The bulk of the Patriots’ offseason action last year was retaining core players through extensions or free-agent contracts.

New England doesn’t appear likely to take a similar path this offseason, which very well could lead to longtime Patriots finding new homes over the next few months.

The Athletic’s Chad Graff on Thursday shared eight predictions for New England’s pivotal offseason, which included the departures of two veteran leaders. Graff doesn’t see Jonathan Jones or Deatrich Wise, a pair of unrestricted free agents, extending their respective tenures in Foxboro, Mass.

“Jones will be 32 next season, an age that isn’t typically kind to outside cornerbacks, so he could be in store for a permanent move to safety,” Graff wrote.

“Wise, meanwhile, who will be 31 next season, has played an important role for the Pats in recent years. But they’re switching defensive schemes for the first time this century and Wise might not be seen as the right fit.”

The Patriots would be losing more than on-field production if both Jones and Wise walked. A leadership void also would be created by those exits, as Jones has been with New England since 2016 and Wise, a 2024 captain, was a fourth-round pick in 2017.

But that simply would mean other players in the locker room need to step up, and the Patriots seem to have candidates for those roles already in house.