The Patriots left the door wide open for an A.J. Brown trade, and other takeaways from free agency
It might not happen until after June 1, but a reunion between Brown and Mike Vrabel seems possible, and would move a solid Patriots offseason into the “excellent” category.
Some other news and notes from the Patriots’ recent moves:
⋅ Absent Brown, the big move at receiver has been releasing Stefon Diggs and signing Romeo Doubs from the Packers. Doubs’s four-year deal is worth a base of $68 million, but for all intents and purposes it’s a two-year, $35 million deal with $31 million fully guaranteed. The final two years and $33 million essentially serve as one-year team options.
Get Starting Point
On paper, everything looks great for the Patriots. Doubs is 6½ years younger, and cheaper than Diggs, who was set to make $22.5 million cash in 2026, with a salary-cap number of $26.5 million. Doubs will make $18 million-$20 million million this fall, and his cap number is just $8.9 million.
Bringing in free agent wideout Romeo Doubs was a cheaper option for the Patriots than bringing back Stefon Diggs. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
The real question, though, did the Patriots get better? Diggs had 85 catches for 1,014 yards last year, while Doubs has never had more than 59 catches or 724 yards.
Asked if the Patriots approached Diggs about coming back on a reduced salary, Wolf responded, “We talked about a variety of options, and ultimately went in this direction.” I take that as a “no.”
Wolf said the Patriots wouldn’t close the door on Diggs’s return, but he seems like only a backup plan if they strike out on Brown, and I don’t know if Diggs will remain unsigned for that long.
⋅ If the Patriots do trade for Brown, it could put a current receiver on the outs, most likely DeMario Douglas or Efton Chism. Considering Chism is under contract at a minimum salary for two more years, while Douglas’s salary jumps to $3.6 million in 2026 with none guaranteed, I’d lean toward Douglas as the odd man out.
⋅ There was a clear directive to improve the run game and trenches. They spent $53.1 million fully guaranteed over two years for guard Alijah Vera-Tucker ($16.5 million), fullback Reggie Gilliam ($6 million), blocking tight end Julian Hill ($7.5 million), and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones ($23.1 million). They replace Garrett Bradbury, Jack Westover, Austin Hooper, and K’Lavon Chaisson.
“Adding the fullback, guard, and a tight end who’s primarily been a blocker in his career certainly was intentional,” Wolf said.
The Patriots run game struggled for much of last season, ranking 23rd in success rate. For the first three months of the season, Rhamondre Stevenson averaged 3.2 yards per carry, 64th out of 65 running backs. The Patriots on paper now have better personnel for smash-mouth football.
⋅ The Super Bowl loss was barely 24 hours old when Vrabel declared Will Campbell his starting left tackle for 2026. I asked Wolf why the Patriots were so quick to make the decision without considering all options.
“We know who the free agents are going to be at left tackle, we know who’s in the draft at left tackle, we know we’re picking 31st,” he said. “If there’s somebody that’s a better left tackle than Will Campbell that’s available, we’ll look at anything. Just not sure how realistic that is at this time.”
⋅ Vera-Tucker, acquired to play left guard, said he’s “almost 100 percent” from a torn triceps and expects to participate in the offseason program. He missed the 2025 season after suffering the injury days before the season opener, the third season-ending injury of his career (both triceps and an Achilles). Vera-Tucker has played in 43 games over five seasons, and missed 42.
The Patriots still gave him a nice chunk of change. However, it’s very much a pay-for-play contract given his injury history.
Only $16.5 million is fully guaranteed — $9.5 million this year and $7 million next. And Vera-Tucker has what appears to be the largest per-game roster bonus in NFL history — he gets $250,000 for each game he is active, for a maximum of $4.25 million per season.
“There’s obviously things in the contract that are there for a reason given my history,” Vera-Tucker said. “I don’t mind that when all I get to do is come in and play football.”
⋅ Gilliam, who switched to fullback in college at Toledo when he saw Kareem Hunt on the running back depth chart, spent his first six NFL seasons in Buffalo. He did not shy from comparing Drake Maye to Josh Allen.
“He has a lot of the same qualities as Josh,” Gilliam said. “When I walked in and I saw [Maye] the first time, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s bigger than I expected.’ ”
⋅ New safety Kevin Byard has missed one game in 10 NFL seasons and almost never comes off the field, playing at least 98 percent of snaps eight times. That continued last year, when Byard played 1,219 of 1,221 snaps for the Bears over 19 games, earning first-team All-Pro.
Byard, who turns 33 in August, should be slowing down but appears to be bucking the trend.
“I’m used to playing every single snap of every game. I take pride in being available,” he said. “I know exactly what I need every single week to take care of my body.”
The signing of a veteran safety worked pretty well for the Patriots 23 years ago.
“I don’t want to compare myself to Rodney [Harrison], we’re good friends,” Byard said. “[But] I definitely want to be that veteran presence on the back end to try to help this team and help the culture stay what it is, and that’s a winning culture.”
The Patriots have been making a lot of moves during free agency
The Patriots have identified clear areas of weakness on their roster and their free agency moves may not have been splashy, but they filled areas of need.
Ben Volin can be reached at [email protected].
