As we approach a new league year, Patriots fans have started to look toward what big-name free agents the team could add to get them back to the playoffs. According to @Patscap on Twitter, the Patriots are currently projected to have roughly 32 million dollars in cap space. This number includes the recently resigned Matthew Slater and Conor McDermott. Though they already have a good amount of cap space, the Patriots also have plenty of ways to create more. Including, but not limited to, cutting or trading players like Trent Brown or Hunter Henry. Bill Belichick and the Patriots front office will have plenty of avenues to improve the roster that produced eight wins in 2022. Let’s take a look at 15 free-agent targets for the New England Patriots.
1. LB Leighton Vander Esch
Linebacker will certainly be an area to address for the Patriots this offseason. With Mack Wilson and Raekwon McMillan heading for free agency, the Patriots will have openings on both sides of Ja’Whuan Bentley.
The Patriots’ interest in Leighton Vander Esch has been well documented. He came in for a pre-draft visit and was consistently mocked to New England as an incoming rookie. The interest then continued into last off-season when Vander Esch become a free agent for the first time. The Patriots reportedly showed interest in the linebacker before he returned to Dallas on a one-year, prove-it deal. In 2022, Vander Esch finished the season with 90 total tackles despite missing the final three games of the year. Health has been the concern of his career, but he has only missed three games over the past two seasons. He’ll likely be available again this off-season and the Patriots should be aggressive in bringing him to Foxboro.
Projected Contract: Three years, 19.5 million
2. RB Jerick McKinnon
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The Patriots running back position has a few question marks heading into the offseason. Rhamondre Stevenson took over the lead-back role for New England this past season, while Damien Harris played a complementary role. The Patriots also spent two 2022 draft picks on RB’s, bringing in Pierre Strong, and Kevin Harris. With Damien Harris banged up this season, Stevenson’s workload increased by over 50 percent from 2021 and was often overused when Harris was out.
Going into the off-season, the Patriots need to address the receiving back role. Jerick McKinnon has brought his career back to life with the Kansas City Chiefs. Flourishing in the 3rd down role this past year, McKinnon finished the regular season with 56 catches for 512 yards and nine touchdowns. McKinnon likely wouldn’t cost much and would be a nice compliment to Stevenson’s lead role.
Projected Contract: Two years, 5.5 million
3. CB Byron Murphy
When I look at the Patriots’ defensive free agent signings over the years, they have excelled at finding proper fits and getting players to outperform expectations. With a need to add another corner to the mix, Byron Murphy has a chance to be the next one for New England. It should be noted that the Patriots ideally need to add a boundary corner and Murphy hasn’t specialized in that. That being said, Murphy was playing his best football outside the numbers of his career this past season. Unfortunately for Murphy, he suffered a season ending injury during week nine.
For the Patriots, Murphy would provide versatility and an opportunity to use his strengths to find the best version of himself. At 25 years old, Murphy is just entering his prime and should be identified as a potential breakout candidate for a new team. If the Patriots resign Jon Jones, he might not be a logical signing, but Murphy provides a younger and likely cheaper option at a very important position.
We are now SEVEN days away from the 2022 NFL Draft
— Andy Kwong (@akwong31) April 21, 2022
Here’s No. 7 Byron Murphy on the #AZCardinals with the interception returned for a touchdown! #RedSea pic.twitter.com/6JKCXqMHCM
Projected Contract: Three years, 27 million
4. LB David Long Jr.
In 2022, David Long produced a breakout season in his first full-time opportunity as a Titans linebacker. Long put together 86 tackles, seven TFL, and two INT’S and was one of the best run-blocking linebackers in football, with Pro Football Focus giving him an 89.0 run-defense grade.
At 26 years old, Long is just entering his prime and is expected to cash in during free agency. Sportrac projects Long to receive 4.9 million dollars annually in his new deal but I expect a much bigger contract. It’s tough to gauge what the Patriots will prioritize in free agency this time around, but they’ll certainly have the money to add Long if they wish to do so.
Projected Contract: Four years, 36 million
5. OT Andre Dillard
With a need at the tackle, the Patriots will certainly be looking into the free agency market to address the position. After being a first-round draft pick in 2019, Andre Dillard has had a disappointing start to his career. He has struggled with injuries and although he is a bit undersized, his athleticism provides him with quality upside. If the Patriots feel like he has untapped potential, taking a chance on Dillard could result in finding a diamond in the rough at one of the most important positions in football.
Projected Contract: Two years, 8.75 million + incentives
6. WR Parris Campbell
Let it be known, I know this isn’t an exciting option for Patriot fans and the priority needs to be to find a top wide receiver for Mac Jones. Nevertheless, the WR class is extremely weak and one of the best options is the Patriots pending free agent Jakobi Meyers. Parris Campbell’s career to this point has been riddled with injuries. Though in 2022, in his first healthy season, he produced 63 catches and 623 yards. At 25 years old, Campbell still has plenty of young years ahead of him. If the Patriots added Campbell on an incentive-laden deal, he could prove to be a steal and an important weapon for Mac Jones.
