We’re in the calm before the mini-storm in New England.
The Patriots’ 2026 schedule release is in the rearview mirror. They don’t start organized team activities until May 27. And a trade for Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown can’t happen until June 1.
So, before the action heats up later this month, we put out a call for your pressing offseason questions — and got a full Mailbag’s worth of topics to discuss.
Let’s dive right in.
Editor’s Note: Questions have been lightly edited for clarity.
Do we need A.J. Brown at the high cost that’s been mentioned? — @Paul_NEfan
Hey, Paul. The good news for everyone is that we’re now just a couple of weeks away from the Eagles finally being willing to trade A.J. Brown.
That thing has run its course in Philly. He’s going to be on the move. It seems as though it’s just a matter of time before he makes his way to New England. The price it will cost to get him up here, though, remains to be seen.
I simply can’t see it being a straight swap for a first-round pick. Even if it’s a 2028 first-rounder. Those picks have to be the lifeblood of your organization. And if you’re willing to part with one for a player whose health is in question — and who is entering his age-29 season — I think it’s fair to question the methods that allowed you to arrive at that opinion.
Something less than a first has always made sense to me. Brown’s apparent unwillingness to return to Philly and a lackluster market for Brown’s services — two potential landing spots dried up when the Bills dealt for DJ Moore and the Rams got out of the running after reportedly getting spooked by Brown’s health — appear to have limited Philadelphia’s leverage here.
Let’s see what that ultimately means for a trade between the Eagles and Patriots. Is it a conditional first-rounder that becomes a second-rounder if Brown doesn’t hit certain statistical thresholds? Is it a first-rounder with a pick coming back from Philly alongside Brown in order to mitigate the cost for New England?
As much as Brown will help the Patriots in the here and now, sending away a first-rounder — especially since we don’t know where in the first round that pick will reside — feels like too much risk to incur for a team that has to stockpile premium draft picks as it looks toward handing out some massive contracts to its young core.
Are A.J. Brown and his $25 million-per-year salary really worth more than keeping a first-rounder and just bringing back Stefon Diggs for another year? Its a steep price for a guy with a degenerative knee condition who is already in decline. — @dimesntreys
First, $25 million for a high-end receiver isn’t all that expensive in 2026. There are currently 15 wideouts in the NFL on contracts that pay them $25 million or more. And that doesn’t include Brown himself.
That said, though, a straight swap of a first-rounder for Brown would be significant, so I understand the question. I just don’t see Stefon Diggs making his way back.
Diggs was described to me by one GM earlier this offseason as a “one-year guy” at this stage of his career, meaning he’s a short-term solution more than he is a foundational piece you would build around for an extended period of time.
He was tremendous for the Patriots last season, but they now have a younger (and one could argue more versatile) option to lean on in Doubs, with an upgrade in Brown likely on his way.
As long as the cost isn’t astronomical for Brown, it’s worth seeing if the combination of Brown and Doubs can get more out of Maye than Diggs and Doubs would.
Why do people assume that a 2028 first-round pick is better/cheaper than a 2027 first-rounder? — @TheMaD79
That’s just how the league values future picks because there’s some uncertainty involved in where the future pick will end up and what will be available to teams via the draft. Therefore, future picks typically get docked a full round in terms of value.
What does that mean? A 2028 first-rounder would likely be valued as a 2027 second-rounder when calculating pick value in trades. This year, that equation might have been impacted by the fact that the 2027 draft is widely considered much stronger than the 2026 class. But, for the most part, teams value current picks over future ones.
It looks like a full wide receiver room again this year. Who are the odd men out, especially if A.J. Brown becomes a Patriot? There is a lot of buzz about Kyle Dixon, then there’s Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Efton Chism III, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams. — @Clan_Mythosaur
Am I crazy to think Boutte is worth a third-round pick ? I would hate to see the Patriots move him after the A.J. Brown deal and get a sixth. — @MatiasKidd
Does Boutte stay or go? — @Foodyguy1
Kayshon Boutte, who reportedly is missing Patriots OTAs, feels like the most likely “odd man out” at the moment.
His skill set is a tad redundant when considering the rest of the group. And given that he’s still young (24 years old) and that he’s in a contract year, he makes the most sense if the Patriots were to consider trading someone from this group.
