Carlton Davis gives his pitch for free agents to join Patriots this offseason

New England Patriots

“The way an organization treats its players means a lot, especially to me.”

The Patriots haven’t been an overly appealing destination for free agents over the last few years. That will surely change this offseason though.

New England is playing in a Super Bowl, has a well respected head coach, a franchise quarterback, and is in the top-half of the league in projected salary cap space for this upcoming season.

Any hesitations free agents might have had about the murky future in New England are gone.

Granted, the free agent class the Patriots did assemble this past offseason is a major reason they got to this point. Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury have been mainstays on offense. And defensively, New England fared even better. Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis were all home run signings in their own right.

Now, Davis is giving his pitch for why pending free agents should make their way to the Patriots this offseason.

“It’s a great culture, man, I can’t say enough about how good it’s been for me to be part of this organization,” Davis said in an NBC interview with Devin McCourty. “From the scheduling, the way he [Vrabel] takes care of us … the way an organization treats the players means a lot, especially to me.”

It was Vrabel’s impact specifically that has resonated so well with Davis in his first season in New England. Davis noted that Vrabel is a true player’s coach, and his care for each player resonates well with the locker room.

“Vrabel does a good job getting the best out of us by making sure he’s tapped in with us,” Davis said. “He’s listening to us and he’s understanding us. So I would definitely tell anybody to come here.”

The 2026 free agency class has a lot of talent up for grabs that would contribute to the Patriots roster. George Pickens is the clear cut best receiver set to hit the market, while Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips are among a few talented edge rushers heading towards free agency. New England reportedly had some interest in trading for Phillips at this year’s deadline before he was dealt to the Eagles instead.

Outside of those names, there are plenty of former Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber players available if the Patriots can acquire them.

Vrabel and Drake Maye have fast-tracked New England’s rebuild together, positioning them for success much earlier than expected. Come March, Super Bowl win or not, they’ll have the opportunity to improve their roster even more and continue competing at the top of the AFC.