Patriots Legend Offers Brutally Honest Outlook

A New England Patriots legend offered a bluntly honest outlook for the team moving forward.

Dec 23, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Rodney Harrison during the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are not a playoff contender right now. Heading into Week 15 action, they hold a 3-10 record and appear headed for a top-five draft pick if things keep going as they have so far.

It's a position that ownership does not like to be in. Robert Kraft and the Patriots absolutely detest losing.

That being said, it was necessary to go down this path. Despite the losing, New England has a quarterback of the future in Drake Maye and quite a bit of young talent on the roster. They also will have great draft capital for the offseason and a lot of money to spend in free agency.

Combining those two things could mean a quick turnaround for the Patriots.

Rodney Harrison, a team legend, spoke out with a very honest outlook about the team. He sees reasons for optimism, but he also revealed some caution about the front office and the future.

“It’s disappointing, but I get it. We’ve been on top for so long. We’ve had so much success,” Harrison said. “Now (the Patriots) are going through a transition. But I don’t see them as being too far off.”

He continued forward, throwing a reason for caution about being confident in the team's front office led by Eliot Wolf.

“If I was running the show, I’d be confident. But I don’t know Eliot. I can’t be confident about something I don’t know. But looking at the draft, a lot of those draft picks haven’t worked out. He clearly has to do better," Harrison said.

“They have the money. I’ve seen other teams have the money and turn things around, and not turn things around. Once he starts making moves, I’ll let you know. They got $130 million of free cap money. It’s just sitting there now, and they gotta spend it.”

Harrison makes some good points. New England will need to get very aggressive this offseason and look to add as much talent as they can. Wolf may even need to overpay some guys, like Tee Higgins, to make sure that they come to the Patriots.

While they need to be careful with overpaying players, they will need to pick and choose which of those players are worth overpaying because they will become the cornerstones of the future.

All of that being said, the future is very murky right now. New England has the potential to put together a monster offseason and get right back in the thick of the playoff race. Or, they could make mistakes and the wrong choices and stay a losing team.

This will be a very pivotal offseason for the franchise and the front office simply can't afford to get it wrong.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Patriots' Trade Deadline Move was Massive Win
• Patriots' Bill Belichick Expressed Interest in Former Rival
• Insider Reveals Update on Future of Patriots' Jerod Mayo
• Patriots Legend Randy Moss Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
• Patriots' Top Free Agent Target Makes Critical Decision