The New England Patriots are going to be retooling their offense as head coach Mike Vrabel continues to make changes to the team. The focus was more on the defense to start the offseason, but now it’s more on the offense with the NFL Draft approaching.
The most surprising decision Vrabel made that had an impact on the offense was veteran center David Andrews being released with one-year remaining on his contract. He spent his entire 10-year career in New England and was an eight-time team captain.
It’s worth mentioning that Andrews missed all of the 2019 season due to blood clots in his lungs, and he only played the first four games last year due to a torn rotator cuff.
Vrabel also added veteran wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. They’re two veterans that Vrabel has expressed respect and admiration for as players on the field and as people off of it, as he said on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long, former Patriots defensive end who won Super Bowl LI with New England:
"There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us. But it’s just his conversation, his demeanor, his attitude, and his presence have been great through our conversations"Vrabel on Diggs
"It’s just you’re talking to a very mature person. I love the conversations that I have with him… I’ve always looked at him from afar and said, ‘man, this guy is somebody that could always play for us’, and we weren’t able to add him, but he’s had success against us, and now we’re able to add him through this process."Vrabel on Hollins
Diggs and Hollins join an up-and-coming receiving corps of Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Javon Baker, and Ja’Lynn Polk. It’s important to note that this is a group that Vrabel inherited, and following the trend of the offseason, it’s likely that he’s going to make changes to it this season.
Patriots Should Look to Move on From WR Kendrick Bourne
That said, I believe it should start with the veteran, Bourne. To start, he might have the most appeal to teams around the league. In fact, it was reported that the Patriots included Bourne in trade talks last season, both during the offseason and before the trade deadline.
Bourne, who will be 30 years old this year, will be in his ninth season in the NFL and his fifth with the Patriots. During his time in New England, Bourne has had three different quarterbacks and four different offensive coordinators.
It’s hard to blame Bourne for the annual changes to offense, but his production has decreased since his breakout first year when he recorded 55 receptions for 800 yards and scored five touchdowns.
In four years, Bourne averaged 2.9 receptions per game for 36.7 yards per game and has scored 11 total touchdowns with New England.
If the Patriots can move on from Bourne, who has two years remaining on his contract totaling $11 million, then they should look to do so. It’s a very moveable contract for the Patriots while also being a favorable type of contract for a team interested in a low-risk, high-reward incoming wide receiver.
In return, maybe they can land a fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft for Bourne. With the way it’s gone this offseason, he might inevitably be the odd man out when it comes to the receiving group in New England.
Last year, the Pats drafted two wide receivers for the second year in a row with Polk and Baker in the second and fourth rounds respectively. Both young and with high upside, it’s fair for Vrabel to want to see their talents up close and possibly build with it for this season.
In the upcoming Draft, New England has four picks set in the Top 100 within the first three rounds (No. 4, No. 38, No. 69, No. 77). They’ve also brought in three wide receivers for Top 30 visits, as they'll be interested in drafting one sooner than later in the Draft.
The three wide receivers that came for Top 30 visits are KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn), Kyle Williams (Washington State), and Jaylin Noel (Iowa State).
Although New England doesn’t have the greatest track record of drafting wide receivers, they should look to draft a high-caliber receiver within the Top 100 with their current selection of picks.
There’s always the chance that Vrabel gets bold and trades back up into the first or second round to get a wide receiver or tight end that he really likes. The Patriots need to start enhancing the offense and building a strong unit around their young quarterback Drake Maye.
Vrabel can do that by drafting more high end talent to put around Maye, as they try to renovate the offense in their first season together.