The legal tampering period for free agency has closed, and the New England Patriots have made moves to bring in those they felt fit for their vision going forward.

There's an old saying: Make the right decision, not the popular one.

That could be what VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel did over the last few days in terms of who to sign in free agency for the Patriots and who they opted to miss out on.

Jaylinn Hawkins seemed like he wanted to stick around in New England, but it seemed the Patriots had other plans. Despite Hawkins' success in 2025, the Patriots upgraded to a veteran, Kevin Byard. A former Vrabel player with the Titans and a guy who led the league in interceptions in 2025 with the Bears, Byard may only be on a one-year deal but could add physicality and leadership to the position on the field and become a great veteran complement to the real stud in the secondary, Christian Gonzalez.

Grade: A

A slightly under-the-radar signing, but something we should still take note of. Britt comes in on a one-year deal after stints with the Buccaneers and Dolphins. In 2025, he recorded 35 tackles over 17 games for Miami. A lot of snaps came from special teams, which may be a standout thing to take note of. There aren't many NFL teams that pride themselves on special teams like the Patriots. Again, maybe not a standout signing of this bunch, but could be a major contributor in the linebacking corps. 

Grade: B-

Nothing like snagging up a free agent from the New York Jets. The Patriots need to strengthen their offensive line; newly acquired Alijah Vera-Tucker could help on that front. Vera-Tucker is a high-risk, high-reward move, though. In his five seasons in the NFL after being drafted out of USC, he has had three season-ending injuries (two tricep injuries, 2022-2025, and an Achilles injury (2023)). Still, his PFF stats prove that when he's on the field, he's a worthy asset, and as long as he's on the field, the Patriots have added some incentives to his contract that's already worth $42 million for 3 years. 

Grade: B

With K'Lavon Chaisson departing for the Washington Commanders for a one-year deal that is remarkably close to what he was making in New England, the Patriots now bring in former Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones. With Chaisson, you had a lot of agility and speed; oddly enough, that may have been what burned the Patriots' defense in stopping the run, especially in the Super Bowl. Jones has greater prowess given his size. He's 6'3", 281 pounds, and could disrupt the opposing run game by utilizing his size and toughness. 

Grade: B+

The fullback position seems like a roster spot of the past, but not to the New England Patriots or the Buffalo Bills, for that matter. The now-former Bills fullback, Reggie Gilliam, signed a three-year deal worth up to $12 million. The fullback was a worthy asset to Josh Allen and the Bills' offense for their red zone and goal line efforts to get into the end zone, and with Khyiris Tonga leaving the Patriots for the Chiefs, there is a chance that this was a solid one-for-one pickup for the team to aid in some of that goal line run game for the Patriots offense in 2026.

Grade: A-

The New England Patriots did not sign Alec Pierce or trade for A.J. Brown in the past few days. Pierce resigned with the Colts, and the Brown situation is still a developing story as the weeks and maybe months go on. Still, they went out and got a wide receiver just as many knew they would. Romeo Doubs has come over from the Green Bay Packers on a four-year deal worth up to around $80 million. It's the biggest deal so far for the Patriots, leaving room for more money to be spent in the coming months, if need be, on another offensive weapon. Doubs felt like a free-agent move in response to the departure of Stefon Diggs. Doubs comes in younger, smarter, faster, and has a more ascending career than Diggs. His skill set of getting open in the red zone can be huge for Drake Maye's development going forward.

Grade: A

Overall Grade: A-

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