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Goodnews: Patriots adds four new players in the first wave of free agency.
Breaking Down Patriots Signings K.J. Osborn, Antonio Gibson, Austin Hooper, and Defensive Additions.
The first wave of free agency for the Patriots didn’t produce the “splash” signings that many hoped it would for a team flush with cap space heading into the offseason.
According to Over the Cap, the Patriots have spent the 12th-most cash in free agency in terms of maximum contract value. New England also ranks seventh in year-one cash given to free agents, so it’s not that they didn’t spend *any *money during the first wave. Instead, de facto GM Eliot Wolf mainly focused on retaining in-house free agents OL Mike Onwenu, TE Hunter Henry, WR Kendrick Bourne, pass-rusher Josh Uche, and edge-setter Anfernee Jennings, among others.
The disappointment stems from the lack of impact external additions. It’s been quiet after losing out on prized free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, who they were prepared to pay. Frankly, the depth signings acquired by the Patriots aren’t moving the needle for a 4-13 team. Still, it’s worth noting that trying to fix a roster that landed them with the third overall pick through free agency is a method that seldom yields sustainable results.
Instead, the plan for Wolf and company seems to be to set the roster up for a monumental draft. After retaining key in-house free agents and adding depth pieces, New England is positioning itself to target a franchise quarterback, top receiver, and starting left tackle in the draft. Can they hit on all three with their three top 100 picks? It’s admittedly a lot to ask from one draft class. However, many would argue that this is the right way to approach a rebuild.
If the Patriots stick with their reported plan to draft a quarterback third overall, New England also added bridge quarterback Jacoby Brissett as an option to start the year, so they don’t need to rush the rookie. Brissett was objectively competent as a starter with the Browns during the 2023 season under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. We’ll have an in-depth review of Brissett that might change your mind about him. He is not a long-term answer, but Brissett is better than some think.
We’ll have plenty of time to deliberate the best path forward for the Patriots. For now, let’s focus on the free-agent additions they made in the opening week of the league year. Before we get into the film, nobody is trying to convince you that these players are future Hall of Famers. We aren’t going into these breakdowns thinking they’re adding Randy Moss, James White, Rob Gronkowski, Richard Seymour, and Dont’a Hightower, okay? We get it.
The Patriots personnel department saw something in these guys to bring them in, so let’s discuss what they’ll bring to the team:
WR K.J. Osborn, Projected Role: No. 3 Receiver in 11-Personnel/Backup Base Receiver
The Patriots made their first addition to the wide receiver room over the weekend by signing former Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn to a one-year deal, according to reports.
Although he’s not the bonafide number-one receiver everyone is clamoring for, Osborn emerged as a legitimate role player in Minnesota’s offense alongside Justin Jefferson, and then last season, with rookie Jordan Addison, who began gobbling up targets. Osborn has inside-outside versatility, play strength to box out man coverage defenders, and a veteran savvy to find the soft spots in zone coverage working across the middle of the field or on vertical stems.
Along with his skill set, Osborn played three seasons in a similar West Coast system as new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s in New England. With the Kubiak’s running the offense before head coach Kevin O’Connell took over in 2022, Osborn has grown up in the West Coast tree. All these offenses are cut from the same cloth, so it should be an easy transition for the 26-year-old receiver.
As for where he wins, Osborn has split time in the slot (383 snaps) and out wide (277 snaps) in certain packages. He mostly faced off-coverage in Minnesota, with only 27.3% of his routes coming against press coverage. Furthermore, of his 48 receptions in 2023, 33 of them came on either hitches at different levels (13), crossers (12), or dig routes (8). Osborn has some vertical juice and upper-body strength to defeat press coverage if the Patriots want to play him at the X-receiver spot, while he can also play a similar role to Kendrick Bourne’s in recent years.
With the Pats wideout coming off a torn ACL last October, Osborn gives the Pats depth in case Bourne isn’t at full strength to begin the season. Assuming they have Bourne at full strength, Osborn can also play as the third receiver in 11-personnel. Overall, this is a good depth signing to set up the wide receiver room for a big swing in the draft or via veteran trade.
On film, Osborn’s ability to work in the middle of the field stands out. Above, the Vikings are running a zone scheme staple: post-dig. In this concept, the blocking scheme mimics a split-flow zone run with the tight end blocking across the formation. The run-heavy personnel from the offense gets the defense in a single-high safety shell, while the zone blocking pulls the linebackers out of the passing lane to the dig route. Osborn does well pushing vertically, leaning into the defender, and using his strength and leverage to snap off the break and create separation.
Along with using his play strength to win vs. man coverage, Osborn does a lot of his damage against zone coverage structures, with 34 of his 48 receptions coming vs. zone last season.
