While the New England Patriots were not regarded as Super Bowl contenders coming into this season, a 4-11 showing a year after winning seven games is not what many had in mind either. But that's where the Patriots are at in 2023 and in a season where just about everything has gone wrong for them. Mac Jones got benched multiple times in the middle of separate games and was eventually removed as the starting quarterback in favor of Bailey Zappe, who has outplayed Jones since being named the starter. Head coach Bill Belichick may be on his way out as coach of the Patriots after this season as well. Not much has gone right at all for the Patriots this season.
But, there is always next season, and the Patriots have the tools in place to completely change the trajectory of their franchise. New England currently holds the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft according to Tankathon. The Patriots also project to have the third-most cap space ($75.9 million) at their disposal in the offseason according to Spotrac. Things can change for the better quickly in Foxborough, but a lot of that will depend on how they finish the season and what they decide to do in free agency. Three projected free agents stick out as potentially great fits for the Patriots that can help accelerate their rebuild.
Jacoby Brissett, Quarterback
Not many franchises know Jacoby Brissett better than the New England Patriots. The Patriots drafted Brissett out of North Carolina State in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the 91st overall pick. Brissett started a game for the Patriots while Tom Brady was suspended for the Deflate Gate saga and after Jimmy Garappolo got hurt, but Brissett attempted only 19 passes in that start because the Patriots did not trust the rookie to sling the ball all over the place.
Any team should be willing to trust Brissett to do that now. Before Joe Flacco was taking the league by storm as the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, Jacoby Brissett was having success in that system as well. In 2022, Brissett ranked 11th among quarterbacks in EPA (Expected Points Added) plus CPOE (Completion Percentage Over Expectation) composite score, ahead of the likes of Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Tom Brady. He signed with the Washington Commanders in the 2023 offseason with the hopes of competing for the starting quarterback job, but has been relegated to backup duties behind Sam Howell. However, he has filled in on mop-up duty the last two weeks and has completed 78% of his passes, has averaged 9.7 yards per attempt and has three touchdown passes in 23 attempts. All Brissett has done in his career is play solid ball when given the chance.
New England's potential interest in Brissett depends on where they land in the draft capital and what they decide to do. The Patriots could draft Jayden Daniels with the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. If they go that route, they probably wouldn't need to sign Brissett. But if another team leapfrog them and the first three picks are all quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels), the Patriots might be out of options and just snag Marvin Harrison Jr. instead. In that scenario, while Zappe is playing well, they'd need a quarterback. Brissett is an upgrade over Zappe and Mac Jones. The Patriots could easily sign him if they need to.
Marquise Brown, Wide Receiver
No team needs to add more talent at the wide receiver position more than the New England Patriots. They've tried by trading for DeVante Parker and signing Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the past, but neither move has really worked out. Sixth-round rookie Demario Douglas is the Patriots' leading receiver on the season with just 517 yards in 12 games. Kendrick Bourne is their second-leading receiver from the wide receiver position with 406 yards in only eight games. They have to get more out of that spot.
Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. are better receivers than Hollywood Brown, but Brown might be more attainable than those two. Neither the Cardinals' current front office or coaching staff was there when they made the move to trade for Hollywood Brown. Brown could fetch more on the open market than what the Cardinals are willing to pay, whereas the Bengals and Colts likely will either franchise tag Higgins and Pittman or pay up to keep them. Brown has a 1,008-yard season under his belt and averages 11.6 yards per reception for his career. He'd instantly be the best receiver the Patriots have.
Yosh Nijman, Tackle
The Patriots also need help on the offensive line. They rank 32nd in ESPN's pass block win rate metric, but they do rank tenth in run block win rate. Someone who can help with that is Yosh Nijman. Nijman has shifted between both left and right tackle for the Green Bay Packers and has more than held his own while filling in for David Bakhtiari over the years. But, the Packers are currently rolling with Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as their starting tackles, so Nijman has been a backup. Trent Brown is a free agent for the Patriots as well and could potentially move on. If that's the case, they could do a lot worse than signing Yosh Nijman.
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