"There's no doubt the New England Patriots have had some incredible success over the last 25 years, led by the greatest quarterback and coach of all time. Thirteen AFC Championship appearances, nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowls in the last quarter century is unheard of, and there's no doubt that the decision making both on and off the field was a huge part of that success."
"Off the field, though, there have been a few questionable moves the Patriots have made. Speaking more specifically, the Patriots have made some very puzzling releases and trades in recent years, specifically since Tom Brady's departure before the 2020 season. Given their lack of success since his departure, specifically over the last three years, where they've gone 16-35, blame can be put on some of these releases."
"Shaq Mason was traded in the offseason following Mac Jones's rookie season for a fifth-round pick, and Karras was allowed to leave in free agency for $6 million per season after being a staple of the unit and beating out a young Mike Onwenu. In terms of sacks, the Patriots were the third-best line in 2021, but slipped all the way to 19th the following year. In '23 and '24, they were in the mid-20s."
New England built an unprecedented run of success over 25 years with thirteen AFC Championship appearances, nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl wins. The team has made several questionable roster decisions since Tom Brady's 2020 departure, contributing to a 16-35 stretch over three seasons. The offensive line suffered after trading Shaq Mason for a fifth-round pick and losing Ted Karras in free agency in 2022. The line fell from third-best in sacks in 2021 to 19th in 2022 and mid-20s in 2023-24. A first-round pick, Cole Strange, failed to immediately fix the issue, and a traded pick later became All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie.
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