New England Patriots News

New England running back Rhamondre Stevenson was on the field for more than twice as many snaps as rookie TreVeyon Henderson during the Patriots' four-game postseason run, indicating a heightened level of trust from the coaching staff when the games mattered most. Henderson already produced more than any rookie back in Josh McDaniels' system, and the expectation is that improved pass-protection in year two will make him harder to take off the field in critical situations. While that may be true, New England's run game as a whole is primed to take a massive step forward in Mike Vrabel's second season as head coach, resulting in a much larger pie to be split between his two primary backs. Almost every offensive move the team made in free agency signals a commitment to an improved and more physical running game. Alijah Vera-Tucker has struggled with devastating injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he has been one of the most dominant guards in the league. Fullback Reggie Gilliam and blocking tight end Julian Hill both speak to the hard-nosed identity Vrabel is looking to establish, and in which Stevenson, who is being valued as a low-end RB3 in dynasty startups, should still have sneaky standalone value.

The New England Patriots released veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs on March 11, and the 32-year-old veteran pass-catcher remains on the open market at the tail end of March. The Patriots are reportedly open to Diggs returning at a reduced cost, but that's unlikely to happen after they signed former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs in free agency. Diggs, a former fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of Maryland, had his seventh 1,000-yard receiving campaign in 17 regular-season games in 2025, adding 85 receptions (102 targets) and four touchdowns. The four-time Pro Bowler with the Buffalo Bills from 2020 to 2023 has been greeted with a cold market so far this offseason, but he should eventually latch on with another NFL team, although it might not happen until after the draft at the end of April. At this point in Diggs' career, it's unlikely that he'll be a bona fide WR1 for any team that he signs with.

New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs will have an opportunity to emerge as Drake Maye's favorite target during the 2026 season. Doubs signed a multi-year contract this offseason to replace Stefon Diggs as the presumptive No. 1 receiver in New England. However, that role isn't guaranteed, especially given the growth we saw from Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and Hunter Henry. Doubs will need to hold onto his No. 1 role throughout camp and the preseason to warrant consideration as a weekly fantasy starter. If that happens, he'd likely rank as a high-end WR3/flex in redraft leagues. He's unlikely to offer quite as much fantasy value as Diggs, who was inconsistent week over week but still finished as the overall WR17 in PPR formats. Managers should also be cognizant of the fact that New England might not be done making moves. A Diggs return remains possible, and the Patriots have been heavily linked to a trade for A.J. Brown.

The New England Patriots released veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs on Monday, pushing Tommy DeVito to the backup role behind starter Drake Maye, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The Patriots initially didn't tender an offer to DeVito, but they eventually re-signed him to a two-year deal with a base value of $4.4 million. The deal includes incentives that could increase the value of the deal to $7.4 million. Reiss adds that a No. 3 QB is expected to be added later in the offseason, potentially via the NFL draft in April. DeVito, who went undrafted out of Illinois, made his NFL debut in 2023 with the New York Giants and ended up playing in nine games (six starts), completing 64% of his passes for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 27-year-old did not appear in a game at all in 2025 while serving as the No. 3 behind Maye and Dobbs. If DeVito is making starts for the Pats in 2026, it will be bad news for the entire offense.

The New England Patriots are planning to release backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs after they were unable to find a trade partner, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Dobbs, 31, signed a two-year, $8 million contract with New England in March of last year. He appeared in just four games for the Patriots in 2025 and went 7-for-10 passing for 65 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions as Drake Maye's backup. Dobbs will now be free to sign with any other teams and should latch on elsewhere as a backup with plenty of experience in the NFL. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round in 2017 out of Tennessee. Dobbs' best season came in 2023, when he threw for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 13 games (12 starts) with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. In his six seasons with five different teams, Dobbs has completed 62.8% of his passes for 3,346 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 picks in 27 games (15 starts).

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins had a strong 2025 season, and he remains a key piece of the passing attack ahead of 2026. Hollins has quietly put together back-to-back impressive campaigns. Between 2024 with the Bills and 2025 with the Patriots, he tallied 77 catches, 928 yards, and seven touchdowns. He was the overall WR58 last year, despite missing the final two games of the regular season due to injury. The veteran receiver fended off any sort of rookie breakout for Kyle Williams, and he also leapfrogged DeMario Douglas on the depth chart. Pretty early into the season, Hollins had already established himself as the Patriots' No. 3 receiver behind Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. He remains in a similar role going forward, as the Patriots' only offseason move at the position was releasing Diggs and replacing him with Romeo Doubs. We expect Williams to see more targets next year, but Hollins should still be the clear No. 3 receiver, especially after earning the trust of head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye. He's an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues because he only costs a late-round pick in trades, yet offers potential WR3/flex value on a weekly basis, especially in deeper leagues.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has consistently produced as a low-end TE1 in fantasy football, and he's due for another strong season in 2026 given his prominent role on offense. Henry showcased a strong rapport with quarterback Drake Maye last year, as the two connected for 60 completions, 768 yards, and seven touchdowns. Henry has now been the overall TE12 and TE9 over the last two years, largely thanks to his role as one of the top targets in New England. He could be headed for even more volume in 2026 after the Patriots released Stefon Diggs. Some of Diggs' 102 vacated targets will go to new signing Romeo Doubs, but the rest will be distributed to some of Maye's most trusted pass-catchers, including Henry. We would not be surprised to see him catch another six-plus touchdowns while turning in a top-10 finish next year. His 2026 outlook is too encouraging to sell high, but he's also a little too old to buy in dynasty leagues. At this point, dynasty managers should view him as a firm "hold."