Luckily for him, he has a skill set that’ll play elsewhere. He should want to go elsewhere, honestly, where his opportunity for targets will be better.
He’s an X. Brown is an X. Romeo Doubs can play X. Mack Hollins can play X. Kyle Williams is an X. That’s a certified logjam.
For a player like Boutte, who has been immensely efficient in cracking 500 yards receiving each of the last two seasons, it would come as little surprise if he thought moving on to play somewhere else was best for his future.
To me, the question is, when do you deal him?
Is it as soon as Brown is acquired? Should the Patriots wait for an injury to a wideout on another team during training camp and strike a deal with a team desperate for receiver help? Should they wait until the end of camp to make sure their other receivers get through the summer healthy?
If the return is only a fifth- or a sixth-rounder (a third-rounder for a player going into the last year of his deal feels rich), there’s no real rush to move him. But they also won’t want to wait deep into the regular season to move him if he’s not getting much playing time, thereby tanking his value.
There’s also the human element to consider. If keeping Boutte leads to an unhappy camper in the locker room, might it not be better to simply give him the opportunity he’s looking for elsewhere?
My guess is the top four in the receiver room looks like this headed into the regular season: A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams.
Perhaps there’s some competition for the fifth spot between DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III and an undrafted rookie like Kyle Dixon. But remember, this is a team that has loaded up on tight ends and likes to play with two backs.
That will likely lead to a number of two-receiver sets offensively, which means if the players at the wideout position further down the depth chart have no special teams value, they could have a hard time getting a jersey on game day.
Hi Phil! Which new addition do you expect to be the most helpful and least helpful? — @puumalainen
Right now I’d go with A.J. Brown as the most helpful addition, even though he hasn’t been added just yet. He’s still viewed by evaluators as a true No. 1 wideout, with the ability to beat any coverage while helping to free others because of the attention he’ll be paid.
There are a number of others, though, who I could see taking that mantle if for some reason Brown didn’t end up in New England.
Alijah Vera-Tucker, if he can stay healthy, will be one of the most talented players on the team. Kevin Byard has real disruptive play-making ability at safety. But I might look at a couple of edge guys as being near the top of this list: Dre’Mont Jones and Gabe Jacas.
I mention them not because those players are necessarily more gifted than the others mentioned here. But if not for them, that position group would be almost bare. What they’ll do to prevent that spot from being a liability on a weekly basis will positively impact winning.
Least helpful is hard to say. Might be easier to identify someone who may not immediately live up to the hype around them. If we adjust the question to those qualifications, I think the answer might be first-round rookie Caleb Lomu or third-round rookie Eli Raridon.
Both players are clearly NFL-caliber athletes. I think both have bright futures. But the path to playing time in Year 1 is a little cloudy at the moment for both. Will Lomu see real action as a rookie if both Will Campbell and Morgan Moses can stay healthy? What about Raridon if Hunter Henry and Julian Hill take the reins at that position to start the year and never let go?
I could see Josh McDaniels calling for some three-tight-end packages to get Raridon on the field. Same goes for “Jumbo” sets that could get Lomu some playing time. But the reality is both will need some factors out of their control to fall into place for them to become heavily relied-upon regulars.
I LOVE Hunter Henry and I like the Julian Hill signing but I also really like the young TE group we have behind them. Obviously we can’t keep them all. Do you think there is any chance we carry a fourth tight end, or if Raridon really shines in camp, we would entertain trading Henry to stay younger? — @jordsmith897561
I could see a fourth tight end making the roster, Jordan. Maybe it’s Jack Westover, who might be more accurately described as a backup fullback. Maybe it’s undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin out of Illinois, who profiles as a physical run blocker.
But the Patriots have invested a lot at that position. It’s a position that’s becoming more valuable by the year in the NFL, seemingly. Providing the roster with some insurance there would make plenty of sense if that position is going to be a key component of the offensive identity in Foxboro in 2026.
Let’s try to go rapid fire for these next few…
Who’s the starting left tackle? — @Joec994
Will Campbell. It shouldn’t be his job in perpetuity if his performance isn’t where the team needs it to be. He’d likely say the same thing.
