{"id":781993,"date":"2026-02-28T10:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/781993\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:54:21","slug":"inside-the-patriots-plans-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/781993\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Patriots\u2019 plans at the NFL Scouting Combine"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Barely two weeks after losing the Super Bowl, the Patriots flew most of their coaching staff and front-office members to get back to work at the NFL Scouting Combine.<\/p>\n

After speaking with several coaches, scouts, agents and executives around the league, here is everything the Herald learned about the Patriots\u2019 plans for free agency, a star-studded trade market, the 2026 draft, and beyond:<\/p>\n

A.J. Brown trade talks<\/p>\n

The Patriots have explored trade talks involving Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown, but feel the current asking price is unserious, according to one source.<\/p>\n

Several league sources believe Brown could nonetheless be dealt, and the return could be a step above what the Seahawks received when they traded D.K. Metcalf and a sixth-round pick to Pittsburgh last year for a second-rounder at 52nd overall and a seventh-round pick.<\/p>\n

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said this week that the team would be willing to trade their first-round pick in the right situation.<\/p>\n

Acquiring Brown would address the Patriots\u2019 chief offensive objective this offseason: adding more firepower. Brown is coming off of a 1,000-yard season with 78 catches and seven touchdowns. He would qualify as the No. 1 receiver the team has long been seeking, having topped 1,000 yards every year of his career, excluding an injury-shortened 2021 campaign.<\/p>\n

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has maintained a relationship with Brown from their three years together in Tennessee, where Brown entered the league as a second-round pick. Brown has been public about his lifelong fandom of the Patriots in interviews and on social media. He\u2019s due a $29 million option on Sept. 1 and another $19.4 million option in 2027, plus minimal $1.3 million salaries in each of the next two seasons.<\/p>\n

The structure of his deal appears to be complicating talks. Trading Brown before June 1 would subtract $20 million from the Eagles\u2019 cap because of all the dead cap hits that would accelerate onto their current books from future years. A post-June 1 trade would free up $7 million in cap space for the Eagles, but waiting until then becomes difficult for a team like the Patriots, which would need a Plan B at receiver in the event a Brown trade falls through and be well past the draft and free agency.<\/p>\n

Maxx Crosby closer?
\n\"LasLas Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby smiles and waves to fans during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 in Foxborough, Mass. (Winslow Townson\/AP Images for Panini)<\/p>\n

Are the Raiders actually willing to play ball? That is the question on the minds of Patriots\u2019 decision-makers.<\/p>\n

League sources don\u2019t believe the Raiders are serious about trading Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, so negotiations could very well drag into the draft this April. Acquiring Crosby nonetheless feels more realistic than trading for Brown at this time, per one team source, who believes a first-round pick and other lesser assets, including one of the Patriots\u2019 two fourth-round picks, would be fair compensation. The Raiders are reportedly seeking two first-round picks and a player.<\/p>\n

Any Crosby negotiations could be held up by how far the Patriots view themselves from returning to the Super Bowl. Vrabel and Wolf both remarked this week that the team is \u201cbuilding,\u201d a sentiment team sources echoed in private. One high-ranking executive from a team that played the Patriots last year believes they must be certain they will contend again if they do pull the trigger on a Crosby deal.<\/p>\n

Crosby, 29, would fill a major need for the Patriots as an elite edge rusher. He\u2019s been one of the NFL\u2019s most productive pass rushers since he entered the league, accumulating 69.5 sacks, 164 QB hits and 133 tackles for loss in seven seasons.<\/p>\n

Stefon Diggs dilemma
\n\"NewNew England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) stands on the sidelines before taking on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Super Bowl LX game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo\/Doug Benc)<\/p>\n

According to team sources, Diggs\u2019 return to New England is no guarantee, though multiple high-ranking members of the organization believe his current contract is fair enough he could continue to play on it.<\/p>\n

The problem, according to Patriots evaluators, is whether Diggs remains a No. 1 wide receiver.<\/p>\n

Diggs is a declining player who disappeared against elite defenses in the playoffs after a 1,000-yard regular season. He will turn 33 in November and could resemble a No. 2 wideout next year, not to mention his outstanding legal problems facing strangulation and assault charges. But Diggs also doubled as the emotional leader of the locker room and a flag bearer for Vrabel\u2019s culture last year, something the head coach valued greatly as he built out his new program.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, several options remain on the table: keeping Diggs on his current contract, restructuring his deal after a renegotiation or parting ways via a release or trade. Cutting ties with Diggs would create a roster hole they cannot fill in free agency and are unlikely to solve in the draft, something the Patriots are mindful of as they weigh their options and a possible restructure.<\/p>\n

