The Patriots have one month left until free agency officially opens on March 13. And they have jobs. Fortunately, they have enough money to do so. According to Over The Cap, head coach Jerod Mayo and director of personnel Eliot Wolf are making $66 million this season.
That number could rise to around $80 million if the team acquires cornerback J.C. Produced by Jackson. As free agency spending begins to unravel across the league, where should you focus?
Quarterback? Unless you’re looking for a cost-effective option, it’s highly unlikely. The Patriots know they will have an opportunity to draft Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels in late April. Overall, third is the highest pick Robert Kraft has taken since taking over the franchise, and if any of these three look like they have franchise potential, don’t expect to see a lot of Kraft money.
I spent a month as a free agent before the draft.The Patriots also need a tight end and a wide receiver. surely. Even new head coach Jerod Mayo has gone so far as to publicly admit that his team desperately needs these two important offensive position groups along with the quarterback. The problem with needing a free agent approach is that the veteran’s performance this year hasn’t been very good.
The Patriots have two free agents set to hit the market:
Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu.
However, Onwenu’s best position might be at guard, and Brown’s public dissatisfaction with the franchise last season may make his return less likely.Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith is also set to become a free agent, but he had a 13-year career in Dallas and bringing him to Foxboro could be difficult. The Jets also expect to market Mekhi Becton (who had a poor career due to injuries) and Jonah Williams (who switched from left tackle to right tackle last season).
He could be worth watching, but it looks like a close battle, meaning the Patriots could end up with a second-round pick. Next is the reception room.It also appears to be a deep position in this year’s draft, but given New England’s history of drafting wide lineups and the team’s ability to land a quarterback and deal the first two picks, free agency may be the most Hi. Road to Mayo and Wolff.
Collect those locations in March. Then come April, the Patriots may not have to use a late-round pick to give the young pass rusher the security blanket he needs. Let’s take a look at some of the free agent receivers the Patriots could play in the month starting today.
Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals)
Higgins is the “X” quality the Patriots have been missing for some time. DeVante Parker was a borderline 50-50 option. But Higgins is young and has a history of explosive play, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Unfortunately, it seems likely that the Bengals will retain him via a franchise tag extension to make the most of the championship run the Patriots have with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.More of a possession holder than a game-changing athlete, Pittman has still put up impressive numbers while facing unimpressive quarterbacks in recent seasons. He’s a big target (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and had 109, 99 and 88 catches over the past three seasons. He fell just 75 yards short of 1,000 yards in 2022, but surpassed that mark in 2021 and 2023.
With a long catch, sure hands and proven durability (he’s missed just two games in the past three seasons), he’d be a good pick for a young quarterback if not for the Indy franchise.They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. And that could be a good thing for Evans, who at age 30 has just one 1,000-yard season under his belt. He enters his 10th campaign partnered with Baker Mayfield in 2023, giving the young New England quarterback looking for a backup option one of the best backup options in football.
But if they want him, the Patriots might be willing to pay more than $20 million a year for several years. That’s pretty consistent for top passers these days, and Evans still qualifies.