How close are Patriots to being at ground zero? Curran, Perry weigh in originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots are in the midst of a rebuild. That much is clear as they enter the 2025 offseason, but are they closer to contention than it appears?
To regain their winning reputation, the Patriots must be aggressive in free agency and nail the 2025 NFL Draft, during which they own the fourth overall pick. New head coach Mike Vrabel addressed what should be a busy offseason during his Tuesday press conference at the NFL Combine.
Vrabel acknowledged the Patriots’ problems won’t immediately be solved in free agency and the draft, but he also made it clear he isn’t expecting a lengthy rebuild process. His remarks emphasized the Patriots’ urgency to address glaring needs throughout their roster.
So, how much longer should we expect New England’s rebuild to last? How close is the organization to ground zero?
Phil Perry joined Tom E. Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast to weigh in on the topic.
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“They’re not at ground zero. They have a quarterback,” Perry said. “And they have a coaching staff that is very accomplished, relative to new coaching staffs around the NFL. And so, they’re not at ground zero, and I actually liked the urgency that (Vrabel) portrayed when talking about how, ‘We’re here to win.’ When asked if he understood that fans don’t have the appetite for a lengthy rebuild, he basically said, ‘Nobody does.’ Himself included.
“So he knows the roster is not gonna be fixed overnight, but he also knows that this can’t be a protracted thing because the building has been going on for quite some time now.”
Curran believes even with a promising young QB in Drake Maye, and a more experienced coaching staff, the Patriots still have a long way to go.
“I think I might be being a little too pessimistic,” Curran admitted. … “But still, it is a friggin rebuild. It’s a crap draft, they have the fourth overall pick. … Additionally, free agency is going to get swallowed up in no time at all. So it’s gonna be a slog, and they’re gonna have to have a lot of good fortune on their side. That’s why I’m being pessimistic.”
Also in the episode:
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