Eliot Wolf, the New England Patriots\u2019 executive vice president of player personnel, spoke last week about the impressive work the team did in free agency to fill its most obvious holes, while acknowledging all that still needs to be done.<\/p>\n
He mentioned the Patriots\u2019 desire to improve in the running game and how coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye influenced free-agent decisions.<\/p>\n
But over the course of any offseason, an NFL team typically makes a few risky moves. They\u2019re the kind of transactions that, if things go right, they\u2019ll end up looking great. But they\u2019re also a bit of a gamble. So here are the big chances the Patriots are taking this season.<\/p>\n
1. That Alijah Vera-Tucker stays healthy<\/strong><\/p>\n No Patriots move so far this offseason has embodied this idea of a risky move that could pay off in a big way quite like the signing of Vera-Tucker, 26, whom they plan to slot in at left guard while moving Jared Wilson to center.<\/p>\n The risk is obvious. Vera-Tucker has suffered season-ending injuries in three of his five seasons as a pro. He has missed 42 of 85 potential NFL games due to injury. So they are putting a lot of faith in a guy who has dealt with significant injuries and missed all of last season.<\/p>\n Why? Because if they hit on this gamble, they\u2019ve added one of the better interior offensive linemen in the league to a front five that needs help.<\/p>\n \u201cVera-Tucker in 2024 was one of the best guards in the NFL,\u201d Wolf said.<\/p>\n 2. The Eagles\u2019 ask for A.J. Brown dips in June<\/strong><\/p>\n As Dianna Russini reported<\/a>, the Patriots had serious conversations with the Philadelphia Eagles last week about acquiring Brown, the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, as did the Los Angeles Rams. Ultimately, a deal never got over the finish line.<\/p>\n That could be largely because of Brown\u2019s contract situation.<\/p>\n If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1, they\u2019d be stuck with more than $20 million in dead cap space. If they deal Brown on June 1 or later, they\u2019d save $7 million against the cap.<\/p>\n So the Patriots\u2019 gamble here seems to be that waiting until June 1 to re-engage with the Eagles on Brown will yield a more eager trade partner.<\/p>\n If the Patriots can pull off a trade for Brown \u2014 on top of their free-agent moves and whatever happens in the draft \u2014 this would go down as a great offseason.<\/p>\n 3. Morgan Moses stays healthy<\/strong><\/p>\n Last season, Moses was an incredible addition for the Patriots. He was the veteran they needed in the locker room to lead a young offensive line. And, more importantly, his play was pretty darn impressive. All of that should be celebrated.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also worth noting that Moses turned 35 earlier this month. The play of offensive tackles can dip swiftly as they enter their late 30s. So while Moses gave the Patriots everything they hoped for last season, it\u2019s a bit of a dice roll to expect similar play from him this fall.<\/p>\n And perhaps it\u2019s not even fair to call this a gamble yet, since the Patriots could use an early-round pick on an offensive tackle who can be a backup in 2026 and take over for Moses in 2027.<\/p>\n 4. Harold Landry bounces back<\/strong><\/p>\n The Patriots watched as edge rusher K\u2019Lavon Chaisson signed<\/a> with the Washington Commanders in free agency. And they\u2019ve only added Dre\u2019Mont Jones<\/a> to that group.<\/p>\n Jones and Harold Landry don\u2019t make for the most intimidating pair of edge rushers, even if Landry is healthy. But the concern is that Landry\u2019s knee injury from last season lingers, and his play takes a hit.<\/p>\n Landry notched 8.5 sacks last season, but his pressure rate wasn\u2019t great, ranking 51st in the NFL (12.8 percent) among players with at least 200 pass rush snaps. Jones\u2019 pressure rate was 10.6. Both were well behind Chaisson, who was at 14.5 percent.<\/p>\n So the Patriots are putting a lot of eggs into Landry\u2019s basket, hoping he plays well in his age-30 season.<\/p>\n In fairness, this too could change if the Patriots use their first-round pick on an edge rusher, which seems the most likely outcome. But a look at what they currently have at the position underscores the need to draft one with the 31st pick.<\/p>\n