Patriots
“They’re going to be a 12-win team after being a 4-win team? So I took the under.”
After an eventful offseason where the Patriots changed coaches, spent heavily in free agency, and also addressed deficiencies via the NFL Draft, Rob Ninkovich believes that New England is ready to take a major step forward after back-to-back four-win seasons.
“I think they’re a 9, 10 win team,” Ninkovich said during an appearance on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.
Even though Ninkovich expects the Patriots to make major improvements in Mike Vrabel’s first season as head coach, his win total did fall below the initial over/under that Edelman set for New England this fall — 11 wins.
“Why under, I know you’re a big Patriots fan,” Gronkowski asked. “New coach, new players, free agency hit, hit in the draft. Got the tackle, got wide receivers, the defense is stacked, why under 11?”
“Let’s just be realistic, you think they’re going to have 12 wins,” Ninkovich responded. “They’re going to be a 12-win team after being a 4-win team? So I took the under.”
Beyond Vrabel’s presence on the sideline and Drake Maye’s growth in his second NFL season, the Patriots bolstered their roster in free agency by adding playmakers on both sides of the ball in Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane, and others.
Even though New England did address several weaknesses this offseason, Ninkovich did acknowledge that it’s far from a sure bet that spending heavily in free agency is the best path toward contending.
“That’s a great point, let’s talk about the dream team, Philadelphia Eagles, remember 2013,” Gronkowski said. “Coach Belichick always put them up on the board, there was so much talk about them. They were talking ‘Oh we’re the greatest team, we have so many free agents come in.’ And they went what, 5-11 that year?
“It doesn’t mean you’re going to gel as a team when you bring in that many free agents. But, they are veteran free agents and Vrabel is a guys that you kind of feel like can gel them together.”
The 2025 Patriots will need a lot to go their way to post 11 or more wins.
But Ninkovich didn’t discount the impact that Vrabel should bring as he tries to mesh together a roster featuring both a cast of younger standouts and an influx of veteran pickups.
“He’s the glue guy,” Ninkovich said of Vrabel. “What is it, ‘Forged in Foxboro’ now, ‘We’re building this thing up.’ Like our new facility, ‘We’re gonna build it from the ground up with steel and iron.’ It’s great, it’s great marketing.”
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