There was no team busier than the New England Patriots this offseason. After finishing 4-13 in consecutive seasons, the Patriots made another coaching change by replacing Jerod Mayo with Mike Vrabel.
Since his hiring, Vrabel and his new coaching staff have laid the foundation of a new culture. Vrabel and Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf used the team’s league-leading cap space to lure big-name free agents such as Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams, and Carlton Davis III to help bring New England back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Their signings in free agency and draft selections have garnered praise, but the team still has work to do. One of the areas they need to improve upon is depth at cornerback.
Luckily for Vrabel, there is a familiar face that is still a free agent that the Patriots should sign.
Patriots Should Sign Caleb Farley
In the 2021 draft, Caleb Farley was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round. Farley was considered a risky pick at the time because of his injury history. Farley played three seasons at Virginia Tech and was named First-Team All-ACC in 2019 before sitting out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farley was supposed to be the future starting cornerback, but injuries continued to plague him. In his three years with the Titans under Vrabel, Farley played 12 games, missing the entire 2023 season. After the Titans cut ties with Farley last August, Farley spent the 2024 season with the Carolina Panthers, appearing in nine games, allowing nine receptions on 11 targets, 74 yards, and two touchdowns.
While the Patriots have great starting cornerbacks, they are thin on depth and experience, with Alex Austin being the only corner who has played meaningful snaps. With Vrabel now the head coach, I believe he should take a chance and sign his former draft pick.
Although he’s been unable to stay healthy, Farley entered this offseason healthy for the first time in his football career. Still only 26, Farley could turn into a quality backup corner, something the Patriots desperately need.
Besides Austin, the Patriots' backup cornerbacks are Marcellas Dias Jr., Isaiah Bolden, Kobee Minor, Miles Battle, and Brandon Crossley. These are all young players from the last three drafts who hardly played any meaningful snaps. Signing Farley would give the Patriots experience at corner, who’s also played under Vrabel.
At this point in his career, we shouldn’t expect Farley to become the first-round player he was supposed to be, but we can hope that he can be a reliable backup. The Patriots are currently relying on young cornerbacks who haven’t proved anything, which is concerning.
Signing Farley would give the Patriots more depth and experience at the cornerback position. Even if they aren’t fully interested in him, they should bring him to training camp to create competition to see if he’s capable of making an impact on the team.