Bill Belichick has a busy off-season ahead of him. With free agency opening up in 18 days and the NFL Draft two months away, there is a lot of work that must be done in the coming weeks.
The Patriots currently have $32,057,570 million in cap space according to our good friend Miguel Benzan of patscap. How they use that cap space remains to be seen.
Needless to say, Belichick and his staff have a lot of different issues to address. Here are 12 areas Belichick must address off-season. Some are more pressing than others.
1. Re-tool the offensive line: Priority number one. The Patriots must address left and right tackle both in free agency and the draft. The interior of the offensive line is fine. Cole Strange had some growing pains but he will be better next season now that he is acclimated to the system. The Patriots may have to make a tough decision on Trent Brown but that’s part of doing business in the NFL. Brown knows that.
Depending on how much the Patriots are willing to spend, there could be some intriguing names to target both in free agency and the draft.
Free agents to watch
Andre Dillard (OT)
Ben Powers (OG)
Andrew Wylie (OT)
Cam Fleming (OT)
Eric Fisher (OT)
Isaac Seumalo (OG)
Draft prospects to watch
Peter Skronski (OT), Northwestern
Broderick Jones, (OT), Georgia
Duwand Jones, (OT), Ohio State
O’Cyrus Torrence (OT), Florida
Blake Freeland (OT), BYU
Matthew Bergeron (OT), Syracuse
Cody Mauch, (OT), NDSU
2. In or out on Meyers? Belichick has to decide whether or not the team should make a run at keeping free agent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Meyers will garner plenty of interest in the open market, especially with the free agent market at the position being so thin. Meyers could command $12-14 million per season which I think will be too rich for the Patriots.
3. Add another receiver: Let’s assume the Patriots move on from Meyers. If they do, they will need another receiver. Unless Belichick is willing to invest in the position early in the draft I.E day one or two, then free agency is the best avenue to replace Meyers. There are plenty of affordable options that will hit the market. The Patriots have to find one that will fit.
4. Cornerback: Jonathan Jones is a free agent and likely won’t be back. Jack and Marcus Jones have a lot of potential but they do not fit the physical profile of a boundary corner. The Patriots need a big corner who can match up against the other team’s best receiver on the back side. The draft is probably the best way to address this position. There are five corners who could go in the first round so the Patriots will have some options. Here are some names to look for in the draft.
Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Joey Porter, Penn St.
Kelee Ringo, Georgia
Cam Smith, South Carolina
The position is deep well into day two so some other names to watch include:
Emmanuel Forbes, Miss St.
Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (Fla)
Eli Ricks, Alabama
Deonte Moore, Maryland
5. Decision on their own free agents: Outside of Meyers and Jones, the Patriots have to figure out what other free agents of theirs they want to re-sign. Matthew Slater announced he’s coming back and signed. Conor McDermott re-signed as well. Devin McCourty is more than likely retiring so he’s probably out. Jabrill Peppers, Cody Davis and possibly Mack Wilson are the only in-house free agents I see the Patriots trying to retain. They will not retain anyone else unless they hit the open market, garner no interest and come back to the Patriots willing to play for less. It is how Belichick has operated with most free agents during his tenure here and he will do the same this off-season.
6. Add depth at running back: The Patriots have enough depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson but it is unproven depth in Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. They do have Ty Montgomery under contract but he didn’t play last season due to injuries so who knows if he will be back. With Damien Harris more than likely gone, the Patriots will need to add another running back either in free agency or the draft. A change of pace slasher who could play on the third down would be the ideal fit. Look for the team to add at least one if not two running backs this off-season.
7. Figure out tight end: I know that this isn’t a pressing issue but the Patriots need to figure out a way to get more out of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith while also looking at the financial side of things. Smith’s contract in particular is an albatross and given the way it is structured, the team is stuck with him. Barring a restructure or an unexpected trade, the Patriots will keep both Smith and Henry and will try to make it work. Especially with Smith.
8. Fortify the pass rush: The Patriots were second in the NFL in sacks last season thanks to an MVP caliber season from Matthew Judon and the emergence of Josh Uche. This isn’t an area of need per say but you can never have enough pass rushers. Adding a third edge rusher or an interior pass rusher should be a priority for the Patriots this off-season. Especially when they’ll be facing Josh Allen twice next season and Patrick Mahomes among others.
9. Add another versatile safety: With McCourty’s future undecided, the Patriots need to address safety. They play a lot of three safety looks so they need a safety who can align in different places and play in all situations. McCourty was more of a free safety physically so the Patriots could opt for more of a center fielder type in free agency or the draft. Either way, the Patriots will address the position this off-season.
10. Status of the kicking game: The kicking game was a mess last season especially the punters. Jake Bailey has regressed mightily the past two seasons and his status moving forward is up in the air. His replacement Michael Palardy also struggled and won’t be back. Even Nick Folk was far from automatic. Factor in special teams coach Cam Achord and his future and the Patriots special teams have a lot issues that need to be addressed this off-season.
11. Early contract extensions: Will the Patriots use some of the cap space they have this off-season to extend some of their younger players? Maybe. Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche are free agents in 2024. The Patriots could try to negotiate with their representation now and get something done this off-season if Dugger and Uche are willing to negotiate now. Belichick has not traditionally operated this way in the past but both are elite level talents that are foundational pieces. With Christian Barmore, Matthew Judon and Rhamondre Stevenson set to hit the market in 2025 as UFA’s, what the Patriots do with Dugger and Uche could determine what they decide to do with those guys in the future.
12. Clear the air on Mac Jones: Belichick needs to clear the air on Jones. He needs to come and show support publicly for his beleaguered quarterback. The owner has. It would be good for Jones and the team if Belichick did the same. The Patriots have to give Jones a year under O’Brien. Whether they do or not tendons to be seen. Either way, a public vote of confidence at some point this off-season would be a good thing.