Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Notes and thoughts on the Patriots’ free agency signings, David Andrews’ release, an important under-the-radar staffer, and more.
Between bringing in free agents, re-signing some of their own players, and being active on the trade market, the
New England Patriots have had a busy start to the 2025 NFL league year. A slowing-down of sorts is expected to happen in the near future, but for now let’s clean out the notebook to take a look back on the week that was.
Welcome to the latest edition of our
Sunday Patriots Notes.
Free agency brings culture change to Foxboro
One of the biggest disappointments of the Patriots’ 2024 season was an erosion of the organizational culture. As the losses kept mounting and head coach Jerod Mayo seemingly failing to provide any answers, it became finger-pointing season in Foxboro; coaches, players and even the fans became targets.
A fresh start was unavoidable, and is something the team under new head coach Mike Vrabel is openly embracing. The first week of free agency signing is a clear signal of that, and presents an open attempt at rebuilding the culture.
“There was definitely an emphasis on good people, good players, culture changers, difference makers,” executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said during a press conference at Gillette Stadium this week.
As part of that rebuild, the Patriots said goodbye to three of their longtime leaders.
Captains David Andrews and Deatrich Wise Jr. as well as veteran Jonathan Jones will all be playing elsewhere in 2025: Andrews was
released, while Wise Jr. and Jones both signed
contracts with the Washington Commanders. A third captain, Jacoby Brissett, also left after a
one-and-done second act in Foxboro.
In addition, Davon Godchaux was
traded to New Orleans. Fellow veteran defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale, who like Godchaux was quite vocal in 2024, remains unsigned as a free agent.
How these players’ contributions will be replaced remains to be seen. The Patriots’ incoming free agents, however, seem well aware of the fact that it is upon them to have an active hand in this process.
“We’re not just building a team, we’re building a brotherhood,” said offensive tackle Morgan Moses, arriving on a three-year contract.
Moses was one of four free agent signings introduced on Thursday, joining cornerback Carlton Davis, linebacker Robert Spillane and defensive lineman Milton Williams. The expectation is that all four of them, plus others brought aboard this week, will serve as leaders within their position rooms and the team as a whole.
“You don’t need a miracle to win football games. You just need the right people in the building,” said Moses, pointing to Davis and Williams both bringing the Super Bowl experience that departed with Andrews, Jones, Wise Jr. and Brissett, and to Spillane for developing from a former rookie free agent into a productive starter in the league.
“That doesn’t happen overnight. That’s preparation. That’s dawg. That’s brotherhood. That’s mentality. That’s somebody that comes in the building every day to learn. Guys are going to get around these guys and we’re going to talk football. We’re going to talk IQ. We’re going to talk brotherhood.
“We’re going to learn about each other on the field and off the field, so when we get on the field, nothing that comes at us — no adversity that touches us on the field is going to be able to break us, because we’re going to have an unbelievable bond. So when we run out of that tunnel on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, you’re going to see something different. You’re going to feel something different because we’re going to go out there as one unit and we’re going to play football together.”
Morgan Moses a candidate for O-line leadership
While his introductory presser offered only a first brief glimpse, Morgan Moses looks like a natural candidate to help fill the leadership void along the offensive line created by David Andrews’ departure. It is something the 34-year-old is actively trying to work towards, too.
“You know, it’s been part of my DNA,” he said about being a leader. “I had great vets when I came into the league in Trent Williams and guys like that. One thing he always told me as a player coming up through this league, make sure you pass it down, and that’s been a part of me.”
Entering his 12th season as a pro, it would not be a surprise to see Moses get voted a captain for the first time in his career. He joined the Patriots on a
three-year deal.
David Andrews’ release a result of his injury
When the Patriots initially announced releasing longtime center and team captain David Andrews on Wednesday, they did not mention one particular detail. As was revealed via the NFL transactions wire later that day, the 32-year-old was let go with a failed physical designation.
