Eventhough the Super Bowl was the goal, the Patriots failed to reach it. Considered as one of the best games in Super Bowl history, the New England players didn't get to eat the cake, a tough one if you ask me. The whole season was built around that idea in mind, but that is how foot ball is, you win some and you some.
Below is the comelete list of Roster changes for 2017:
New England Players: Free Agents
Unrestricted
| Position | Player | 2017 Team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | Martellus Bennett | Green Bay Packers | March 10, 2017 | three years, $21 million |
| RB | LeGarrette Blount | Philadelphia Eagles | May 17, 2017 | one year, $2.8 million |
| RB | Brandon Bolden | New England Patriots | April 5, 2017 | one year, $775,000 |
| DT | Alan Branch | New England Patriots | March 9, 2017 | two years, $12 million |
| FB | James Develin | New England Patriots | March 6, 2017 | two years, $2.85 million |
| WR | Michael Floyd | Minnesota Vikings | May 10, 2017 | one year, $1.5 million |
| FS | Duron Harmon | New England Patriots | March 9, 2017 | four years, $17 million |
| MLB | Dont'a Hightower | New England Patriots | March 15, 2017 | four years, $43.5 million |
| DE | Chris Long | Philadelphia Eagles | March 28, 2017 | two years, $4.8 million |
| OLB | Barkevious Mingo | Indianapolis Colts | March 9, 2017 | one year, $2.5 million |
| CB | Logan Ryan | Tennessee Titans | March 10, 2017 | three years, $30 million |
| TE | Greg Scruggs | |||
| DE/OLB | Jabaal Sheard | Indianapolis Colts | March 10, 2017 | three years, $25.5 million |
Restricted
| Position | Player | 2017 Team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | Malcolm Butler | New England Patriots | April 18, 2017 | assigned tender (first-round) on March 7, 2017 ($3.91 million) |
| OT | Cameron Fleming | New England Patriots | April 10, 2017 | assigned tender (original-round) on March 7, 2017 ($1.797 million) |
| TE | Michael Williams | New England Patriots | March 9, 2017 | one year, $540,000 |
Exclusive-Rights
Signings
| Position | Player | Previous team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | Rob Housler | Chicago Bears | January 19, 2017 | future contract |
| CB | Stephon Gilmore | Buffalo Bills | March 10, 2017 | five years, $65 million |
| DT | Lawrence Guy | Baltimore Ravens | March 11, 2017 | four years, $13.4 million |
| RB | Rex Burkhead | Cincinnati Bengals | March 14, 2017 | one year, $3.15 million |
| RB | Mike Gillislee | Buffalo Bills | April 24, 2017 | two years, $6.4 million |
| WR | Devin Street | Indianapolis Colts | May 2, 2017 | claimed off waivers |
| C | James Ferentz | Denver Broncos | May 18, 2017 | one year, $615,000 |
| WR | DeAndrew White | New England Patriots | May 21, 2017 | one year, $540,000 |
| WR | Andrew Hawkins | Cleveland Browns | May 24, 2017 | one year, $980,000 |
| LB | David Harris | New York Jets | June 21, 2017 | two years, $5 million |
| DE | Caleb Kidder | Minnesota Vikings | July 26, 2017 | one year, $465,000 |
| WR | Tony Washington | Jacksonville Jaguars | July 27, 2017 | one year, $540,000 |
| WR | K. J. Maye | Tennessee Titans | July 30, 2017 | one year, $465,000 |
| DE | Michael Bart | Arizona Cardinals | August 28, 2017 | one year, $465,000 |
| DE | Nick Usher | Seattle Seahawks | August 28, 2017 | one year, $465,000 |
| RB | Brandon Bolden | New England Patriots | Re-signed September 4, 2017 | one year, $775,000 |
| QB | Brian Hoyer | San Francisco 49ers | November 1, 2017 | three years, $4,441,470 |
| DE | Ricky Jean Francois | Green Bay Packers | November 7, 2017 | one year, $990,000 |
| TE | Martellus Bennett | Green Bay Packers | November 9, 2017 | two years, $14 million |
| DE | Eric Lee | Buffalo Bills | November 21, 2017 | two years, $1,020,000 |
| LB | Nicholas Grigsby | Baltimore Ravens | November 28, 2017 | two years, $1,170,000 |
| OG | Jason King | Baltimore Ravens | November 28, 2017 | one year, $465,000 |
| LB | Jonathan Freeny | Jacksonville Jaguars | Re-signed December 6, 2017 | one year, $775,000 |
| WR | Kenny Britt | Cleveland Browns | December 12, 2017 | two years, $2.4 million |
| DE | Ricky Jean Francois | New England Patriots | Re-signed December 13, 2017 | one year, $900,000 |
| OLB | James Harrison | Pittsburgh Steelers | Signed December 26, 2017 | one year, $1,000,000 |
| WR | Bernard Reedy | New England Patriots | Re-signed January 17, 2017 | one year, $225,000 |
Departures
