Wolf, the Patriots’ new head football coach, had three main areas to address this offseason: starting quarterback, No. 1 wide receiver and starting left tackle.
Realistically, Wolf was 1-for-3. And that’s assuming the plan at quarterback works.
At least Wolf addressed the most important position by signing Brissett and selecting Drake Maye with the third pick. Regardless of whether Maye proves successful, at least the Patriots have a coherent plan at quarterback.
However, most of the Patriots’ moves this offseason amount to nothing more than a simple shuffle of seats at the table. Most of the money went to players from the team that went 4-13 last year, and the outside players they brought in almost all got valuable one-year contracts. The website The 33rd Team recently ranked the 10 worst rosters in the NFLand called the Patriots the worst, “shockingly devoid of high-level players and young prospects with the makings of stars.”
Most surprising is the lack of answers at No. 1 receiver and left tackle, the two most important and highest-paid positions on the offense outside of quarterback.
The makeup of the wide receiver unit looks the same as it has since Julian Edelman retired four years ago: a group of guys who don’t scare defenses.
Osborn, who signed a one-year deal worth a maximum of $6 million, had a strong offseason and appears to be a leader in the space already. He’s also primarily a slot receiver who has never had more than 655 receiving yards in a season, though he was consistently productive in three years with the Vikings.
The rest of the group is uninspiring. Kendrick Bourne is coming off a torn ACL, and who knows if he can ever be his old self again. DeMario Douglas had a nice rookie season, but a 5-foot-8, 192-pound receiver can’t be a No. 1 player. JuJu Smith-Schuster used to be a No. 1 player, but he’s now dealing with chronic knee issues that limited him to 260 yards in 2023. Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Reagor are former high draft picks who will be lucky to make the team as kick return specialists.
That leaves second-round draft pick Ja’Lynn Polk and fourth-round pick Javon Baker as the best bets to find a No. 1 job. From what I’m told, the rookies had a good spring, but they’re rookies, still finding their way on the team and learning how to be pros. It’s certainly possible that the Nos. 10 (Polk) and 18 (Baker) receivers selected in April develop into stars, but it’s not a sure bet, either.
There are a few players left available, such as Hunter Renfrow, Randall Cobb and Michael Thomas, but none of them are the answer. Barring a surprise blockbuster trade for Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins, the Patriots will likely have to wait until next year’s draft to land a No. 1 receiver, when they’ll likely have another top-five pick. That’s fine for next year, but it’s no help for Brissett or Maye this year.
The Patriots’ plan at left tackle is equally uninspiring. They signed Chukwuma Okorafor from the Steelers and selected Caedan Wallace in the third round, but both They have been strictly correct tacklesWallace had already returned to right tackle for minicamp last month, and it will be interesting to see when camp starts if the Patriots have already scrapped their plans to move him to the left side.
The only other options are Calvin Anderson, a player who missed most of last year due to medical issues; Vederian Lowe, who started four games at left tackle last year (and four at right tackle); and Tyrone Wheatley, who hasn’t played a single NFL game.
One player who would have made a lot of sense is Geron Christian, who played quite well in nine starts at left tackle for the Browns last year. Christian is familiar with the Patriots’ coaching staff and the new offense, having played for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and offensive line coach Scott Peters.
But Christian decided to follow in the footsteps of his other offensive line coach and signed with the Titans, where he reunited with Bill Callahan, who was also with the Browns last year. Why the Patriots didn’t pursue Christian harder, given their concerns at left tackle, is a mystery.
There is one other free agent available who makes sense: former Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari. He’s a five-time All-Pro, just 32 years old, and spent the first five years of his career with Van Pelt and Wolf in Green Bay. Bakhtiari could be a perfect addition to bolster the line and provide Maye with more veteran mentorship.
Of course, Bakhtiari also had five surgeries on his left knee that limited him to 13 games over the past three years, including just one last year. And Bakhtiari recently said on Adam Schefter’s podcast that he wants to play with the “next Super Bowl MVP,” which I’m going to go out on a limb to say won’t be Maye or Brissett. It seems like Bakhtiari would only come to the Patriots if no other team offered him a better opportunity.
Other veteran left tackles available include DJ Humphries, Charles Leno, Donovan Smith, Cam Fleming and James Hurst. If the Patriots get to Week 3 of training camp and the left tackle situation hasn’t improved, they’d be better off signing someone.
Yes, Wolf took over a major rebuilding project: a team that finished with a 4-13 record and tied for its fewest points per game in 11 years. Yes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, etc. There’s always next year to find a No. 1 receiver or left tackle.
But the Patriots began their new era by going 1-for-3 on their biggest needs. That kind of hit rate could land Wolf in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but for the Patriots it could result in a long, painful season.
You can contact Ben Volin at ben.volin@globe.com.