2022 Pats Free Agent period

ZMart100

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The season is done. The conversation is going on in a few places already, but it is time to look ahead. The Pats don't have a ton of space. Miguel has it at $2.5 million to get to 65 players.

UFA:
Devin McCourty
Trent Brown
J.C. Jackson
Ted Karras
Mathew Slater
Ja’Whaun Bentley
Dont’a Hightower
James White
Brandon Bolden
Brandon King
Marcus Martin
Harvey Langi
Jamie Collins
Brian Hoyer
Carl Davis
Troy Fumagalli
Nick Folk

RFA:
Jakobi Meyers
Jakob Johnson
Gunner Olszewski

ERFA:
Terez Hall

My guess is Meyers gets 2nd round tender, while Jakob, Gunner and Hall get non-tendered. Miguel is assuming tenders for Jakob and Gunner. I think they would be worth resigning, but the tender at more than 2m seems like too much. Restructuring Shaq Mason could open up $4 million. Some other ways to get space would be cutting Agholor ~4m, Godchaux ~5m, or Van Noy ~5m. I would think Godchaux is the most vulnerable due to Barmore's presence. Agholor and Van Noy seem worth about what they would free up if cut.

I'd like Jackson back, but I suspect he will be out of the Pats' price range. Karras seems like a possible re-sign. Would Trent Brown want to come back cheap? Though ST wasn't very good overall this year, the players they stand to lose were not the problem there. The Pats will probably need to find some depth at linebacker. So that's probably some money they will have to spend on the middle class at LB and ST.

Edit: updated FAs
 

RG33

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It feels like to me there is a good chance that DMac, Hightower, and Slater may have played their last games on the Patriots. I think all 3 may retire.

JC Jackson and Trent Brown seem like the priorities from that list, and Jakobi Meyers seems like a pretty obvious 2nd round tender to me.

Gunner and Jakob seem like obvious non-tenders.

They have a lot of work to do, but it feels like they have a solid foundation with Mac10, the RBs, Jonnu/Hunter (I think Jonnu bounces back), Meyers/Bourne/Agholor and the defense overall. They need some speed in the LB ranks, some help in the secondary, and obviously some big play guys on offense to go with what is a solid core of good, if unspectacular players. I’m optimistic this is the start of another period of contention.
 

vadertime

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Hightower and McCourty need to be voluntold they're retiring. Even Slater, who I remeber making couple bad penalties needs to retire. Jackson can go. Not as good as his rep is, and we can/should spend that money on 2-3 other modest upgrades on other areas of the defense.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Hightower and McCourty need to be voluntold they're retiring. Even Slater, who I remeber making couple bad penalties needs to retire. Jackson can go. Not as good as his rep is, and we can/should spend that money on 2-3 other modest upgrades on other areas of the defense.
Wait why do we want Slater gone? Yeesh.
 

Granite Sox

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I was hopeful for McMillan as a youngish LB who could contribute. ACL tear throws that up in the air a little, but maybe he can help. Don’t forget they’ve got McGrone coming back as well and he might be useful. He doesn’t profile like Belichick’s preferred ILB in that he’s not a heavy/slow thumper. He’s more of a modern NFL LB (smaller/faster). Who knows with Uche.

I think at least one of the Michigan Edge/LBs (Wino, Uche, McGrone) will be jettisoned, and I think Hightower and Collins should go as well. Keep either KVN or Bentley, but not both. They’re just too slow to function adequately anymore.

In free agency, I’d target:
  1. CB
  2. LB
  3. OT
  4. DL
Depending on price/availability.

I think they basically need to rebuild almost the entire defense with the exception of the safety position (haven’t really seen if Bledsoe can contribute, either). Get whatever value you can in FA on that side of the ball, and draft for offensive need.
 

Seels

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Much as I love all the old guard, I agree, retire everyone. They need a changing of the guard while the coaching staff is still present.
 

