Veteran safety Devin McCourty announcing he’s returning for his 10th NFL season was the first domino to fall for the New England Patriots. The other would be an injection of youth in the defensive backfield, along with finding a potential heir to the McCourty throne.
Look no further than free agency in 2019, which should be a rollicking good time for safety-needy teams.
The Patriots are in win-now mode as long as 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady can continue to stave off the sure-handed clutches of Father Time. So it would certainly make sense to strengthen the team in specific areas without necessarily resorting to a demolition job.
McCourty staying for another year is a plus for the Patriots, but the mere fact that the 31-year-old defensive back is contemplating retirement is as good as any reason to begin looking for outside help. Safety Patrick Chung, 31, is also getting a bit long in the tooth and coming off surgery after breaking his forearm during Super Bowl LIII.
The Patriots have the option of focusing more on the draft and the development of a new crop of talent at the safety position, or they could go out in free agency and grab a veteran playmaker that could make an immediate impact.
If the team opts to do the latter, here are five safeties they should target in free agency.
1. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Redskins
Former first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix hasn’t consistently lived up to the All-Pro bar he set for himself during his time with the Green Bay Packers in 2016. He was traded away to the Redskins ahead of the deadline in 2018, and he is set to potentially test the free agent market for the first time in his NFL career.
The Patriots could use another young, hard-hitting safety in the backfield as a rotational piece with Chung. One year under Belichick’s tutelage could potentially unearth the dominant defensive player that was starting to emerge for the Packers.
The issue would be the price for the services of a player of Clinton-Dix’s caliber. There’s still plenty of time for the 26-year-old defensive back to become everything the Packers hoped when they drafted him, and another team out there might be willing to throw big money his way.
If the market for safeties is quiet, however, the Patriots could be an under-the-radar team vying for his services.
2. Landon Collins, Giants
A year ago, three-time Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins claimed he wouldn’t want to play under Patriots coach Bill Belichick. He deemed the coaching style too similar to what he was subjected to under Nick Saban at Alabama, and it wasn’t something he’d want to relive as a professional athlete.
“The way he runs his organization, I’ve been through that process. I don’t like it,” said Collins, per the New York Post. “It’s too strict. …. He’s a great winner, he’s a great coach. I don’t know if [his style] is what the organization really wants.”
Those comments were made when Collins was still very much committed to being a Giant, and there was still hope stemming from the 2016 season, despite the team failing to make it to the postseason in 2017. Yet, those struggles lingered in 2018 with the Giants going back-to-back years failing to make the playoffs and finishing fourth in the NFC East.
Collins is now reportedly seeking greener pastures outside of the Giants’ organization, and his days in New York might be numbered.
Losing isn’t nearly as fun as winning, which the Patriots have done on a consistent basis. It’ll be interesting to see if Collins’ tune changes when he ends up on the open market. The Patriots could do even more winning with a player like him surveying the backfield.
3. Tyrann Mathieu, Texans
There has long been a hidden link between the Patriots and former Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu. Some draft boards believed Belichick would actually consider taking him off the board in 2013 when he slipped all the way down to the third round before finally being selected by the Cardinals.
After five solid seasons with the Cardinals, the Patriots were once again believed to be in the running for his services before he agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans. Could 2019 finally be the year where the Patriots and Mathieu turn the dream scenario into a reality?
Belichick loves intelligent, instinctual players on defense, and there are few better examples in the NFL than the “Honey Badger.” He’d be the perfect versatile chess piece on the board for the Patriots to continue checkmating opponents.
4. Lamarcus Joyner, Rams
Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner got to witness the coaching genius of Belichick up close and personal when the Patriots held the high-flying Rams offense to only three points at Super Bowl LIII. Granted, the Rams played a tremendous defensive game as well, and Joyner made up part of the secondary that managed to hold Brady and company to one touchdown and two field goals.
The other safeties on this list are the more exciting potential additions to the Patriots, but Joyner might actually be the most realistic option. He could face a tough market this offseason with so many other talented options out there.
Depending on the other offers, it could end up being a one-year deal type of scenario for Joyner. The Patriots are an injury away from absolute disaster in the defensive backfield. Joyner being on the roster would help the team manage McCourty’s snaps, along with grooming a potential replacement.
5. Earl Thomas, Seahawks
Earl Thomas, one of the original members of the since-disband Legion of Boom, is expected to hit the free agent market in 2019, and the Patriots will likely be one of many interested teams vying for his services. They won’t be willing to break the bank for a soon-to-be 30-year-old defensive back coming off a leg injury, but if Thomas holds winning in a higher regard than maximizing money, he could find a new home in Foxborough.
One can only imagine the defensive problems the Patriots could cause teams with a player like Thomas, a six-time Pro Bowler, in the backfield. He’s a total game-changer and a player capable of making an immediate impact on the defense.
This would obviously be more of a win-now kind of move given Thomas’ age. Imagine a big nickel package with Thomas, McCourty and Chung as the safeties. There isn’t an offensive team in the league that wants to imagine that scenario.