| Position | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OT | Sebastian Vollmer | Released March 3, 2017 |
| RB | Tyler Gaffney | Waived March 20, 2017 |
| OG | Tre' Jackson | Waived April 18, 2017 |
| TE | Michael Williams | Released May 12, 2017 |
| TE | Rob Housler | Released May 17, 2017 |
| OG | Chris Barker | Released May 18, 2017 |
| WR | Devin Street | Released May 24, 2017 |
| DE | Corey Vereen | Waived June 5, 2017 |
| WR | DeAndrew White | Released June 22, 2017 |
| OG | Chase Farris | Released July 20, 2017 |
| WR | Andrew Hawkins | Retired July 25, 2017 |
| OLB/DE | Rob Ninkovich | Retired July 30, 2017 |
| SS | Dwayne Thomas | Released August 11, 2017 |
| DE | Kony Ealy | Released August 26, 2017 |
| DE | Caleb Kidder | Released August 27, 2017 |
| TE | Matt Lengel | Released August 27, 2017 |
| OLB | Christian Kuntz | Released August 29, 2017 |
| FB | Glenn Gronkowski | Released September 1, 2017 |
| TE | Sam Cotton | Released September 1, 2017 |
| OT | Max Rich | Released September 1, 2017 |
| OG | Jason King | Released September 1, 2017 |
| DE | Michael Bart | Released September 1, 2017 |
| DT | Josh Augusta | Released September 1, 2017 |
| FS | Jason Thompson | Released September 1, 2017 |
| OLB | Jonathan Freeny | Released September 1, 2017 |
| WR | Tony Washington | Released September 2, 2017 |
| WR | K.J. Maye | Released September 2, 2017 |
| OLB | Trevor Bates | Released September 2, 2017 |
| RB | D.J. Foster | Released September 2, 2017 |
| RB | LeShun Daniels | Released September 2, 2017 |
| CB | D.J. Killings | Released September 2, 2017 |
| OT | Andrew Jelks | Released September 2, 2017 |
| CB | Kenny Moore | Released September 2, 2017 |
| OG | Jamil Douglas | Released September 2, 2017 |
| SS | Damarius Travis | Released September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Cody Hollister | Released September 2, 2017 |
| FS | David Jones | Released September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Nick Usher | Released September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Austin Carr | Released September 2, 2017 |
| TE | James O'Shaughnessy | Released September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Geneo Grissom | Released September 2, 2017 | >
| HB | Brandon Bolden | Released September 2, 2017 |
| OG | Ted Karras | Released September 2, 201 |
| C | James Ferentz | Released September 2, 2017 |
| MLB | Brooks Ellis | Released September 2, 2017 |
| DT | Woodrow Hamilton | Released September 2, 2017 |
| DT | Darius Kilgo | Released September 2, 2017 |
| CB | William Likely | Released September 2, 2017 |
| WR | Devin Lucien | Released September 2, 2017 |
| OT | Conor McDermott | Released September 2, 2017 |
| DE | Geneo Grissom | Waived November 9, 2017 |
| DE | Cassius Marsh | Released November 21, 2017 |
| DE | Ricky Jean-Francois | Released December 2, 2017 |
| OG | Jason King | Released December 2, 2017 |
| WR | Bernard Reedy | Released December 13, 2017 |
| OLB | Jonathan Freeny | Released December 13, 2017 |
| OLB | Trevor Reilly | Waived December 26, 2017 |
Trades
March 8: The Patriots obtained tight end Dwayne Allen and a sixth-round selection and sent a fourth-round selection to the Indianapolis Colts
March 10: The Patriots were involved in a trade in which they sent their second-round selection to the Carolina Panthers for defensive end Kony Ealy and a third-round selection.
March 10: The Patriots were involved in a trade in which they sent their first-round selection and a third-round selection to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round selection.
April 29: The Patriots traded a fifth-round selection to the Kansas City Chiefs for tight end James O'Shaughnessy and a sixth-round selection.
August 29: The Patriots traded a 2018 seventh-round selection to the Cincinnati Bengals for linebacker Marquis Flowers.
September 1: The Patriots traded cornerback Justin Coleman to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2018 seventh-round draft selection.
September 2: The Patriots traded a 2019 sixth-round selection to the Detroit Lions for cornerback Johnson Bademosi.
September 2: The Patriots traded quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
September 2: The Patriots traded their 2018 fifth and seventh-round picks to the Seahawks for defensive end Cassius Marsh.
October 30: The Patriots traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round selection.
