When free agency rolls around in the NFL, we always expect to see a lot of movement as teams prepare for the coming season. This year felt a good deal different than most, though, as the best player to ever play the QB position was suddenly in the mix. We were all just living under the assumption that Tom Brady would spend his entire career in a New England Patriots uniform, but it quickly became apparent that not all was well in Foxboro. The upshot of all the rumors of discontent is that Brady is now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That leaves this Patriots with a rather gaping hole that is not going to be easy to fill. There have been a number of names mentioned in connection with the QB job in New England, and with a lot of big name players still out there, we can probably expect to see more moves coming. With that in mind, here’s an overview of the New England Patriots and their NFL Odds as it stands.
New England Patriots NFL Odds After Free Agency Week 1
Player Movement and Possible Future Moves
The New England Patriots won the AFC East again last season, which was no real surprise given how weak that division has been for years now. Still, there were definite signs that this was not the Patriots teams of old, as they struggled mightily on the offensive side of the football, with Brady not having a lot of weapons to throw to. The GOAT wanted assurances that New England would go out and get those weapons in free agency, but that they have not, as of yet, is perhaps one of the reasons why Brady is now in Tampa.
The Patriots defense won more than their fair share of games last season, but eventually started to wear down as the season progressed. Seeing the Patriots go out in the Wild Card round was strange, but seeing them load up on defense in free agency is perhaps a little stranger still. They did get a WR in Damiene Byrd, but this is a guy who will probably see more time on special teams than anything else.
The Patriots released WR Phillip Dorsett and long serving kicker Stephen Gostkowski. They added Dan Vitale to their running game in hopes that bringing him in will relieve some of the pressure on Sony Michel, who had a bit of a down year last season. The Patriots also added veteran QB Brian Hoyer, which suggests that they are about to roll the dice with Jarrett Stidham next season. On defense, the Patriots added DB Cody Davis and LB Brandon Copeland, as well as a couple of other pieces.
Patriots fans must still be a little nervous at the lack of offensive talent being brought in, with Julian Edelman the only truly reliable receiver they have at the moment.
The New England Patriots Odds to Win the Super Bowl
We have become accustomed to seeing the Patriots among the favorites at the start of the season, so it’s a little jarring, although not totally surprising to see them sitting at +1600 right now.
