The New England Patriots just completed one of the most dramatic one-year turnarounds in NFL history, going from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 in 2025 under new head coach Mike Vrabel and reaching Super Bowl 60 before falling to the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13.
If they want to carry that momentum into 2026, however, they’ll still need to make upgrades to the roster.
New England has a strong foundation of young players led by quarterback Drake Maye, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and a talented 2025 draft class. But they also can improve their depth in several areas — most notably edge rusher, offensive line and wide receiver — and are armed with plenty of cap space and draft capital to make moves.
The tampering window of NFL free agency opens on March 9, so time is of the essence for executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and the front office. Below is an updated list of every new addition or re-signing and every departure from last year’s roster, as well as any notable moves involving the coaching staff and front office.
February 12: The Patriots are moving defensive coordinator Terrell Williams “to a high-ranking role on the staff” and are opening up the DC position for 2026, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr served as New England’s de facto DC throughout the 2025 season, calling defensive plays while Williams dealt with prostate cancer. (Williams is now cancer-free.)
Kuhr is a “top candidate” to take over as DC, per Rapoport and Pelissero, and would be a logical fit for the role based on his work with the defense this season. It sounds like he hasn’t locked in the job yet, however.
