The New England Patriots have seen an exodus of talent depart in free agency. But they haven’t really replaced those starters with household names.
New England lost defensive end Trey Flowers, tackle Trent Brown, defensive tackle Malcom Brown, tight end Dwayne Allen and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. The Patriots have replaced those players, more or less, with defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive tackle Mike Pennel, tight end Matt LaCosse and receiver Bruce Ellington. Bennett, of course, is well-known, but he was a pre-free agency trade, not a free agency acquisition.
So the Patriots still have plenty of needs on their roster. Let’s take a closer look at them. One thing to keep in mind: We’ll list a potential solution in free agency, but it’s just as likely (or more likely) that New England addresses its needs in the draft.
6. Quarterback
Solution: Blake Bortles
The Patriots have needed to add a developmental quarterback since they traded Jimmy Garoppolo in the middle of the season last year. Tom Brady’s stellar play continues to diminish urgency. But you don’t want a quarterback situation to escalate into an urgent problem, They’d be wise to draft someone in the coming class.
5. Tight end
Solutions: Jared Cook, Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The draft boasts an impressive group of tight ends, with likely first-rounders Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson and Irv Smith Jr.. The best free agents are singular talents: they either block or catch passes (or do neither). Considering receiver is another need for New England, the team could add a pass-catching tight end like Cook or Seferian-Jenkins.
4. Defensive tackle
Solutions: Ndamukong Suh, Timmy Jernigan, Mo Wilkerson
The free agent market is still fairly deep. The Patriots might have found a gem and potential starter in Pennel, but they will still need depth at the position. The names above are some of the best players free agency has to offer, but the Patriots could continue to roll with lesser-known players, as they aren’t working with much cap space.
3. Defensive end
Solutions: Ezekiel Ansah, Vinny Curry
Even after adding Bennett, the Patriots need help. They cut Adrian Clayborn, who projected to get a lot of snaps but wasn’t giving the Patriots the quality of play that justified his salary. So they’ll have to figure out how to get a reliable edge-setter to pair with Bennett. New England might look, in particular, for players who can defend the run, with defensive end Deatrich Wise playing on third downs.
2. Tackle
Solution: Donald Penn
If the Patriots see tackle Isaiah Wynn, a 2018 first-round pick, as a starter, they can look for depth. If they have trepidation, which would be natural after he tore his Achilles and missed his entire rookie season, then they may have to secure a stop-gap option, like Penn, or some competition for Wynn by drafting another young player at the position.
1. Wide receiver
Solution: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Chris Hogan
The position is starting to come together. They have Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett. The Patriots placed an original-round tender on Josh Gordon in free agency, and he’s also still serving an indefinite suspension. So his position with the team is tenuous, but signs point toward a return for him in 2019. Still, they could use a top-end veteran and maybe even a top-end rookie. Bill Belichick might have a trade in store for us in the coming weeks.
