Four months from now, the Patriots will be in one of two places.

No. 1: skipping into the playoffs with nothing to lose.

No. 2: playing for nothing while they prepare for Year 2 under Mike Vrabel.

Oddsmakers currently cast the Patriots as a likely non-playoff team, a reasonable assessment for a franchise coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons and four losing seasons in five years. Their over-under win total sits at a mediocre 8.5.

On the other hand, the fastest way to fuel a surprise playoff run is to do exactly what the Patriots did by upgrading all of their most important positions. Those are, in some order: head coach, pass rusher, wide receiver, cornerback, offensive line and, of course, quarterback.

Check, check, check, check, check and — presuming a Year 2 leap from Drake Maye — ch

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