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson had an impressive rookie season, sparking optimism that he might be the best running back from the 2025 draft class. It took a little while for him to get going, but once he stepped into the lead-back role with Rhamondre Stevenson injured, Henderson broke out. In eight games from Week 9 through 18 (excluding his injury-shortened outing in Week 16), he averaged 15.3 carries, 85 rushing yards, 2.3 catches, 14.2 receiving yards, 1.1 touchdowns, and 18.9 fantasy points in full-PPR leagues. He scored double-digit fantasy points in seven of those eight games. During that same window, he ranked as the overall RB9 in total points and the overall RB6 in average points per game. Throughout the back half of the season, the Patriots went extremely run-heavy, supporting top fantasy performances from both Henderson and Stevenson more often than not. Assuming that trend continues in 2026 and Henderson takes a natural second-year leap, the Ohio State product should remain a weekly must-start in fantasy football. It's probably too late to buy low on Henderson, but it's worth sending out soft offers in case you can find a manager who's wrongfully concerned about the Patriots' offense or Stevenson's presence in this backfield.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams struggled to emerge as a top pass-catching threat in 2025, but he flashed enough upside to spark significant optimism for his outlook going forward. Specifically, since Year 2 is a common time for wide receivers to break out, dynasty managers should be encouraged by Williams entering 2026. Stuck in a depth role for most of last year, Williams finished the 2025 campaign with 10 catches, 209 yards, and three touchdowns. However, over just the last three weeks of the season, he had eight targets, five catches, 66 yards, and a touchdown, so he was certainly trending in the right direction. New England released Stefon Diggs this offseason and replaced him with Romeo Doubs. Doubs shouldn't take all of Diggs' vacated targets; some of those will be spread around to the other receivers, including Williams. At this point, the third-round pick's biggest obstacle is playing time. New England lacks wide receiver starpower, but it does have a very balanced receiving corps that makes it difficult to command a high dose of targets every week. Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins are the biggest obstacles in Williams' way at this point. However, a strong preseason or training camp could push Williams into the mix to start games and carve out low-end WR3/flex appeal in 2026.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is currently second on the team's projected depth chart, giving him some low-end fantasy appeal for the 2026 season. While Boutte finished the 2025 regular season second on the depth chart, too, he has seen his value increase a little because of the Patriots' specific wide receiver moves. Most notably, New England released Stefon Diggs and replaced him with Romeo Doubs. Doubs isn't quite as flashy a player as the veteran, nor does he fetch as many targets, so not all of Diggs' vacated targets have been accounted for yet. Some of those should go to Boutte, giving him the potential to surpass his career-high mark of 43 receptions next year. Because there's a real path to more volume and production from Boutte, he's an intriguing and affordable dynasty buy this offseason. However, dynasty managers should also acknowledge that the Patriots have been heavily in the mix for an A.J. Brown trade. If Brown were to arrive in New England, he'd immediately steal tons of targets from Boutte, dropping him back down to third on the depth chart. This is an evolving situation, and managers might want to hold off on putting together trade offers for Boutte until we get more clarity on the Brown sweepstakes.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye enjoyed plenty of success in 2025, including finishing as the MVP runner-up, ranking as the QB2 in fantasy scoring, and making it to the Super Bowl. It was a remarkable second season for the former first-round pick, and he'll look to follow it up with an equally dominant campaign in 2026. The biggest question mark for Maye is whether he'll have a receiving group capable of supporting his hefty upside. Stefon Diggs wasn't an elite receiver by any means last season, but he still carried the position group and offered plenty of reliability with big-play upside. However, Diggs was released, and the Patriots downgraded at wide receiver by signing Romeo Doubs to take his place. Making a splash at wide receiver -- like trading for A.J. Brown or even bringing back Diggs on a different deal -- would be great for Maye's fantasy aspirations. However, with his current receiving room, he may have trouble topping last season's 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns.

New England Patriots new offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) expects to be fully cleared for the start of organized team activities this spring, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Vera-Tucker said he plans to be a full participant in the voluntary offseason program that begins on April 20, too. The 26-year-old offensive lineman signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Patriots earlier this week after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Jets. Vera-Tucker was selected with the 14th overall pick in 2021 out of USC. He has started all 43 of the games he's appeared in over the first four years of his career in the NFL, and he's expected to be New England's starting left guard to begin the 2026 regular season this fall.

