The Patriots may have their quarterback, but that doesn’t mean the roster around him is ready for the long haul.
That’s the warning coming from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who included New England among the five NFL teams he expects to regress in 2026. And the biggest reason he sees trouble isn’t some mysterious schematic flaw. It’s depth - or, more accurately, the lack of it.
New England’s top lineups on offense and defense look solid enough. The problem shows up once injuries start piling up, and in the NFL, they always do.
That concern has already been voiced publicly by Mike Vrabel, who said the team isn’t deep. Whether that was a shot at Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf or not, it landed like one.
The Patriots still have clear needs at edge, tight end, linebacker and defensive tackle, and that thinness could become a real issue over a 17-game season. Barnwell’s broader point was that New England’s defense is a concern, noting that DVOA, after adjusting for opponent, ranked the Patriots 23rd on that side of the ball. He also pointed out that the defense improved as the season went on, while still emphasizing how little is waiting behind the starters.
Barnwell wrote:
"The defense looms like an obvious point of concern for the Patriots ... DVOA, after adjusting for opponent, ranked the Patriots 23rd on defense.
The defense got better as the season went along... Though executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf hit on a number of free agent signings and appears to have landed his quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, there's just not a ton of depth behind the starters in New England...
Could the addition of A.J. Brown, a full offseason to work with Kuhr and an MVP-caliber quarterback in Maye help mitigate some of these concerns?
In some ways, of course. But...the Patriots seem particularly vulnerable to injuries and a tougher slate of opponents.
I would expect something in line with the 2000 Rams, but the Patriots have a lower floor than it might seem at first glance."
That last part is where the real warning sits. Barnwell is essentially saying the Patriots could look better than they are on paper - until injuries expose the gap between the starters and everybody else.
That concern isn’t theoretical. Late in the season, Drake Maye and left tackle Will Campbell both dealt with injuries, and the lack of tackle depth was a major reason the Patriots were overwhelmed by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Even if no team can survive losing its quarterback, the drop-off behind Campbell was a brutal reminder of how quickly things can unravel when the roster isn’t built to absorb hits.
One detail from the roster construction stands out, too: the team traded receiver Kayshon Boutte, a useful depth player, for a safety rather than using that move to shore up a thinner spot. That decision looks costly if the Patriots don’t get aggressive before the September 9 opener.
Barnwell also wrote that Wolf “appears to have landed his quarterback of the future in Drake Maye,” but that undersells what New England already has. Maye isn’t just the future; he’s the centerpiece, and possibly the best passer in the league by the end of 2026.
The catch is simple. If the offensive line can’t keep him upright, none of that matters much.
The Patriots have starters good enough to make noise. What they don’t have, at least right now, is the cushion needed when the injuries hit.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Just Gave Patriots Fans A Very New England Look
Drake Maye is already finding ways to fit neatly into the New England sports landscape beyond the field, and his latest move comes with a distinctly regional feel. L.L.Bean has announced a new multi-year partnership with the Patriots quarterback and his wife, Ann Michael Maye, with the couple fronting a newly released ad for the outdoor retailer that leans into a humorous workplace setting while showing off the brands clothing.
The deal is the kind of crossover that tends to resonate in this part of the country, where football, family and outdoor gear all live comfortably in the same orbit. L.L.Bean president and CEO Greg Elder pointed to the Mayes New England ties and shared values in discussing the partnership, a nice reminder that in this market, image matters almost as much as arm strength. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Rookie Earned A Roster Spot In A Way Nobody Expected
Quintayvious Hutchins found out he had made the Patriots 53-man roster in a way few players would ever expect, learning the news from a social media post instead of a call from the team. For a rookie outside linebacker trying to carve out a place in New England, it was a fittingly unusual end to a strong training camp and preseason, one that put him in position to stick when the NFL roster cutdown deadline arrived.
Hutchins retention also says plenty about how the Patriots viewed the competition at outside linebacker, where four players ended up making the roster. For an undrafted rookie to break through in that mix is a credit to the kind of summer he put together, even if the first confirmation of his status came in a roundabout way. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Are Counting On An Unproven Linebacker In A Thin Spot
The Patriots added another layer to a linebacker room that has been stretched thin, signing Erick Hunter to the 53-man roster after his time with the Detroit Lions. Hunter arrives as an undrafted player with a strong college rsum at Morgan State and enough preseason showing to convince New England he was worth a closer look at a position where depth matters and every backup role can quickly become important.
For the Patriots, the move is as much about coverage as it is about upside. Hunter gives them an extra body in a spot they need to reinforce, and he also brings a path to contributing on special teams, which is often how unproven defenders carve out a place on the roster. The question now is whether his preseason momentum can carry into a bigger opportunity when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]