Free Agency Grades: Strong Patriots Offseason?

The New England Patriots have focused on improving their offense in free agency this offseason.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 2, 2023

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New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have not been the flashiest team in free agency so far, but the moves the team has made are expected to help Bill Belichick's squad improve.

The Patriots' offseason has addressed more on the offensive side than defense, and that's where the needs have been.

Sports Illustrated handed out grades for every NFL team in the first three weeks of free agency and gave the Patriots a "B" for their efforts.

"The Patriots are giving Mac Jones a strong chance to rebound this season after signing Smith-Schuster and Gesicki, but the biggest acquisition might be offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who took play-calling duties from Matt Patricia," SI writes. "The Patriots also retained standout cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive back Jalen Mills."

By signing outside players on the offensive side of the ball, it shows a sign that the team is seeking a different look for Bill O'Brien's unit. It also indicates that the team is happy with the progress on the defensive side of the ball from 2022 having re-signed several key pieces.

This aligns with how those units performed this past season. New England ranked No. 7 on defense while slipping down to No. 26 on offense.

With new personnel, there's hope that the Pats can rebound on offense in 2023.

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Published Apr 2, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.