Andrews is coming off a season-ending shoulder injury suffered last September. He later underwent surgery, and throughout the ordeal remained optimistic that he would be able to continue his career. How this latest development will impact those plans will be seen, but one thing is certain regardless: it won’t be in New England.
Updating the list of longest-tenured Patriots
When the Patriots released Andrews and saw the aforementioned Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jonathan Jones sign elsewhere in free agency, they officially lost three of their longest-tenured players. In fact, Andrews and Jones — undrafted free agency arrivals in 2015 and 2016, respectively — topped the list on offense and defense.
With them no longer part of the mix, the baton gets handed down to somebody else.
Offense: OL Michael Onwenu (2020 sixth-round draft pick)
Defense: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (2018 fifth-round draft pick)
Special teams: LS Joe Cardona (2015 fifth-round draft pick)
Bentley and Cardona were both voted captains last season, being part of a group that initially also included safety Jabrill Peppers as well as three of this week’s departures (Andrews, Wise Jr., Brissett). The two are now also the only holdovers from the Patriots’ dynasty remaining on the active roster.
Mack Hollins wants to push his teammates
Based on his own introductory press conference on Friday, it is not hard to see why Mack Hollins also falls into the “culture changer” category mentioned by Eliot Wolf. Besides having appeared in 118 total games since his arrival in the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2017, he also is trying to serve as a tone-setter in the wide receiver room.
As he acknowledged, however, his leadership needed some fine-tuning over the years.
“I am a big believer in breaking and building back better. That’s how I was raised,” Hollins said. “I will push guys to their limits, for sure. But I’ve learned over the years how to not push them too far. I think when I was younger I would push guys too far. I would relish breaking people, and I learned over the years that that’s not always the best to push guys.
“There are some guys that need that; I need when we’re working out or we’re practicing to be in their head the entire time, and they’ll have the best practice ever. And there are some guys that shut down from it. Those are things that I’ve learned. But pushing guys is something I enjoy, because I know not only will it make them better, it will make me better. Because if I ever stumble, they are like, ‘You’re talking all that and now here you go.’ So, it’s kind of a two-way street.”
Hollins arrived in New England via a
two-year, $8 million contract.
Passion defines new Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane
Robert Spillane’s first opportunity in the NFL came in 2018 rookie minicamp with the
Tennessee Titans, then led by head coach Mike Vrabel. It led to a contract and was the first step in a career journey that spans a combined 88 regular season and playoff games.
For Spillane, there is no secret how he was able to develop from draft day afterthought to somebody who played 97.7 percent of defensive snaps with the
Las Vegas Raiders the last two seasons. It’s all about his passion for the game.
“I want the Patriot Nation to know I’m going to pour my heart into this city, into this community, into this team. I care deeply about what I do. I bring passion and heart everywhere I go,” he said on Thursday.
The passion Spillane mentioned might have been a reason why he was voted a team captain in both of his seasons as a Raider. It also is part of why New England signed him to a
three-year, $33 million deal.
“I’m just so excited to get my feet in the building, get started, get to know the guys,” he said. “Before guys want to hear what you have to say, you’ve got to make sure they feel like you care for them. So, I want to make sure that my teammates know that I’m not here trying to get them, I just want what’s best for them at the end of the day. I’m going to pour my heart into my teammates.”
Highlighting an important under-the-radar staff member
During their time at the podium on Thursday, Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf made sure to mention the staff responsible for running the Patriots’ free agency. While some familiar names were pointed out, including Ryan Cowden and Matt Groh, one might have come ass a surprise even among Patriots fans: Richard Miller.
One of the Patriots’ longest-tenured staffers, Miller joined the club in 1996 as a player compensation analyst. Five years later, Bill Belichick promoted him to director of research, a role he has held ever since.
As with other members of Belichick’s Patriots staff, Miller’s role also was, and continues to be, multi-faceted. He is responsible for managing the salary cap and player costs, does research into player contracts and statistical trends, is involved in financial and strategic planning, and plays a role in assisting the personnel department not just in free agency but also in draft preparation and advanced analytics.
