Pending Free Agents / Extension Candidates

[Super Nomario]

Perhaps this should be its own thread, but should the Pats be trying to lock up Trent Brown long term, like, now?? If he has a Pro Bowl year they're going to lose him. Maybe they are ok with getting a comp pick and sliding in Wynn, I dunno. But for a guy who was a 7th round pick and is on his rookie contract, there has to be some kind of middle ground where he can set himself up for life but the Pats don't have to pay Solder-type money.

In addition to Brown, there are a number of interesting upcoming FA:

https://overthecap.com/free-agency/new-england-patriots/

Pretty much the whole receiving corps, both specialists, about half the corners, Trey Flowers, and both starting DT. Flowers will likely get good money somewhere. Guys like Trent Brown, Malcom Brown, Dorsett, Rowe, and Shelton are all at interesting inflection points where they've flashed but never really put it together; they could make a lot of money. That makes them all interesting extension candidates, where the team might get a discount in exchange for some risk.

 

[IdiotKicker]

Assuming T. Brown plays up to his potential, I think he, Gostkowski, and Flowers are probably the ones who you really want to retain. The others on the list are nice, but the money is likely going to be prohibitive in a lot of cases. I could see Waddle coming back on a backup-type deal, but other than that, I think most of the rest likely either price themselves out or just aren't very good. If yesterday is any indication, I'd love to have Dorsett back, but someone will give him $6-8M a year if he ends up with 70 catches on the season.

 

[pappymojo]

Not a driving factor, but certainly a consideration based on the number of pending free agents: a team can only earn a maximum of four comp picks. I assume they will want to extend one of Shelton or M. Brown. Losing both makes for a difficult transition process.

 

[Super Nomario]

If yesterday is any indication, I'd love to have Dorsett back, but someone will give him $6-8M a year if he ends up with 70 catches on the season.

I wouldn't hate that deal for Dorsett, though obviously prefer towards the lower end of that range (FWIW Amendola and Travis Benjamin are at $6 MM AAV; guys like Marvin Jones, Albert Wilson, Marqise Lee, Paul Richardson, and Kenny Stills at $8 MM). The only WR under contract for 2019 are Edelman (who will be 33), Chad Hansen, Darren Andrews, and Braxton Berrios; it would be nice to keep some continuity instead of overhauling the whole group.