Last season, the Washington Commanders went from last place the previous year to the playoffs. However, an NFL insider says don’t expect the New England Patriots to replicate that formula.
Some in the national media believe that the Patriots are a prime candidate to be that surprise team that makes the playoffs after missing it the previous year. While Drake Maye could take a significant step in his development, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says that turning the Patriots around won’t happen overnight.
Moreover, Breer shared what people in the front office are saying about the time they need to rebuild the New England team and turn them back into a contender.
Patriots need patience amid rebuild
Breer was on 98.5 The Sports Hub and stated that the Patriots brass see this as a multi-year rebuild as the franchise is paying the price for past mistakes in free agency and the NFL Draft.
“I think the guys who came in feel like this is a multi-offseason rebuild. I know I’ve said that before,” Breer said. “I said that in ’23 and before Bill’s last year. I said that in ’24 when Gerard took over. Now I’m saying it again, but the reality of it is, I’m saying that over and over again because they’ve kept missing on draft picks.”
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While the Patriots did make moves in free agency, they cannot expect that to be the route if they want to be a Super Bowl contender. New England will need to draft and develop players, which takes time.
“This idea that you can come in and fix everything through free agency is asinine. It doesn’t work that way. The guys who are available during free agency, by definition, are not core players.
“You supplement your roster. You don’t build your roster with free agents. It’s going to take a couple of draft classes for them to get to where they need to be. This is the price you pay for the ’20 draft, the ’21 draft, the ’22 draft.”
