The New England Patriots are widely expected to be one of the most active teams throughout the course of the 2025 NFL offseason.
Following a brutal 2024 season, the Patriots have already made one major change. They fired head coach Jerod Mayo and replace him with Mike Vrabel. That alone gives them a better outlook for the future.
However, the fact of the matter is that the roster leaves a lot to be desired. There are a lot of improvements needed in order for New England to get back to the playoffs.
One of those areas of improvement is on the offensive line.
Mike Vrabel addresses media at a press conference to announce his hiring as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
To that end, the Patriots reportedly tried to pull off a major trade with the Kansas City Chiefs this week.
According to a report from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, New England attempted to work out a trade with the Chiefs for offensive lineman Joe Thuney. He ended up being moved to the Chicago Bears instead.
On a concerning note, the reason for the Patriots not getting Thuney was due to New England not being willing to meet Kansas City's asking price. Thuney was traded to the Bears in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
If that report is indeed true, the Patriots passed on a huge offensive line upgrade because they didn't want to give up a sixth-round pick.
Of course, there are reasons unknown for why teams do certain things. New England may not have viewed Thuney as the perfect fit they're looking to find.
Either way, this is a missed opportunity that would have added help for young franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