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Wait why do we want Slater gone? Yeesh.
Agreed. You don’t cut Slater. Cody Davis I think might go, but I think Slater and Bethel will be back.

I agree that Hightower and Collins shouldn’t be back. Likewise Godchaux.(How did he have 11 tackles in the Wind Game and then disappear after that,including in both the other Bills games?!?)
 

Dr. Gonzo

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Put this in the Mac thread but probably belongs here.

Allen Robinson will be 29 in August and just had a down year. Any chance his value is down and he’s not looking at big offers come free agency?

Gallup would be my preferred FA target but I don’t see the money working.
 

j44thor

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Agreed. You don’t cut Slater. Cody Davis I think might go, but I think Slater and Bethel will be back.

I agree that Hightower and Collins shouldn’t be back. Likewise Godchaux.(How did he have 11 tackles in the Wind Game and then disappear after that,including in both the other Bills games?!?)
Slater and Bethel make two much $$ for guys that only play ST. Too many holes to fill on both sides of the ball. ST is a luxury this team can no longer afford now that no one is coming here on the cheap to chase a ring. Granted I haven't looked at dead cap $$ but if it is minimal they need to think about filing ST with vet min and rookies/backups.
 

jsinger121

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Slater and Bethel make two much $$ for guys that only play ST. Too many holes to fill on both sides of the ball. ST is a luxury this team can no longer afford now that no one is coming here on the cheap to chase a ring. Granted I haven't looked at dead cap $$ but if it is minimal they need to think about filing ST with vet min and rookies/backups.
This I totally agree with. The days of spending real money on special teams only guys should be over. There are tons of guys that can do that job for minimum to rookie salaries.
 

vadertime

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Slater and Bethel make two much $$ for guys that only play ST. Too many holes to fill on both sides of the ball. ST is a luxury this team can no longer afford now that no one is coming here on the cheap to chase a ring. Granted I haven't looked at dead cap $$
This is part of my rational. Slater is FA so there is no dead money for him. With the exception of Folk, special teams has flat out shit the bed the last 2 years, and I distinctly remember 2-3 bonehead penalties by Slater on punts not getting back inbounds. Sonething that somebody with his reputation shouldn't be doing.
 

ZMart100

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Pulling from the defense thread...
Not reactionary at all. He looked like he [Hightower] was running in oatmeal out there. I think mccourty may be in the same boat.
McCourty is a little different because he has the ~6m void hit that could potentially be mitigated if they can work something out before the new league year. I'd take Hightower back and hope he loses the competition in camp. However, at the number I would be willing to pay I'd assume he would prefer to retire.

Edit: Clarification on McCourty's contract - It's 3 void years at a little over 2m each. If it voids this year, the cap hits accelerate onto 2022 for over 6m total. If they can renegotiate for a cap hit this year of less than the $4m, the Pats could save money on the cap and get the player too.
 
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Garshaparra

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This is part of my rational. Slater is FA so there is no dead money for him. With the exception of Folk, special teams has flat out shit the bed the last 2 years, and I distinctly remember 2-3 bonehead penalties by Slater on punts not getting back inbounds. Sonething that somebody with his reputation shouldn't be doing.
BB has always been able to keep ST binkies on the roster, but this year was really remarkable. Slater and Bethel, plus Brandon King AND Cody Davis were all exclusively special teamers that don't kick or return the ball. That seemed like an unusually high number to me, though I confess I don't follow the rosters of other teams well enough, but I don't recall 4 guys in past years who were so glued to ST.
 

Average Game James

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Put this in the Mac thread but probably belongs here.

Allen Robinson will be 29 in August and just had a down year. Any chance his value is down and he’s not looking at big offers come free agency?

