Here’s a look at the best five players who are set to enter free agency that would also be a strong fit for the New England Patriots.
Golden Tate, WR: He’s a favorite for Bill Belichick. “Golden’s excellent with the ball in his hand,” Belichick said in Sept. 2018. “He’s good without the ball in his hands, too. He gets open a lot, runs very good routes, he’s a hard guy to cover, but then once he touches the ball, he’s strong, he runs through contact, he’s fast, he’s quick, he changes directions well and he has good vision.”
Because of what Belichick said, Tate will be the best receiver available. But there are two rick elements: He’s 30 years old and he had a down season in 2018. The Lions traded Tate to the Eagles, who couldn’t quite figure out how to deploy him at the start. Still, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady wouldn’t have any issues. Tate would be an expensive but talented acquisition.
Landon Collins, S: He’s the best safety available in another deep market, which means that they’ll all get underpaid just like last season. If there’s one safety that doesn’t get snubbed on his contract, it’s probably Collins. So from a pricing standpoint, he may not land with the Patriots. Still, he’d be a terrific fit in New England in terms of skill. (What’s more likely is that New England bottom feeds on this market and identifies a cheap but talented option.)
Za’Darius Smith, LB: Smith would become an interesting option if the Patriots are trying to identify help in the pass rush. Defensive end Trey Flowers could depart in free agency, and New England will need to begin to find options for replacing him. Smith could be a piece of that puzzle. He’s a talented pass rusher as an outside linebacker, but that’s not all that he can do. He would be a compelling fit for New England’s scheme, which would make use of his impressive versatility.
Sheldon Richardson, DT: New England may need help in the interior with Malcom Brown and Danny Shelton entering free agency. Richardson is probably the best option the Patriots will get at defensive tackle during the 2018 offseason (excluding them trading into the top 15 picks of the draft). Richardson is a player the Patriots are familiar with — they saw him regularly when hew as with the Jets. That’s why they might be comfortable paying for him because he’ll require a fairly large sum.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE: He’s an elite pass-rusher who suffered a season-ending injury and lost his momentum going into free agency. But teams won’t forget that he had 12 sacks in 2017. The 29-year-old shouldn’t quite be on the decline if his next team keeps the deal to three or four years. Just like every one of these free agents, Ansah will be a premier player at his position, and his position doesn’t come cheap. He’ll likely get priced out for the Patriots. But if we’re talking about the best, Ansah is up there with Flowers.