Parris Campbell Highlights 2022-23 #NFL #FreeAgent pic.twitter.com/SGj32QtDu6
— Brad Ward (@WardonSports) February 6, 2023
Projected Contract: One year, 3.25 million + heavy active roster incentives
7. S Julian Love
The former fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame enjoyed a breakout year for the Giants this past season. After serving in a reserve role for the first three years of his career, Julian Love earned his chance for a full-time opportunity. Love would bring versatility and durability to the Patriots’ defense. In 2022, he played all around the Giants defense with 578 snaps at free safety, 296 in the box, and 170 in the slot. If Devin McCourty ends up retiring, Love could be a logical target that wouldn’t break the bank.
Projected Contract: Three years 27 million
8. S Jessie Bates III
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Jessie Bates III will be one of the most sought-after free agents if he becomes available on March 15th. Many elements of Bates’ game will attract teams. He offers a ton of versatility as he can line up all around the defense, showing that he can adapt to any system he signs on to. Bates would bring instant leadership, durability, and consistency at a high level. The Patriots have the flexibility to make a big splash in free agency and Bates is a no-brainer target if they hope to bring their secondary to the next level.
JESSIE BATES INTERCEPTS STAFFORD IN THE END ZONE ?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 14, 2022
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/FWNEagIajU
Projected Contract: Four years, 66 million
9. DL Rasheem Green
The 2018 3rd round pick has slowly improved throughout his first five seasons. In 2021, Green broke out and put up 6.5 sacks and 15 QB hits over 846 snaps. He followed that up this past season with 3.5 sacks and 8 QB hits over 568 snaps.
At 6’4, and 279 pounds, Rasheem Green has the ability to line up at multiple spots along the defensive line and plays well against the run. Bill Belichick has a knack for finding underutilized players, bringing them to New England, and using their strengths to fill a role. Green could come to New England and fit right into the Patriots’ defensive line rotation.
Projected Contract: Two years, 10 million
10. S Jordan Poyer
Jordan Poyer is one of the best fits for the Patriots this coming off-season. If Devin McCourty retires, the Patriots could turn to Poyer to replace him. He isn’t the long-term solution as guys like Love or Bates could be, but on a 1-2 year contract, Poyer would bring a similar presence to the Patriots’ defense that they’ve had with McCourty the past 13 years. Also, stealing him directly from Buffalo certainly would be a nice bonus.
Projected Contract: Two years, 22 million
11. OT Mike McGlinchey
Offensive tackle is one of the top needs for the Patriots going into the 2023 league year. With money to spend, the Patriots could make a splash and fill their right tackle hole by signing Mike McGlinchey. Though he’s known for his run blocking, McGlinchey had the best season of his career as a pass blocker. As one of the top tackles on the market, McGlinchey is primed to cash in. Sportrac has projected an annual salary of 15.5 million per year. He might end up costing more than what the Patriots are willing to do, but either way, they should check in on the 49ers’ free-agent right tackle.
Projected Contract: Four years 60 million
12. LB Zach Cunningham
Zach Cunningham has long been connected to New England as a guy who could one day become a Patriot. It started during pre-draft workouts where Bill Belichick worked with Cunningham hands-on and spent time watching film with the Vanderbilt linebacker. Unfortunately, Cunningham was selected by the Texans before the Patriots’ first selection of the draft. Now after being recently cut by the Titans, the stars might finally align for Belichick to grab a guy he’s long desired to have in a Patriot uniform. Cunningham should come relatively cheap and would fit nicely alongside Bentley.
Projected Contract: Two years, 15 million
13. WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Similar to some others on this list, the connection between Odell Beckham Jr and Belichick has been long documented. The media has kept it fueled and any chance for Odell to come to New England is pushed as a good idea. Now in 2023, the time for Odell and Belichick to come together might finally be here. In what will be a weak wide receiver free agent class, Odell would bring experience and quality play for Mac Jones. Odell is fully recovered from his ACL tear in February of 2022 and will be eager to get back on the field. It’s unknown what type of contract Odell will demand, but if the price is reasonable, bringing him to New England makes sense
Projected Contract: Two years, 28 million
14. LB Tremaine Edmunds
The Patriots have plenty of first-hand scouting on Tremaine Edmunds. After spending his first five seasons with Buffalo, Edmunds heads into free agency expecting a big payday. I don’t see him as elite at anything, but he’s solid against both the run and in coverage. As a middle linebacker, his fit in New England would be interesting, but with the Patriots adopting the three-safety defense quite often, putting Edmunds next to Bentley certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea. He may become too expensive for New England, but Edmunds would certainly be a quality add to the Patriots defense.
Projected Contract: Four years, 54 million
15. CB Jamel Dean
At 6’1, and 205 pounds, Jamel Dean would bring what the Patriots are looking for at cornerback this off-season. New England looks to have added two quality corners in Jack Jones and Marcus Jones, but both lack the height and physicality to match up against some of the top-end wide receivers. Dean would fit well and would allow the Patriots to get back to more man-to-man coverage.
Projected Contract: Four years, 66 million
Be Aggressive
The Patriots were aggressive in free agency in 2021, and needless to say, it wasn’t perfect. They swung and missed on guys like Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor. Though they had a major hit on Matt Judon too. Nevertheless, the Patriots need to be aggressive again. Identify their targets, and go and get them. Do whatever it takes to get the Patriots back to winning football.
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