Gallup would be my preferred FA target but I don’t see the money working.
I could see A-Rob looking at a shorter prove it type deal, but would the Pats be an appealing destination for him when he’s presumably looking to put up numbers to get a bigger contract in 2023? A lot might depend on QB movement and if any of Rodgers, Wilson, or Watson are elsewhere next year, but I can’t imagine the Pats are near the top of the list in terms of destinations for him (even if Mac would quite possibly be the best QB he’s ever played with).

From a scheme perspective, Gallup is interesting, but he’s never been a #1 guy and will be coming off a torn ACL suffered only 2 weeks ago. Given some of the challenges we have seen with new guys picking up the system, I’d be somewhat concerned about year 1 for a guy that would miss off-season work and potentially be limited in training camp.
 

lexrageorge

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BB has always been able to keep ST binkies on the roster, but this year was really remarkable. Slater and Bethel, plus Brandon King AND Cody Davis were all exclusively special teamers that don't kick or return the ball. That seemed like an unusually high number to me, though I confess I don't follow the rosters of other teams well enough, but I don't recall 4 guys in past years who were so glued to ST.
Most if not all teams have players that appear nearly exclusively on special teams, barring in-game injury. I refuse to consider it a problem; the kicking game is important enough that some skill specialization in that area is warranted. And you do not necessarily want your starters being exposed to injury while on the punt coverage unit (although sometimes it's unavoidable; Gronk broke his arm on a conversion attempt). The difference is that the Pats have a rep of deploying veterans (and corresponding salary cap space) like Slater and King there, while other teams may limit such roster spots for players on their rookie contracts.

I don't think these 4 players took any roster spots from any potential impact non-ST players. And the team had cap space to use this season. I do agree that with a snug cap, it does make sense to revisit that strategy from a cap perspective for next season.
 

Old Fart Tree

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BB has always been able to keep ST binkies on the roster, but this year was really remarkable. Slater and Bethel, plus Brandon King AND Cody Davis were all exclusively special teamers that don't kick or return the ball. That seemed like an unusually high number to me, though I confess I don't follow the rosters of other teams well enough, but I don't recall 4 guys in past years who were so glued to ST.
I'd be fine with it if Special Teams hadn't sucked out loud, but it did. Despite having a pretty damn good kicker. Jesus they were terrible.
 

Shelterdog

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BB has always been able to keep ST binkies on the roster, but this year was really remarkable. Slater and Bethel, plus Brandon King AND Cody Davis were all exclusively special teamers that don't kick or return the ball. That seemed like an unusually high number to me, though I confess I don't follow the rosters of other teams well enough, but I don't recall 4 guys in past years who were so glued to ST.
Almost every team in the league has 3-5 guys like that. It’s normal roster construction. Not clear to me why they were so bad but obviously they were
 

mcpickl

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This is part of my rational. Slater is FA so there is no dead money for him. With the exception of Folk, special teams has flat out shit the bed the last 2 years, and I distinctly remember 2-3 bonehead penalties by Slater on punts not getting back inbounds. Sonething that somebody with his reputation shouldn't be doing.
Slater committed one penalty this season.

This is the easiest call ever for me.

If Slater wants to come back, you bring him back.
 

BaseballJones

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Slater committed one penalty this season.

This is the easiest call ever for me.

If Slater wants to come back, you bring him back.
Slater brings SO much more to the team than just on-field performance (which is still at a high level, even if it's not quite what it once was). By ALL accounts, he's an exceptional person and leader, and as this team looks to get younger, it's going to need people like Slater just to help guide the young'uns along. That's worth something all by itself. And of course, he's still good.
 

tims4wins

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I'd be fine with it if Special Teams hadn't sucked out loud, but it did. Despite having a pretty damn good kicker. Jesus they were terrible.
This, exactly. It's always been justified with their top 5-10 ranking in ST. When you finish in the 20s in STs, you can't justify that investment. And it's not like they are spending a lot on K or P either.
 

RIFan

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Slater committed one penalty this season.

This is the easiest call ever for me.

