Biggest Offseason Contract Decisions for Patriots

The NFL salary cap is set to go down for the 2021 season (an impact of the coronavirus pandemic), and that's going to leave some teams with financial difficulties this offseason. They'll need to find a way to clear cap space, especially if they hope to add to their roster.

That won't be the case for the New England Patriots. According to Over the Cap (which projects the league's salary cap at $176 million), the Pats would have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL at around $59 million. So, they could be in a great position to make some notable additions this offseason.

It was a tough 2020 for New England, which went 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season. It was also the first time the Patriots finished with a losing record since they went 5-11 in 2000, which was head coach Bill Belichick's first year at the helm.

Now, New England will look to make the necessary moves to help it return to contention as soon as possible.

Here's a look at some contract decisions the Patriots will have to make this offseason involving players who are either already signed to a deal or are about to become free agents.

Will Patriots Consider Signing Free-Agent Quarterback?

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The Patriots' top need is at quarterback, as they will have to decide who will lead their offense moving forward. Cam Newton, who signed a one-year deal last offseason worth $1.75 million, is now set to return to the free-agent market for the second straight year.

It's unclear whether New England is considering bringing back Newton in 2021, as NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweeted that the team is a "long way" from making that decision. Newton wasn't at his best this past season, though, as he passed for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games.

Perhaps New England will add a new franchise quarterback in the draft, as it owns the No. 15 overall pick. But if the Pats aren't high on any of the quarterbacks who will likely be available when they're on the clock (or who they could get later in the draft), then maybe they'll consider signing one of the top free-agent quarterbacks.

Dak Prescott is the top quarterback who could be available, but he would cost a lot, and it's quite possible he could be returning to the Dallas Cowboys, who could again franchise tag him if they can't work out a long-term deal. Philip Rivers, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston are among the other quarterbacks who will be free agents.

As the Patriots decide their plans for quarterback for 2021, they'll be able to make other moves to fill in their roster. If they go the draft route, they could have more cap space to address other positions, so it will be interesting to see if that's what they opt to do.

Would Moving Gilmore's Contract Be Beneficial?

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Over the past year, Stephon Gilmore's name has frequently been included in trade rumors. There was buzz that the Patriots could consider dealing the cornerback last offseason, but he ended up staying in New England for the entire 2020 season.

Now, there's only one year remaining on Gilmore's contract with the Pats. And even though they're in a good position regarding the salary cap, they could potentially benefit from dealing Gilmore, who will be a $17.17 million cap hit in 2021, especially if they're not quite in position to return to contention next season.

Trading Gilmore could potentially lead to New England acquiring more draft capital, which may lead to it acquiring some future stars who will go on to become key players for the franchise for years to come. It would also give the Pats even more financial flexibility this offseason.

Gilmore created even more trade buzz last week when he tweeted that "2021 will be a interesting year." Of course, that may have nothing to do with his current situation in New England, but then again, it also may be related to it.

After spending his first five NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore has been one of the Patriots' top defensive players over the past four years, which included winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2019. So if the Patriots make him available on the trade market, there would likely sure to be interest from teams.

Numerous Key Players Set to Become Free Agents

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Part of the reason why the Patriots will have so much cap space is because they have quite a few players who are set to become free agents. On offense, running backs James White and Rex Burkhead and linemen Joe Thuney and David Andrews are among those with expiring contracts. On defense, the list of impending free agents includes defensive tackles Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler, linebacker John Simon and defensive back Jason McCourty.

Cornerback J.C. Jackson isn't signed for 2021, but he'll become a restricted free agent, so the Patriots will be able to match any other offers he could receive. And they should have no issue doing that, considering the 25-year-old is coming off an impressive 2020 season in which he had nine interceptions, second most in the NFL.

Not every decision will be as easy as the one to bring back Jackson. New England will have to weigh how much it's willing to pay some of these players and whether it's still a fit for them to be on its roster.

It will be interesting to see whether the Patriots bring back White and/or Burkhead, as they're already returning three running backs for 2021—Sony Michel, Damien Harris and J.J. Taylor. But White and Burkhead have each been valuable in the passing game, so perhaps New England will consider bringing back one or both.

The Patriots are likely to bring back at least some of these free agents, while some could be replaced by others who they sign or acquire in the draft. And how they construct their roster will likely affect how they fare during the 2021 season.