Pats Planet🪐

Written By: Michael Rodnick @MJRodnick

This Didn’t Happen Overnight.. This Happened Over the Course of Years..

Like since 2020. This draft class currently holds the longest tenured players on the New England Patriots. Kyle Dugger, Anfernee Jennings, and Michael Onwenu. Two of which were on the trading block this offseason.

Not counting the 2025 NFL draft, there are currently 14 players who remain on the active roster after being drafted between the years 2020-2024.

14. If my math is right, that’s out of a possible 48 picks. Shaq could probably make a higher free-throw percentage shooting left-handed.

The reason New England spends so much in free agency is that their homegrown talent is scarce. When you look at last offseason, you can’t help but cringe at the contracts given out. Most are not even on the team anymore.

I think about the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, where he used the analogy of an airplane leaving LAX and heading to JFK. By shifting its route by 3.5 degrees, the nose of the plane moves a few feet, but will land you hundreds of miles from where you expected to land (Washington, DC).

The Patriots are far from where they expected to be since 2020 due to poor drafting. So, they plugged holes with FAs because homegrown producers are drying up.

This offseason, you nailed the draft with several week 1 starters and contributors. You nailed the free agency period by bringing in leaders and talent.

Your starters are more respectable than last year. But the depth is still a concern. Coach Vrabel was on The Greg Hill Show recently and talked about how building roster depth through the draft “hasn’t been real great.” Many camp bodies are also on the practice squad, leaning into how Vrabel said he wants to develop within.

The rebuild will take time, and a lack of depth will be felt at times, but Vrabel is keeping things on course. His course. He’ll look to build from within. He’ll look to use free agency as a supplement, not a substitute for homegrown production.

He will look to start strong, but also have bench strength/depth to finish. It’s only going into year one, but the plane he is building already feels more on the right path. This weekend is Week 1, and we’re ready for liftoff.