NFL free agency doesn’t start for another month, but the Patriots are well into their offseason planning with head coach Mike Vrabel and the new regime on board.

The Patriots will undoubtedly hold some initial meetings discussing free agents at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at the end of the month before the new league year begins March 12.

With a league-leading $120 million in cap space, the Patriots have a path to significantly improving their roster even before the 2025 NFL Draft is held in April.

Here are the top players set to hit the open market at the Patriots’ biggest areas of need.

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WR Tee Higgins

The Patriots essentially went the entire 2024 season without a traditional “X” wide receiver in their offense. By midseason, Kayshon Boutte filled the gap, but he’s undersized for the role.

Enter Tee Higgins. The Patriots will need to be willing to pay up to add Higgins, but he’s exactly what they need to help raise the offense to another level in 2025. Even while missing five games last season, Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards with a career-high 10 touchdowns.

Injuries are a concern, but there’s no doubting Higgins’ skill.

Honorable mention: Chris Godwin

Godwin is more of a “Z”/slot option in the Patriots’ offense, but the Patriots can fill in gaps anywhere in their receiving corps. Cooper Kupp, D.K. Metcalf and Deebo Samuel are currently under contract, but they’re also attractive options if they become available.

TE Austin Hooper

Hooper is the absolute perfect free agent for the Patriots to bring back from the 2024 season. He was a great fit in the locker room, showed impressive chemistry with Drake Maye, catching 45 passes for 476 yards with three touchdowns, and has played under Vrabel with the Titans and returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the Raiders.

Honorable mention: Tyler Conklin

Conklin could fill a similar role to the one Hooper played last season. There’s a connection here to a couple different members of Vrabel’s offensive staff. Wide receivers coach Todd Downing and running backs coach Tony Dews were with Conklin on the Jets last season. Downing was also Conklin’s position coach as a rookie with the Vikings in 2018.

OT Ronnie Stanley

The Patriots have needs scattered across their entire roster, but none is greater than at left tackle.

Stanley is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time All-Pro. He missed most of two seasons in 2020 and 2021 but has turned his career around since.

It’s rare for a player like Stanley to hit free agency.

Honorable mention: Alaric Jackson

Another option at left tackle, Jackson, 26, is coming off of his best season. The 6-foot-7, 345-pound behemoth entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa and is set to make a lot of money if he hits the open market.

G Trey Smith

Smith was the best player on the Chiefs’ offensive line last season. The right guard plays the same position as Mike Onwenu, which could force Owenu back over to right tackle.

Smith will likely be one of the top-paid free agents this offseason. He let up just one sack in 2024.

Honorable mention: Patrick Mekari

Mekari has started games at every offensive line position since entering the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2019. Tell me the Patriots couldn’t have used that versatility in 2024 with all of the upheaval on the line.

DT Milton Williams

Williams entered Super Bowl LIX as one of the league’s most unheralded players. He created havoc in the middle of the Eagles’ defense for the Chiefs with two sacks and four total pressures.

He’s improved every year he’s been in the NFL.

Honorable mention: Levi Onwuzurike

A 2023 second-round pick, Onwuzurike had his best NFL season with Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams as his defensive line coach.

Edge Josh Sweat

The defense Terrell Williams and Vrabel run requires a top-tier edge rusher. Sweat has elite length and athleticism. He led the Eagles with 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl.

Honorable mention: Haason Reddick

The undersized Reddick would bring valuable versatility to the Patriots’ defense. He would also come cheaper after sitting out most of the 2024 season after being traded to the Jets.

LB Zack Baun

It’s slightly concerning that Baun was a one-year wonder in the Eagles’ defense, but he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in a breakout season in 2024.

The athletic linebacker would fit well into Vrabel and Williams’ scheme.

Honorable mention: Robert Spillane

Another undersized linebacker, Spillane entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Titans in 2018. He’s come a long way since then and was a two-year starter with the Raiders over the past two seasons.

CB Carlton Davis

The Patriots need a big, experienced cornerback to play opposite Christian Gonzalez. Davis had a solid season with the Lions last season when Williams was on staff.

At 6-foot-1, 206 pounds, Davis fits the bill of what the Patriots should be looking for.

Honorable mention: Rasul Douglas

Douglas, at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, would be another good fit. Signing him would take him away from a divisional rival in the Bills. Patriots safeties coach Scott Booker was with the Bills in 2024.