New England Patriots executive vice president Eliot Wolf hasn't completely shut the door on a potential return for free-agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The Patriots officially released Diggs at the start of the new league year on Wednesday to free up salary cap space for the 2026 season, but they aren't opposed to re-signing him to a new deal despite signing former Green Bay Packers wideout Romeo Doubs earlier this week. The 32-year-old veteran is probably past his prime, but he still managed to lead the Patriots in receiving in 2025 with 85 catches on 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts. It was Diggs' seventh time reaching the 1,000-yard mark in his 11 NFL seasons. New England continues to discuss a potential trade for Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, too, but reuniting with Diggs would be the cheaper option and also wouldn't involve giving up significant draft capital. The four-time Pro Bowler would most likely have a smaller role in the passing game for the Pats if he were to return in 2026.

The New England Patriots agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent tight end Julian Hill on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hill will stay in the AFC East and will join the division-rival Patriots after spending the first three years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, where he caught a total of 33 passes for 288 yards and no touchdowns on 48 targets over 45 games (26 starts). The former undrafted free agent out of Campbell University had career-highs in catches (15), targets (20), and receiving yards (140) in 14 games for the Dolphins in 2025. The 25-year-old won't have any real fantasy appeal going into next season in Boston, but he'll help fill a blocking role behind starter Hunter Henry to help make up for the loss of Austin Hooper, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

The New England Patriots agreed to a four-year, $68 million deal with former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs on Wednesday, and The Athletic's Chad Graff believes he "can make up for a lot of the production over the middle" that former receiver Stefon Diggs brought in 2025. Doubs can also play on the outside and should help New England's red-zone woes (20 of his 23 career touchdowns have come in the red zone). Doubs is only 25 years old and also thrives on the deep ball, which has become a specialty for quarterback Drake Maye. Diggs finished the regular season last year with 1,017 receiving yards and four touchdowns. In Green Bay, Doubs had 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions in 16 regular-season games. It's certainly a great landing spot for Doubs' fantasy value going into 2026, but his true ceiling will depend on what else the Pats do at the position in free agency, via trade, and in the NFL draft in April.

The New England Patriots are releasing linebacker Anfernee Jennings on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The move frees up $3.9 million in salary cap space for the 2026 season while leaving behind a $1 million dead-cap charge. Jennings played the fewest snaps of his career in 2025 in his fifth year with the Patriots, finishing with just 26 tackles (15 solo), two sacks, five tackles for loss, seven QB hits, and one fumble recovery in 14 regular-season games (three starts). The 28-year-old is known for being better at stopping the run than getting after the opposing quarterback, as he has only 7.5 sacks in his five NFL seasons. Jennings was originally the 87th overall pick in the third round by the Patritos in the 2020 NFL draft out of Alabama. He should latch on elsewhere, but he won't be in play in IDP fantasy leagues at the linebacker position.

The New England Patriots are signing former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal for roughly $70 million on Tuesday, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick (132nd overall) in 2022 out of Nevada had 202 catches on 320 targets for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns in 59 games (50 starts) in his four seasons with the Packers. Doubs had a career-high 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 regular-season games on 85 targets last year, filling in nicely for the offense with several other wideouts battling injuries throughout the year. He doesn't have the upside of a high-end WR1 in fantasy or real life, but Doubs is a significant signing for New England and for young quarterback Drake Maye to help replace Stefon Diggs. Depending on what else the Pats do at the receiver position in free agency, trades, and the draft, Doubs could have more upside left in an excellent landing spot.

Former Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has reached agreement on a three-year deal with the New England Patriots, worth up to $48 million. The 14th overall pick in 2021 has shown flashes of dominance throughout his injury-riddled career, but has had difficulty staying on the field through five years in the league. He has played in only 43 of a possible 85 games while facing significant season-ending injuries such as a torn Achilles and two torn triceps, one of which cost him his entire 2025 season. With the Patriots trading 2025 starting center Garrett Bradbury to the Bears, second-year lineman Jared Wilson is expected to kick in from left guard to his natural position at the pivot. Vera-Tucker projects to slot in at the vacated guard spot between Wilson and fellow sophomore Will Campbell, bringing a veteran presence to the left side of a line that saw its share of postseason struggles.

Free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hooper was originally drafted by Atlanta in the third round in 2016 out of Stanford. The 31-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons and was a Pro Bowler with them in 2018 and 2019. He then bounced around with the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. Hooper hasn't been as productive as he was in his final two seasons in Atlanta, and in his return, he'll be a backup to TE Kyle Pitts Sr. In 16 regular-season games (six starts) for the Patriots last year, Hooper had just 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unless Pitts is traded or injured in 2026, Hooper won't be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues this fall.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished his sophomore season with 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, tacking on an additional 450 yards and four scores on the ground on his way to finishing second in a historically close MVP race. However, his performance dipped substantially during a four-game postseason run against a murderer's row of defenses. Heading into year three, he will be without his leading receiver from 2025, following the recent release of 11-year veteran Stefon Diggs. The Patriots have been tied to several of the top names on the receiver trade and free-agent markets, but unless they can add a notable player to the room, the current group could struggle against upper-echelon defenses. With a first-place schedule and a larger target on his back, Maye has a tough road ahead to repeating his 2025 success.