The Patriots should reload.
Fortunately for his or her followers, after a 4-13 end final season and nil playoff wins in 5 years, the Pats are flush with wage cap area with NFL free company starting subsequent week.
With over $100 million in room, the Patriots have essentially the most cap room within the league and want to begin spending money to hit the league’s spending flooring. The NFL’s open tampering interval begins Monday at midday ET, when groups are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the licensed brokers of gamers who will grow to be unrestricted free brokers. The new league yr formally begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, when groups are capable of execute a brand new contract with free brokers.
After parting methods with Bill Belichick this offseason, they’ve new management in head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting — and de facto basic supervisor — Eliot Wolf, who introduced on an nearly solely new workers on offense and a supplemented defensive workers.
The staff hit all-time low in 2023 and now has wants throughout a largely barren roster. To preview free company, the Herald is publishing every day tales about free brokers at key positions of want.
Tight finish
If the season began at the moment, the Patriots might handle to cobble collectively a depth chart at most positions utilizing the 53 gamers at the moment on the roster. That just isn’t the case at tight finish, the place solely La’Michael Pettway, a 26-year-old faculty huge receiver who has bounced from the defunct The Spring League to the USFL and has no NFL expertise, is underneath contract for the 2024 season.
The Patriots have three tight ends set to hit free company in Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown. Brown could be the best participant to convey again to offer depth. Henry signed a three-year contract price $12.5 million per yr in 2021 and would probably have to take a pay lower to return. Gesicki, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract final offseason, would additionally probably have to lesser wage to come back again.
So, it appears the probably path is that the Patriots begin contemporary with a prime tight finish. Here are their prime choices in free company with Dalton Schultz now off of the market.
Noah Fant (Seahawks)
Fant has not lived as much as his first-round billing since popping out of Iowa in 2019, however he’s nonetheless solely 26 years outdated and has 5 straight seasons of 400-plus yards with 14 profession touchdowns.
Fant is undersized however has confirmed to be an satisfactory run blocker with the Broncos and Seahawks. Despite solely middling receiving manufacturing, Fant nonetheless has the best upside of any free agent on this class.
If you’re in search of a connection to the Patriots, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney was on the Broncos’ workers when Fant was a rookie.
Gerald Everett (Chargers)
With 284 profession receptions for two,833 yards with 19 touchdowns in seven seasons, the 29-year-old has capably confirmed to be a receiving menace within the NFL.
Everett is older than Fant however of the same ilk as an undersized pass-catching tight finish. He’ll probably include a lesser APY.
Colby Parkinson (Seahawks)
Parkinson had some buzz on the NFL Scouting Combine as a participant groups have been planning to focus on in free company. Still solely 25 years outdated, the 6-foot-7, 251-pound tight finish might escape in a much less crowded tight finish group.
Sharing time with Fant and Will Dissly, who can be set to be a free agent, Parkinson was a strong run blocker and caught 25 passes for 247 yards with two touchdowns.
Adam Trautman (Broncos)
Trautman was a well-liked decide for the Patriots in 2020 mock drafts, however he hasn’t lived as much as a few of his hype as a pass-catcher, hauling in 82 passes for 845 yards with seven touchdowns over 4 seasons.
He is an adept blocker, nevertheless, and at 27 years outdated nonetheless has some room for improvement.
Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell was on the Saints’ workers in 2022 when Trautman was on the roster.
Austin Hooper (Raiders)
This will probably be Hooper’s ninth NFL season, and he’s nonetheless simply 29 years outdated. He was coached by Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in 2020 and 2021.
Hooper has bounced from the Falcons to the Browns, Titans and Raiders and has 364 profession catches for 3,702 yards with 25 touchdowns. He probably could possibly be signed comparatively low-cost on a one-year contract.
Logan Thomas (Commanders)
Thomas was launched by the Commanders final week. The former faculty quarterback proved he might nonetheless be a receiving menace in 2023 with 55 catches for 496 yards with 4 touchdowns.
Thomas will probably be 33 years outdated through the 2024 season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com