expiration. At the same time, exercising the option wouldn’t have a huge impact on the 2026 books, but would increase the team’s future commitment to wide receivers.
Regardless, trading Brown — or another rumored candidate, Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. (with a cap hit of $1.08 million if acquired) — is one way for the Patriots to use their cap space.
future expenses
The first two scenarios are not mutually exclusive and are interesting to think about. Signing Christian Gonzalez to a multi-year deal would lock in one of the best backs in the game; trading AJ Brown or Brian Thomas Jr. would provide Drake Maye with a top receiver and further improve his game.
advertise
However, NFL bookkeeping is more than just fun and games. Most of the time, it also covers running costs. From the Patriots’ perspective, there’s a lot to consider.
Expected future expenses include signing the incoming draft class, taking on the 52nd and 53rd class salaries, building a practice squad and retaining some cash for injury replacement or settlements. If you add those projected numbers together and subtract them from the aforementioned $33.3 million, you’re left with an effective cap hit of just $5.3 million.
That number is relatively small and would seem to go against the grander plans of re-signing Gonzalez or trading Brown. However, there are plenty of ways for teams to add to the roster without making cuts, whether it’s salary-to-signing bonuses or extensions.
Still, these future expenses are a pain point and must be the responsibility of the team.