But until further notice, he’s their best option there. And if they need to make a move, they now have options they can turn to in order to get their best five on the field in front of Drake Maye.
What position do they still need to add to? — @Cmerc5
I’d keep looking for edge help.
They have Harold Landry, Dre’Mont Jones, Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder. But I think back to the Super Bowl and the rotation of battering rams the Seahawks had at that position — four high-end options who kept each other fresh — and I wonder if the Patriots wouldn’t continue to try to upgrade there. One injury and it gets very thin there very quickly.
Guys like Joey Bosa, AJ Epenesa, Kyle Van Noy and Bryce Huff are still available in free agency. The Patriots are reportedly working out free-agent edge Janarius Robinson this week, as well.
Myles Montgomery received record dollars for a UDFA. He has a good athletic profile and special teams experience. How do you see his prospects of making the final roster? — @qualitysmoke
Follow the money, QS! Montgomery tops the list of Patriots undrafted rookies in terms of agreed-to salary. That tells you there was real competition for his services, and that New England was willing to go to real lengths to lock him up.
Then just look at what the Patriots have at that position. Their top two spots are spoken for in Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. But they need a third.
Maybe it’s Terrell Jennings, who does everything you’d want as a third back but has had an injury history that could give the team pause. Last year’s undrafted rookie Lan Larison showed some promise but got injured and missed the regular season.
Montgomery seems to have a real shot. Let’s keep an eye on him this summer.
Which UDFA do you think has a chance to make the team as a good rotational player? — @petro650337331
Are there any undrafted rookie free agents who could make the Patriots’ roster? — @HarryJ12077
After Montgomery, Channing Canada feels like he could make a run at a roster spot.
The cornerback out of TCU has a few things going for him. First, you can never have too many corners. Second, he has an impressive physical profile. Canada measured in just a shade under 6 feet and 190 pounds to go along with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Not only might the Patriots be looking for depth behind Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis as corners outside the numbers, but they could use gunner options in the kicking game, too.
Karon Prunty, the fifth-rounder out of Wake Forest, could fit that bill. But Canada, who was teammates with rookie linebacker and fifth-round pick Namdi Obiazor, has traits teams covet at a premium position.
How can you say the Patriots will probably lose to the Seahawks in Week 1? — @mic_justins14
While both teams experienced real change this offseason (I’d say the roster in New England is stronger than it was before the offseason began), and while the Patriots were banged-up at key spots in the Super Bowl, we just saw this matchup in February. It wasn’t particularly close.
I wouldn’t say it’s a certainty by any stretch, but if I had to pick a winner right now, I’d go with Seattle.
What the deal with Mike Onwenu’s contract? Extension? He is making a lot of cash this year, right? — @dyhrdpatsfan
Let’s see on that one, Vincent. Onwenu is scheduled to make $16 million in base salary this season. None of it is guaranteed.
Will that prompt Onwenu to go to the table (he represented himself in his last contract negotiation)? If he does, will the Patriots be willing to reinvest in Onwenu for the long haul? Would they ever look to move on and find another right guard? (They signed Ben Brown to an extension last season.)
Onwenu had stretches last season where he looked like the team’s best offensive lineman. He remains a point-of-attack bully when he’s at his best, moving people against their will while getting downhill. But oftentimes teams make roster calls based on financial implications, so it’ll be interesting to see if Onwenu going into a contract year will prompt some movement one way or the other.
Should the Patriots and Onwenu decide it’s best for all involved for him to play out the final year of his deal, there’s a chance he’d walk in free agency next offseason and potentially net the team a compensatory pick.
Am I the only one who thinks Efton Chism could be a 70 catch guy? — @jserc_
I’m sure there are others out there, Jack! Never say never.
Which veteran pass-rusher or linebacker do you see as a fit to bolster that position? — @BrayallPatrick
Mentioned some pass-rushers above, Pat. At linebacker, Bobby Okereke, Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson are all still on the market. Milano has been a thorn in New England’s side for years, and Thompson was actually an important cog in Buffalo’s defense as they improved late in the season.
Who will your College Football 2027 Dynasty team be, Phil? — @Caraway6
You know I’m rolling with the Fightin’ Jimmy Kibbles. Load me up a custom-built Georgetown roster and watch me go to work.
