An offseason full exciting possibilities for the New England Patriots should ratchet into high gear soon enough.
It’s hard to go anywhere but up from a 4-13 season, and the Patriots have other reasons for optimism. Like the promise rookie quarterback Drake Maye showed, for example, or the return of Patriots legend Mike Vrabel as the new head coach.
If there’s one thing Vrabel knows, it’s what it takes to be successful as a hard-nosed linebacker in New England. It’s something of a talent gap for this Patriots roster, which could mean Vrabel helps spur the front office to trade for a tackling machine this spring.
Could the Cincinnati Bengals be the key to unlocking a better version of this New England defense?
On Friday, FanSided’s Devon Platana named Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt, who reportedly requested a trade earlier this week, as a prime target for the Patriots to pursue when the new league season begins in mid-March.
“Pratt is entering the final season of the three-year, $20.25 million contract he signed with the Bengals, and will carry a $7.9 million cap hit in 2025, per Spotrac,” Platana wrote. “That number is extremely digestible for the Patriots, who lead the NFL with about $123.5 million in cap space this offseason.”
“The veteran defender is on an expiring contract, meaning New England might only have to pay a Day 3 pick or two to pry him from Cincinnati… Pratt is the type of impact player who can help the Patriots take one step closer to a postseason return next year.”
Pratt, 28, started and played in all 17 games for the first time in his five-year career last season. He racked up a career-high 143 tackles, which led the Bengals and ranked 10th among all defenders in the NFL.
Obviously, the Patriots aren’t one player of Pratt’s caliber away from making a Super Bowl run. It’s going to be a busy offseason in the New England front office, but adding reliable veterans like Pratt to the defense at a reasonable cost should be a major focus.