A six-time Super Bowl winner who is entering his 30th season with the organization, Miller has had an active hand in the team’s success through the years. It is one that — similar to Ernie Adams’ — is operating behind the scenes.
Revisiting the Patriots’ 2024 trade window
The official start of free agency on Wednesday also meant the beginning of the NFL trading period. Between now and early November, teams will have the opportunity to make trades — something New England already did when it sent defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the
New Orleans Saints for a seventh-round selection in the 2026 draft.
The trade was the first under head coach Mike Vrabel, and the team’s fourth overall since its parting of the ways with Bill Belichick last January. So, let’s use the opportunity to take a look back at the other three that took place in last year’s trading window.
March 14: Mac Jones to Jacksonville for 2024 sixth-round pick: The Patriots traded their former first-round pick and starting quarterback to the
Jaguars for a pick that later turned into backup QB Joe Milton. Jones himself, meanwhile, started seven games for his new team as an injury replacement for Trevor Lawrence, going 171-of-262 (65.3%) for 1,672 yards with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He signed with the
San Francisco 49ers as a free agent this week.
August 15: Matthew Judon to Atlanta for 2025 third-round pick: The Patriots turned Judon into the 77th overall selection in this year’s draft, outcome TBD. He himself, meanwhile, remains unsigned as a free agent after registering 5.5 sacks as well as one interception (that he returned for a touchdown) in 17 games with the Falcons.
October 28: Joshua Uche to Kansas City for 2026 sixth-round pick: Ahead of the 2024 trading window closing, the Patriots shipped another outside linebacker off; Uche was traded to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026. He ended up playing 87 defensive snaps in six games, notching 10 tackles and ultimately being made a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs. He has since signed a one-year, $1.92 million deal with the
Philadelphia Eagles (that oddly enough includes four void years).
As can be seen, the only tangible result so far from a Patriots perspective is getting Joe Milton out of the Mac Jones trade. The other moves’ outcomes have yet to be determined, but none of the players traded had much of an impact for their new teams.
Valuable draft portfolio
The NFL announced its full 2025 draft order this week, finalizing compensatory selections, of which the Patriots received none, and each individual slot. In total, New England will have
nine picks to work with.
From the perspective of the various
trade value charts, this year’s capital is worth more than last year’s:
- Richard Hill: 831.16 > 824.31
- Chase Stuart: 60.2 > 58.4
- Over The Cap: 6209 > 5938
- Pro Football Focus: 2.497 > 2.377
- Jimmy Johnson: 2894 < 3169
While there is one exception in the form of the Jimmy Johnson chart, the overall nature of the Patriots’ draft capital is obvious: the team has plenty to work with come late April.
Obviously, though, draft pick value is nice, but it’s all about making the most out of the capital available, something New England saw last year. The first and most valuable pick turned into a hit, with quarterback Drake Maye showing considerable promise as a rookie starter. The other selections, meanwhile, fell largely short of expectations.
Setting up the week ahead
Free agency is winding down, but there will still be plenty of movement on the open market; the Patriots have around $80 million left to spend and are likely to use parts of it on players still available. Outside of that process, however, there are other important dates to know on the calendar the next few days.
It’s pro day time, and this week will be one of the busiest of the spring.
March 17: Arkansas, Northern Illinois, Oregon State, Syracuse, UCLA
March 18: Big 12 pro da
y, Central Arkansas, Memphis, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia
March 19: Big 12 pro day, Alabama, Alabama A&M, Minnesota, San Jose State, Stanford
March 20: Big 12 pro day, California, William & Mary
March 21: Big 12 pro day, Florida State, Michigan, Missouri, Utah State
The Patriots will have a vested interest in all of those events, and seeing some of the franchise’s top decision makers on the road over the coming days should be expected.