Diggs\u2019 base salary next season is $20.6 million, and only $1.7 million is guaranteed through March 13, when he will be guaranteed another $6 million if he remains on the roster. His $26.5 million cap hit feels heavy for an aging receiver, though the Patriots are among the league leaders in cap space and do not expect to splurge this offseason.<\/p>\n

While most outside league sources cast doubt on Diggs\u2019 return this week, including some familiar with the Patriots\u2019 thinking, there is stronger belief internally he will be back.<\/p>\n

Free agency<\/p>\n

Last year, the Patriots handed out $364 million in free-agent contracts and nearly $175 million guaranteed at signing.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect them to come close to matching those numbers this spring.<\/p>\n

Multiple team sources believe there are no game-changers in free agency. The Patriots are nonetheless aware they have significant needs, and their free-agent list, sources said, starts with a few edge defenders.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew England Patriots linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (44) looks to get past Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross (67) during Super Bowl LX, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo\/Steve Luciano)<\/p>\n

Expect the front office to pursue pass rushers a step below Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, Eagles defensive end Jaelan Phillips and Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, and especially if they can\u2019t re-sign K\u2019Lavon Chaisson after a breakout season. Chaisson, league sources projected, could land between $10 and $12 million per year, if not more. The Patriots view Chaisson in a similar group as Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe and Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai, among others.<\/p>\n

Hendrickson, Phillips and Oweh appeal to the Patriots \u2014 particularly Phillips \u2014 but the front office is prepared to be priced out in what\u2019s expected to be a red-hot edge rusher market. Therefore, it\u2019s likely the Patriots double dip with another, cheaper option like Titans-turned-Ravens defensive lineman Dre\u2019Mont Jones or ex-Packers draft pick Kingsley Enagbare. Both players drew interest from the Patriots at the trade deadline, though talks involving Jones were never serious, according to a source.<\/p>\n

Like edge rusher, the Patriots view safety as a deep position in this year\u2019s free-agent class, which includes their own Jaylinn Hawkins. His market, per sources, has been unexpectedly cool for a player who had four interceptions and 1.5 sacks over 15 starts last season. One AFC team doesn\u2019t even view Hawkins as a starting-caliber player, and that ultimately could lead to a reunion in New England, where both sides have interest in a new deal.<\/p>\n

If Hawkins leaves, Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, Rams veteran Kamren Curl and Seahawks up-and-comer Coby Bryant are the names to know. The Patriots have a clear type at safety under Vrabel and safeties coach Scott Booker, who prefer smaller, rangier players that can cover, tackle and communicate well. Gone are the days of hulking box safeties like Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, which should rule out Bears safety Jaquan Brisker from consideration.<\/p>\n

The Patriots are also at risk of losing Khyiris Tonga in a depressed defensive tackle market. As first reported by MassLive, the front office nearly inked Tonga to an extension last December only to have talks fall apart near the finish line. Tonga\u2019s price has only risen since, according to sources around the league who project he will have more suitors than expected.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew England Patriots defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (95) chases down Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson during the fourth quarter of a game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane\/Boston Herald)<\/p>\n

On offense, one league source believes the Patriots will sign a Y (blocking) tight end and draft an F (receiving) tight end, given the availability of both types of players in free agency. Behind Hunter Henry, No. 2 option Austin Hooper will hit the open market again after a middling season. If Hooper leaves, don\u2019t expect the Ravens\u2019 Isaiah Likely or the Titans\u2019 Chigoziem Okonkwo to replace him. Players like Cade Otton (Tampa Bay) and Charlie Kolar (Baltimore) are viewed as better fits, according to a team source.<\/p>\n

Though the Patriots need receiver help, 5-foot-8 Giants wideout Wan\u2019Dale Robinson is not in consideration due to his size, per team sources. The best available receiver, Alec Pierce, is also widely expected to be retained by the Colts. The Pats have also kicked the tires on lower-level running backs and have interest in retaining backup left tackle Vederian Lowe, according to league sources.<\/p>\n

Barmore\u2019s future<\/p>\n

As speculation rose around the combine that the Patriots will part with Christian Barmore, team sources stayed grounded.<\/p>\n

High-ranking executives expect Barmore to remain in New England, barring something unexpected.<\/p>\n

