Resetting Patriots roster and needs after Free Agency’s first week

The team had already made a significant change to the offense right out of the gate with the addition of Bill O’Brien at offensive coordinator, leading us to wonder how the offensive playmakers might be tweaked with his return. At this point, they’ve made some clear swaps — Juju Smith-Schuster for Jakobi Meyers in the slot, Mike Gesicki for Jonnu Smith at move tight end and James Robinson for Damien Harris, though Harris remains available on the market. On paper, JSS and Gesicki could be looked at as upgrades, though it will be hard to top Meyers’ consistency and reliability. Smith-Schuster and Gesicki do represent better vertical threats with plus size, as even with an offensive coordinator change, the team appears focused on pushing the ball down the field vertically and less consumed with the kind of horizontal attack that was a key element the last two decades. Robinson is now two years removed from a torn Achilles and could shine if he can get back to his 2020 rookie performance. Reports still indicate that the Pats have been feeling around other well-known names at receiver as well, where another outside threat could help put the offense over the top. It’s hard to say these moves at receiver, tight end and running back put New England into the top echelon of playmakers but with O’Brien at the helm and the new skillsets they’ll bring, the attack has been refreshed and has some new potential.

The Pats didn’t make a big splash along the offensive line, instead choosing to add a number of experienced veterans to provide initial depth. First, the team moved to retain Conor McDermott, who started the final stretch of the season at right tackle, before adding Broncos’ left tackle Calvin Anderson, who had initially signed with New England as a UDFA in 2019. They also reportedly added long-time veteran Riley Reiff, while retaining Yodny Cajuste on a restricted free-agent tender. Not much is certain at the…