New England Patriots' Blueprint for Winning Free Agency
You can't win the Super Bowl in March, but you can lose one.
The New England Patriots went all-in last offseason to add several talented players to their roster. This year, they may not be so aggressive, as a tight salary-cap situation could keep them from pursuing any high-profile free agents.
They also have a few big-name players of their own whom they need to retain.
The season may have only ended for the Patriots three weeks ago, but that only means they have even more ground to make up in their offseason preparations. Here's a blueprint for them to get it right when free agency kicks off on March 10.
Players to Re-Sign
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Darrelle Revis
Priority No. 1 on the Patriots' offseason checklist has to be reworking Darrelle Revis' contract. At the moment, the Patriots will owe Revis a $12 million roster bonus if he is still on the roster as of March 9.
That would lock in Revis at a $25 million cap hit for the 2015 season, which would really hamstring their ability to sign other players. The Patriots may or may not be able to reach an agreement, but his value to the defense is too great to simply let him walk without trying.
Devin McCourty
From this perspective, there are two players who are candidates for the franchise tag: kicker Stephen Gostkowski and safety Devin McCourty.
Not only is McCourty one of the top safeties in the NFL, but he is also a locker-room leader as a team captain over the past two seasons. McCourty could be kept on the franchise tag at $9.6 million for 2015, according to NFL Media's Albert Breer, which would be great value for both sides.
Dan Connolly
The Patriots value versatility in their offensive linemen, and few players have been more versatile than guard Dan Connolly. Since 2010, Connolly has started at least 16 games at each interior position: left guard, center and right guard.
Connolly's cap number has been a bit too high over the past two seasons, at more than $3.3 million each year; the Patriots should be seriously thinking about the future beyond their 32-year-old lineman. But they would be foolish not to bring him back at a reasonable number, given all the instability on their line last year.
Stephen Gostkowski
Coming off the best season of his career, kicker Stephen Gostkowski's stock has never been higher. He has led the league in total field goals over the past two seasons, with 73 successful kicks and a 93.6 percent success rate.
The Patriots have classically hung onto their kickers as long as possible (see Adam Vinatieri), so unless a team comes along and makes an offer he can't refuse, Gostkowski should be making a return to New England.
Players to Let Walk
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Shane Vereen
The Patriots' game plan in Super Bowl XLIX called for a heavy dose of Shane Vereen, and he led the team with 11 receptions in that game.
Time and time again, Vereen has shown the potential to be a chess-piece-type weapon for the Patriots on offense, running routes out of the backfield and lining up out wide or taking the ball on delayed handoffs. The Patriots do not typically sign their own backs to long-term deals, and Vereen's price tag is likely to be higher than the Patriots are willing to spend.
Not only is Stevan Ridley coming off a torn ACL, but he has also been in and out of Bill Belichick's dog house for fumbling too much. The Patriots could get Ridley back on a one-year, prove-it deal following his injury, but they are just as likely to roll with a deep group that already includes Jonas Gray, LeGarrette Blount, Tyler Gaffney, James White and Brandon Bolden.
Sealver Siliga
As a restricted free agent, the Patriots should not have too much trouble bringing nose tackle Sealver Siliga back. That being said, the Patriots depth at defensive tackle is paper-thin, and they simply can't afford to let a young talent like Siliga walk away for nothing. A second-round tender should get the job done, and it better, especially with concerns regarding nose tackle Vince Wilfork's future.
Restructure Jerod Mayo's Contract
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The only way the Patriots will have enough cap space to make the moves they need to make is to restructure Jerod Mayo's contract.
The veteran linebacker is coming off a season-ending injury to his patellar tendon, which is the second straight season-ending injury he has dealt with (torn pectoral muscle in 2013). With a $10.3 million cap hit for the 2015 season, it seems like a given that the Patriots would approach Mayo about making his number more manageable for the team.
That's especially true given the number of high-profile free agents the Patriots are trying to retain, with Revis, McCourty and Gostkowski among the big names.
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Add Depth at Defensive End
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The Patriots probably aren't going to have the cap space to land a high-profile pass-rusher like Jason Pierre-Paul or Greg Hardy, but they should definitely be looking at the market for defensive ends and defensive tackles from a depth perspective.
Let's face it, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich can't play more than 1,000 snaps every season. At some point, the Patriots will have to find someone to take up a rotational role and provide some relief for the two starting defensive ends.
The Patriots tried their luck with Will Smith last season, but he didn't even make it to the final roster.
Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles) would be a great candidate for his experience in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme, but his price tag could be a bit too high for the Patriots' tastes. Perhaps Jabaal Sheard (Cleveland Browns) could be a consideration for his ability to line up in either a two- or three-point stance.
Re-Sign Dane Fletcher
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The Patriots made out OK without Jerod Mayo last year, with both Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins both stepping up in the face of adversity to help lead the defense in Mayo's absence. But the Patriots could be without Hightower to start the 2015 regular season, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
As such, the Patriots will need to have their bases covered when the regular season rolls around. What better insurance policy than linebacker Dane Fletcher, who is already familiar with the Patriots defense? Fletcher was with the Patriots from 2010-2013, mainly as a backup and special teams player but left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason.
The Patriots needed linebacker depth last season and traded with the Buccaneers for linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who is now a free agent. The Patriots could still bring him back, but they could still use more depth. Fletcher could fill in at least for the time during Hightower's recovery, but he would also provide an added level of depth that the team currently lacks.
Contract details (including salary-cap information) are courtesy of Spotrac.com.
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