The New England Patriots were fairly active in free agency, but not exactly in the way fans probably would have liked. Though the team seemed to need to get in the mix to acquire talent for Tom Brady in order to keep the quarterback, they elected to retain some of their stars before free agency. That meant they had practically no money to operate in free agency.
And so they chipped away at the under-the-radar veteran market, where they landed receiver Damiere Byrd, safety Adrian Phillips, quarterback Brian Hoyer, defensive tackle Beau Allen and fullback Dan Vitale, among others. With all the Patriots’ transactions in mind, here’s a look at the winners and losers from free agency so far.
Winners: QBs Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer
One of these players will likely be the starting quarterback in New England. The Patriots could draft a quarterback — and likely will — but that player is a long shot to start, largely because the coronavirus pandemic will impact this incoming rookie class in a big way. They simply won’t have the practice time they need to get acclimated.
And the real winner is probably Stidham. When the Patriots let Brady go, they did so without Hoyer on the roster. They did so just a few weeks before releasing Cody Kessler. There seems to be a fair amount of confidence in Stidham. Hoyer shouldn’t be discounted. But this may be Stidham’s job to lose.
Loser: QB Tom Brady
Yes, Tampa has a terrific group of pass-catchers. Bruce Arians is a chiller coach who won’t push Brady’s buttons like Bill Belichick. And the weather is nice in Florida.
But the offensive line is in need of an upgrade. The franchise has a rough legacy of losing. And let’s be real: the Patriots have Belichick. As much as players get frustrated with his coaching style, he wins. And then he wins more before winning even more. Brady loves winning. The Beatles didn’t need to break up and neither did Brady and Belichick.
Winners: WRs Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry
It seemed like the Patriots would be wise to add another pass-catcher, particularly if they wanted to entice Brady to stick around. But the Patriots instead elected to retain their talented players like Devin McCourty, Joe Thuney and Jason McCourty. And they didn’t have the money to sign or trade for a receiver. So Sanu and Harry will stay penciled in as starters for 2020. That could change in the draft. But again, if the offseason work is limited, that receiver will fall behind. It’s not easy for rookie pass-catchers to play catch-up.
Loser: FB James Develin
He went on injured reserve, and the Patriots missed him dearly. So what did they do? They went out and signed Dan Vitale. Unless the Patriots want to start running the wishbone offense, it looks like Develin may be on the outs.
Winner: Bill Belichick
No Brady? All the credit goes to Belichick. I’m only sort of kidding. Belichick has long known better than everyone else about his players. He bails on his most talented players one year early, rather than one year too late. And we may well see the rapid decline of Brady in Tampa.
Even so, Belichick will face the biggest challenge of his career in 2020. The schedule is daunting, the Patriots’ quarterback play will likely be mediocre and the defense is looking older and less talented. Still, it’s hard to see Belichick feeling stumped. He’s got a plan. Somehow, this team will probably make the playoffs — and he’ll probably win Coach of the Year.
Loser: OC Josh McDaniels
If we though the Patriots offense in 2019 was bad, consider that the 2020 offense may well be worse — a lot worse.
McDaniels lost Brady. The offensive coordinator didn’t get any additional weapons in free agency, with the exception of receiver Damiere Byrd, an unheralded speedster from Arizona. The tight end group is probably the worst in the NFL. And for all we know, the quarterback position could be that bad, too. Good luck, McDaniels. At this point, you see to have your work cut out for you.
Winners: Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins
These dudes got paid. Van Noy signed a four-year, $51 million deal. He should make about $27 million in his first two years with the Miami Dolphins. To this point in his career, he has made $9 million. That’s an incredible come-up for Van Noy. And then just one year after Collins played for the veteran minimum in New England, he signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Detroit Lions. He’ll make $20 million in the first two years.
No, they won’t be Patriots anymore. And it’s possible that, because of that, they won’t win as many games. (Though, even that is uncertain, with Brady gone.) But these gentlemen leveraged their talent for big paydays.
Winners: Chase Winovich and John Simon
Because Van Noy and Collins two left in free agency, they have opened up major opportunities on the roster. Linebackers Shilique Calhoun and Brandon Copeland have the potential to make an impact, with Calhoun returning and Copeland signing this offseason. But more immediately, Winovich and Simon are direct beneficiaries from the absence of Van Noy and Collins. They aren’t 1-for-1 replacements by any means, but Winovich and Simon were in the starting rotation at outside linebacker and defensive end in 2019. They should be due more work in 2020.