For starters, the Patriots have few options to replace the 26-year-old defensive tackle, particularly if Tonga walks. Team sources are not high on the defensive tackles available in this year\u2019s draft or free agency class. Barmore has nonetheless given the team several reasons to at least consider a divorce.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s his sporadic production, health issues (including a knee injury the team manages), criminal charges following an alleged domestic incident involving his one-time girlfriend and $17 million cap hit. Sources also cited maturity issues, with one euphemizing his attitude by saying: \u201cHe\u2019s always been an emotional guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Diggs, the deadline for a decision is March 13, when the remaining $10 million of his $12 million salary will be guaranteed.\u00a0 If the Patriots choose to explore the trade market, two AFC executives believe they could land what amounts to a late-round pick for Barmore.<\/p>\n

One estimated the team could land a sixth-rounder straight up, while the other said Barmore would fetch a fourth-round selection in a pick-swap trade where the Patriots also send a sixth- or seventh-rounder to his new team.<\/p>\n

NFLPA report card
\n\"BOSTON,BOSTON, MA: April 2, 2020: The New England Patriots plane arrives at Boston Logan Airport carrying critically needed personal protective equipment from China in Boston, Massachusetts.(Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki\/MediaNews Group\/Boston Herald)<\/p>\n

For a second straight year, the Patriots received an \u201cF\u201d for travel on their NFLPA report card.<\/p>\n

Players cited multi-year issues with the team plane, including a lack of WiFi and insufficient space, with one describing it as feeling \u201cborderline unsafe.\u201d That player isn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n

Current staffers describe a sense of unease whenever they land for road games. No incidents have ever been reported, but one former member of the organization was unsurprised at the team\u2019s unhappiness, comparing his experience with the plane to opening the door of a modern luxury car only to find amenities and seats inside that belong in a 40-year-old sedan. Other team sources said they actually feel relief when traveling internationally because they must take another plane.<\/p>\n

One team source objected to grades levied against the position coaches, who received a \u201cB-,\u201d good for 28th in the league. Players completed the survey midseason, before the Patriots came together for a Super Bowl run.<\/p>\n

Extra points<\/p>\n

Christian Gonzalez\u2019s contract extension remains only a matter of time, per sources. One front-office member suggested Gonzalez and Drake Maye are the only truly safe players on the Patriots\u2019 roster, underscoring the team\u2019s desire to keep the star cornerback. The timing of Gonzalez\u2019s deal will depend on the team\u2019s other transactions and outgoing cash flow, including money owed to free agents they signed last year. \u2026 The Patriots are happy that the strengths of this draft class, specifically edge rusher and tight end, have aligned with their needs. Ohio State\u2019s Will Kacmarek is regarded as one of the top \u201cY\u201d tight ends, and Stanford\u2019s Sam Roush also fits that profile \u2026 Veteran right guard Mike Onwenu is expected to remain with the team, despite carrying a $25 cap hit with zero guaranteed money in his $16 million base salary. \u2026\u00a0 A source confirmed NFL Network reporting that Mack Hollins suffered a lacerated spleen during the Patriots\u2019 Week 16 win at Baltimore and added one startling detail: Hollins hurt himself on the first play of the game. He finished with seven catches for 69 yards. He actually wanted to avoid injured reserve and felt he could play through the ailment. \u2026 One team evaluator hoped to upgrade the fullback position midseason, which could open the door to a free-agent addition like Patrick Ricard (Baltimore) or Reggie Gilliam (Buffalo).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Barely two weeks after losing the Super Bowl, the Patriots flew most of their coaching staff…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432623,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[833,839,7,838,1167,249,2326,2094,6,15,15729,835,832,7573,208,107497,834,831,837],"class_list":{"0":"post-781993","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-england-patriots","8":"tag-drake-maye","9":"tag-eliot-wolf","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-mike-vrabel","12":"tag-new-england","13":"tag-new-england-patriots","14":"tag-newengland","15":"tag-newenglandpatriots","16":"tag-nfl","17":"tag-nfl-draft","18":"tag-nfl-draft-2026","19":"tag-nfl-news","20":"tag-nfl-rumors","21":"tag-nfl-draft-rumors","22":"tag-patriots","23":"tag-patriots-2026","24":"tag-patriots-news","25":"tag-patriots-rumors","26":"tag-robert-kraft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116147892098433984","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=781993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=781993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=781993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=781993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}