Best and Worst Moves the New England Patriots Have Made in Free Agency
The AFC East has been making major headlines this offseason. For the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, it's been because of the high-profile players they've signed.
For the New England Patriots, it's been because of the high-profile players they've lost.
Make no mistake, every team makes good and bad moves every offseason. And some of the bad moves are unavoidable. The Patriots were never going to be able to match a contractual offer from the Jets for the services of cornerback Darrelle Revis.
At least they tried.
Here's a look at some of the best and worst moves the Patriots have made this offseason.
Best: Re-Signing Devin McCourty
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At least the Patriots kept one of their two important defensive backs. And if their other offseason moves are any indication, having safety Devin McCourty on the roster will be even more important in 2015 than it was in 2014.
That's saying a lot, because in 2014, McCourty was as vital as a glass of milk while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He was playing behind some great cornerbacks, but because of all the man coverage underneath, McCourty was often the only defender asked to roam deep in the secondary.
This year, he'll probably be one of two safeties in deep coverage in what could be a more zone-heavy coverage than the aggressive man-to-man coverage of yesteryear.
No matter how you slice it, McCourty is important to the Patriots' defensive success. At five years and $47.5 million with $28.5 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac, it sure seems like the Patriots agree.
Worst: Letting Darrelle Revis Get Away
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One season was all it took for cornerback Darrelle Revis to make a Super Bowl sized impact on the Patriots defense. One day was all it took for his departure to leave the Patriots right back at square one.
But at least they're not back where they were in 2011, a season that saw wide receiver Julian Edelman spend significant time at cornerback and wide receiver and special teams ace Matthew Slater at safety.
Revis only allowed 44 completions on 85 throws into his coverage (51.8 percent), while allowing just four touchdowns, notching two interceptions and 14 pass breakups, according to Pro Football Focus.
That kind of production speaks for itself, and though the Patriots may not have anyone who is able to replicate it, they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Their salary-cap situation is much tighter than that of the New York Jets, who boasted roughly $45 million in cap space headed into free agency.
However, that doesn't mean we can ignore the fact that they lost a key player who brought them their first Super Bowl in a decade.
Best: Signing Jabaal Sheard
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When the coverage is waning, it's time to hone in on the pass rush. The Patriots made the right call to target a versatile edge-rusher like Jabaal Sheard to not only round out their depth chart at the position, but also the defense as a whole.
Now, the Patriots have three defenders—Sheard, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich—who have no trouble bouncing back and forth between a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme, which the Patriots do often. That kind of flexibility and adaptability is key in Bill Belichick's defense.
Sheard's production has declined since his rookie year, as he went from 8.5 sacks in 2011 to seven sacks in 2012 to 5.5 sacks in 2013 and down to two in 2014. But his economic two-year, $11 million contract suggests that he won't be asked to be a sack monster in New England. At only 25 years of age, though, he could still become one in time.
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Worst: Cutting Brandon Browner
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Call me crazy, but regardless of scheme, was there no room in the Patriots' defense for a 6'4", 221-pound cornerback in Brandon Browner? Was there no use for a player who could match up one-on-one with some of the biggest receivers and truly not give up an inch?
Browner was prone to flags and occasional burns. He allowed completions on 60.3 percent of the throws into his coverage at 14.8 yards a pop, according to Pro Football Focus, but he yielded just two touchdown passes and batted away seven passes.
Releasing Browner saved the Patriots $5.5 million against the cap, according to Spotrac, so the move isn't all bad if they can take that money and invest it in different ways. That being said, the Patriots passed up continuity in favor of building in a new direction, but Browner could have been part of that new direction if the Patriots wanted him to be.
Best: Signing Travaris Cadet
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The Patriots lost a lot of production when Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen both left the fold as free agents, but they are far from barren at the running back position, thanks to a year-long crusade to avoid the impact of losing their two most experienced running backs.
Signing Travaris Cadet, in particular, may not make up the lost production—in 2014, Cadet had only 38 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown, along with 10 carries for 32 yards—but the potential is there, as is the tread on the tires. At 26 years old, Cadet's inexperience could be both a blessing and a curse. He has less mileage than other backs his age, so he could potentially play longer.
But with so little tape on him, it's hard to say for certain that he'll come in and immediately produce.
Cadet participated in 209 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus, with 185 of those snaps as a route-runner, seven more as a pass-blocker and only 17 in the running game (10 carries, seven run-blocks).
That being said, Cadet has shown the potential to develop into a legitimate threat on passing downs.
Worst: Not Re-Signing Dan Connolly
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For a team that just went through more changes than David Bowie on the offensive line last season, you would think the Patriots would be longing for some consistency.
Instead, they seem more than content to let one of their most versatile and dependable offensive linemen test the open market for weeks and weeks without an offer.
Over the past five years, Dan Connolly has started at left guard, center and right guard, and while he's had some ups and downs in that time, he has certainly earned the respect of the coaching staff (in the form of continued playing time) and his teammates (in the form of being voted a team captain).
The Patriots threw their offensive line into flux last season by trading left guard Logan Mankins days before the season opener, and it took them a month to recover. Losing Connolly could prove to be a test of the Patriots' depth, and if Jordan Devey and Marcus Cannon are forced into long-term starting duty at guard, the Patriots could be in trouble.
Unless otherwise noted, all contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com.
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