INDIANAPOLIS -- Mike Vrabel inherited a Patriots roster riddled with holes.

Whether in the trenches or at skill positions, New England lacks both depth and top-end talent. With a league high $128 million in cap space, that something Vrabel hopes to remedy in free agency next month.

"We want to be aggressive," Vrabel said. "We want to target players we feel like are going to help us, that are going to be outstanding players, and are going to be outstanding additions to the locker room and the community. If that all fits and the compensation fits... I'm confident we'll be aggressive, we've started some of those discussions internally.

"Free agency gets broken down into compensation, and then it gets broken down into opportunity, and I feel like we're in a position to offer both, as far as compensation and opportunity for some of these players."

The Patriots will be going after both Pro Bowl-caliber players and middle-tier free agents that could help revitalize the roster, and Vrabel said New England wouldn't hesitate to spend top dollar for a true difference maker.

"I like to shop like everybody else," Vrabel said. "And so when you go and there's only one of a certain car, maybe you have to pay a little bit more for that one car, because there's only one of them. When you start to get into a range where you feel like there's an area where players are comparable, and you like three or four players in a certain area for a certain role, you may not have to overspend, but it's free agency. I think that everybody overspends sometimes in free agency."

Top free agents that fit New England's needs include Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley, Eagles defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, and linebacker Zack Baun.