If Slater wants to come back, you bring him back.
At that it was a questionable penalty that they let guys get away with almost all of the time (getting pushed out of bounds and not returning quick enough). It possibly wouldn't have been called if he hadn't made the tackle and forced a fumble.

I think Slater retires, but if he wants to come back you bring him back. There does seem to be some indications that there were issues with newer players not getting with the "Patriot Way". If that was a problem, losing Slater and McCourty certainly isn't going to make it better. Hightower might hurt there too, but unlike him Slater and McCourty can still contribute on the field even if they are past their peak.

I always tend to put most blame on poor performance on the players on the field. I think that is still true, but ST coaching really seemed to let them down this year with so many stupid problems. There definitely seemed to be a lot missing in the game prep and attention to detail that would fall on Achord.
 

Shelterdog

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But are those STOGYs on other teams getting $2M each per year?
Basically yes. The pats used to be an outlier like this but not any more. To be more precise a lot of teams have the three to five dedicated special teamers2 million or so is the salary range (buffalos best guy mantakevich makes 3.5 million per year) although some teams do have guys on rookie contracts filling the dedicated special teams role.

the problem is our guys sucked; I’m not sure why but age of the unit could be a factor
 
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j44thor

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Not a FA but I'd like to see NE kick the tires on Andy Isabella who has to be on the outs in AZ as he is inactive yet again and effectively replaced by Rondale Moore. He carries a 1.4M cap hit next year and could at min fill the KR/PR role and perhaps can convert to a slot receiver and give this team the much needed speed they need at WR. Obviously there are limitations to his game given he is 5'8" and not overly physical but for such a low cap hit he would be worth a flyer and I would imagine you can get him for a swap of draft picks or very late pick. He is probably already a better WR than Gunner and will save a couple mill on the cap. Gunner is likely a better punt returner but the marginal upgrade isn't worth the cap space Gunner will require.
 

ZMart100

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The McCourty situation fascinates me. He has 3 void years of 2.15m cap hits each. If there is no deal before the league year, it accelerates to a 6.45m cap hit. What does he want?

If he wants to retire he could do the team a solid and sign for the min + some guaranteed money to hold off the paperwork until after Jun 1. That would save almost 1/2 of the cap hit.

If he is willing to go year-by-year, well he earned 9m in cash last year. You could give him 9m again by a 3 million signing bonus, 3m in guaranteed salary and 3m in salary + bonuses. That would only increase his cap hit by about 3m, though it would set up a 6.3m void hit next offseason. 3m for McCourtey sounds like a deal, though it would be great if he would take a little less. I'd throw in a NLTBE pro-bowl bonus too.

Longer deals get tricky unless he is willing to take less cash next year. I'm not sure what the market to sign a 35 year old DB for several years is anyway, though I imagine he could get 2 real years somewhere, but maybe not a whole lot more money.
 

Cellar-Door

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I think you try to convince McCourty to come back for a year at $9M or so, he's still a good player, just not quite the All-Pro he used to be. Since you're paying $6M for nothing if he leaves getting a good solid NFL safety instead is worth at least 3M.
 

BaseballJones

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I think you try to convince McCourty to come back for a year at $9M or so, he's still a good player, just not quite the All-Pro he used to be. Since you're paying $6M for nothing if he leaves getting a good solid NFL safety instead is worth at least 3M.
I agree that it would be good to keep McCourty, especially for what would be "only" an additional $3 million (compared to the dead cap hit if he's gone). But he's never been an all-pro player. He's only ever been to two pro bowls, and he's never been one of the two (or four) best safeties in the NFL. He's had a wonderful career and has been a terrific player, but not an all-pro.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I agree that it would be good to keep McCourty, especially for what would be "only" an additional $3 million (compared to the dead cap hit if he's gone). But he's never been an all-pro player. He's only ever been to two pro bowls, and he's never been one of the two (or four) best safeties in the NFL. He's had a wonderful career and has been a terrific player, but not an all-pro.
I think you are splitting hairs. He was one of the top FS for years, whether he was first or fifth or third or sixth any particular year is beside the point.

