Patriots’ Free Agency Schedule: Seven Players Will Re-Sign
The upcoming offseason for the New England Patriots could be the most significant in the team’s history.
The daunting challenge of rebuilding a club that finished 4-13 this season falls to newly appointed head coach Jerod Mayo, who will be closely supervised by team owner Robert Kraft. Not only did New England fail to make the playoffs, but they also came in last in their conference and division.
The Patriots have several noteworthy and capable building pieces on which to develop going into 2024, despite their glaring failures in 2023.Miguel Benzan, a Patriots salary cap specialist, projects that the Pats will have just over $69 million in anticipated salary cap space. As such, the team must decide how to use free agents to address a number of needy positions, both internally and abroad.
It is evident from Mayo and Kraft’s statements that they are prepared to “burn some dough” in order to retain and acquire talent. As a result, they might want to allocate at least a portion of that cash windfall to people who can quickly assist the Pats regain their dignity.
Here are seven guys the Pats would be wise to hold onto for Mayo’s first season in charge out of the 24 players on their roster who are scheduled to become free agents at the beginning of the NFL season in March.7. Bryant, Myles
Despite the challenges, cornerback Bryant proved to be a dependable player who could make plays out of the slot or on the outside. In addition to his seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one sack, and one interception, the 26-year-old concluded the season with 77 total tackles. Although Bryant prefers to line up in the slot or occasionally as a hybrid safety, injuries that have kept J.C. Jackson, Christian Gonzalez, and Jonathan Jones out of the game forced Bryant to play outside.
6. Elliott Ezekiel
Elliott was a crucial addition to the Pats backfield in 2023, taking over as the starting quarterback for the final five games following Rhamondre Stevenson’s ankle injury that ended the season. The former All-Pro did well, topping the group in receptions (51) and rushing yards (642). Though his impact was anticipated to be greatest within the 20, the seasoned back also shown strength in between the tackles. Elliott is a great fit for Stevenson’s running style despite probably finding more lucrative offers outside of New England due to his abilities as a blocker and red zone danger.
5. Kendrick Bourne
Bourne’s versatility has allowed him to play a variety of roles in the offense since joining the Pats.The Eastern Washington graduate has totaled 1,640 yards on 127 receptions during his three seasons with New England, with 10 of those receptions ending in touchdowns. Although he can win from either alignment because to his technical skill, he has appeared more at ease in the Z-receiver position, but he can also contribute in the slot on occasion. But Bourne has also occasionally been asked to line up at the “X,” and he has done so with a fair amount of success. Last but not least, Bourne has occasionally been observed carrying the ball out of the backfield during planned runs as well as jet sweeps. It is reasonable to assume that he will fully recuperate from the ACL tear he sustained in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, and the Pats are already considering his comeback in 2024.
4. Jennings Anfernee
Following linebacker Matthew Judon’s injury in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys due to a torn biceps, the Pats needed a reliable presence in the heart of their defense, and Jennings provided it. For the first time in his career, the Alabama product was fully healthy and led the team in tackles for loss with 14. When Jennings plays well, he is a powerful run-defender who creates enough edge and can also be a playmaker when the run is coming. He has also grown into a formidable pass-rusher because of his underappreciated combination of intuition, power, quickness, and direction-changing ability. Jennings’s toughness and tenacity are among his greatest assets.
3. Henry Hunter
Hunter Henry made the most of his first opportunity to lead the club, even though he missed the final three games of the year due to a knee injury. With 42 receptions for 419 yards and a team-high six touchdowns, the 29-year-old quarterback led the positional group.Despite receiving a lot of accolades for his versatility, he performs best in the classic “Y” role, which highlights his route-running and box-out abilities. He has also demonstrated that he is a capable pass catcher and solid blocker. Henry’s expertise won’t be inexpensive. Still, his love for the area and the team might enable the Pats to work out a fair return package for him.
2. Kyle Dugger
Having been selected in the second round (number 37 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dugger has received a lot of acclaim for his flexibility and is being lauded as a possible future star of the Patriots defensive backfield. With 109 total tackles, the 27-year-old topped all defensive backs. He also recorded 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed.The Lenoir-Rhyne product gives New England’s defensive backfield—both big nickel (five defensive backs) and dime (six defensive backs) defensive packages—an outstanding combination of speed, length, and size. When he’s on his game, he can cover a lot of ground and match up well in coverage with tight ends and backfield receivers. Dugger can make stops in crucial circumstances and is a competent tackler as well.
His display of outstanding football knowledge over his first three seasons was perhaps the most stunning component of his development. He has excellent intuition and had a thorough knowledge of the playbook.
Three Patriots targets in free agency?
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1. Michael Onwenu
Keeping Onwenu in the Foxboro fold needs to be New England’s top priority, given the numerous difficulties along their offensive line. In 15 games in 2023, the 26-year-old lined up for 850 offensive snaps, 194 of which were at guard and 656 at tackle. The Michigan graduate had an overall rating of 71.5 from Pro Football Focus, noting that he allowed 23 QB interruptions, including three sacks.
At his best, Onwenu is a large, long lineman who consistently shows an amazing ability to overwhelm opponents when blocking for the run while providing good coverage for the quarterback.As a matter of fact, he is seldom readily circumvented on a pass block. If the Pats want to quickly rebuild their offensive line, they cannot afford to pass up the chance to re-sign Onwenu, despite recent rumors suggesting a negative stance on their readiness to do so.
