The day is finally here. The NFL's legal tampering period officially begins at noon ET on Monday, with free agency set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. And the New England Patriots are expected to be very active over the next few days. 

So, here are A to Z Sports' final predictions for free agency. 

Patriots Land a Top Receiver 

The Patriots reportedly "kicked the tires" on a possible DK Metcalf trade, but in the end, they weren't able to land him. Instead, he ended up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while New England is still in need of some help for Drake Maye. 

So, there are a few different options for the Patriots. The first is to sign Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is expected to hit free agency. Or, New England can attempt to trade for a receiver. 

The two that immediately come to mind are Bengals star Tee Higgins and 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The top pick is obviously Higgins, and while Cincinnati did use the franchise tag on him for a second straight year, if they can't come to an agreement on a contract extension, they could look to get some draft picks instead. 

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Patriots Sign Veteran Offensive Tackle

Ronnie Stanley was at the top of New England's list in free agency, but the Baltimore Ravens made sure that he wasn't going to leave by signing him to a massive extension. 

So, it's time for the Patriots to go to Plan B. 

The two names that come to mind are Dan Moore and Cam Robinson. 

Moore has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, being drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. As for Robinson, he began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Most recently, he spent a season with the Minnesota Vikings after being traded. 

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Patriots Sign Milton Williams 

The Patriots are expected to be among the top suitors for Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams

Christian Barmore's status for the 2025 season is up in the air after he was diagnosed with blood clots last year. He returned for a few games in the middle of the season, but was sidelined once again when he had recurring symptoms. And then, there's the fact that the Patriots gave Davon Godchaux permission to seek a trade despite having agreed to a two-year, $16.5 million contract extension in July. 

Clearly they could use some help and Williams would be a major addition on defense. 

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Patriots Trade Davon Godchaux

If New England lands Milton Williams, they could look to move Godchaux and get more draft capital. 

Since coming to the Patriots in 2021, Godchaux has played in every single game. And during the 2024 season, Godchaux finished with 67 total tackles across 17 games. Throughout his entire career, he has a total of 429 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three passes defended.

So, for teams that are also in on Williams but don't land him, they could turn their attention to Godchaux.