And he has been a second team All-Pro three times.
 

BaseballJones

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I think you are splitting hairs. He was one of the top FS for years, whether he was first or fifth or third or sixth any particular year is beside the point.

And he has been a second team All-Pro three times.
Ok I didn't realize he'd been second team All-Pro. On his pro-football-reference page it doesn't list any All-Pros at all for him.
 

E5 Yaz

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I'd be all for letting McCourty go if one of Dugger/Phillips were the same quality of player they currently are, but played FS or had better coverage skills.
That's what the second-round pick is for
 

Jimbodandy

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If DMC isn’t back, I think the most likely FS next year is either Jonathon Jones or Jalen Mills.
Of course, that assumes they have a new CB or two.
I think that Mills is too small to play safety. I like him as a slot CB ideally.

JJ could see there. He's listed at roughly the same weight, but he seems bigger.
 

jsinger121

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Maybe the Patriots target someone like Jessie Bates III who is a FS. Plays for the Bengals. Just wrapping up his 4th season and didn’t reach a contract extension with them. Second team all pro in 2020.
 

Super Nomario

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I think that Mills is too small to play safety. I like him as a slot CB ideally.

JJ could see there. He's listed at roughly the same weight, but he seems bigger.
Mills is 6'0", he's not a small dude. I do worry about his speed in that role; he's much slower than McCourty. We've seen the odd snap of Jones deep, but I have no idea whether he can do it on a regular basis.
 

BigJimEd

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Mills did play some safety in Philly as well as at LSU. Most seem to think he played better at CB though. They also have Bledsoe but he seems more suited to play in the box and certainly isn't someone to be relied on at this point.
Dugger can play some deep safety as well.

Bates seems like a good candidate for Cinci to tag if they can't get a deal done.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Maybe the Patriots target someone like Jessie Bates III who is a FS. Plays for the Bengals. Just wrapping up his 4th season and didn’t reach a contract extension with them. Second team all pro in 2020.
He’s getting franchised if they don’t reach an extension.
 

Cellar-Door

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The more I look at it, the more it seems like the odds at FS are either McCourty is back or we downgrade. Anyone better will cost more than we should reasonably expect to spend there (especially with McCourty's void).
 

macal

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The more I look at it, the more it seems like the odds at FS are either McCourty is back or we downgrade. Anyone better will cost more than we should reasonably expect to spend there (especially with McCourty's void).
I agree with this. With the void, I can't see them upgrading the position, unless they get extremely lucky with the draft. I think they roll the dice with McCourty for at least 1 more season. He also has the intangibles (leadership, knows system etc.). I don't have a problem with him coming back. It's Hightower, sadly, that I don't want to see next year, for all the reasons that have already been discussed before.
 

Cellar-Door

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I agree with this. With the void, I can't see them upgrading the position, unless they get extremely lucky with the draft. I think they roll the dice with McCourty for at least 1 more season. He also has the intangibles (leadership, knows system etc.). I don't have a problem with him coming back. It's Hightower, sadly, that I don't want to see next year, for all the reasons that have already been discussed before.
Yeah, I think people looked at how slow the defense was and saw that McCourty took a step back and decided "he's toast", but I think it's more that he's gone from one of the best safeties in football to a solid starter, he's not close to the problem for this defense, it's the front 7 that is the problem, and the CB depth.
 

RedOctober3829

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Yeah, I think people looked at how slow the defense was and saw that McCourty took a step back and decided "he's toast", but I think it's more that he's gone from one of the best safeties in football to a solid starter, he's not close to the problem for this defense, it's the front 7 that is the problem, and the CB depth.
I want McCourty back because he's a leader, a good player, and he'd cost money on the cap anyways. Might as well have him playing.