Analyst's Patriots Prediction May Be Too Ambitious

The New England Patriots should be improved next season after embarking on a free-agent spending spree and — hopefully — picking up some big additions in the NFL Draft. But how much better will the Patriots actually be, and will they be able to contend for a playoff spot?

Michael DeVito of Pats Pulpit actually thinks it's a possibility, as he is predicting New England to finish either 9-8 or 10-7 in 2025 so long as Mike Vrabel properly implements his new schemes.

"The last-place New England Patriots can completely reverse their fortunes under Mike Vrabel, the man in charge of both field operations and personnel, as he should be," DeVito wrote. "If Vrabel completes the makeover he's already initiated on defense and augments his offense as suggested, the Patriots are headed to the playoffs. Their 2025 record will be 9-8 or 10-7."

This feels a bit too ambitious for a Pats team that has put together back-to-back four-win campaigns and still has a plethora of holes up and down the roster.

The Patriots had the worst receiving corps and the worst offensive line in football this past year, and while they have signed Stefon Diggs, he is recovering from a torn ACL and may not even be ready for the season opener. Plus, New England's offensive line remains a major issue.

We certainly have to see what the Pats do in the draft later this month before we come to a clear conclusion on how good the Patriots may be next year, but it seems hard to imagine that New England will be a playoff team in 2025 regardless of what happens in a couple of weeks.

The Pats should be better for sure, but they probably still have a little while to go before they can genuinely start thinking about the playoffs.