Month: March 2017

2) Offensive Skill-Player Depth: It seems a bit silly to suggest that the Patriots need even more offensive reinforcement, especially when the team finished towards the top of the league in most offensive categories this past season. The team especially showcased that depth in the Super Bowl, as Tom Brady completed a pass to seven different receivers. Still, you can never use enough depth when it comes to offensive skill players, and the offense could take a considerable hit depending on how the offseason shapes out.

It likely starts at tight end, where Martellus Bennett is set to get paid. The veteran bounced back following an underwhelming 2015 campaign in Chicago, collecting 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. The 29-year-old is obviously getting older, but his ability to serve as a dependable big target will certainly earn him a huge contract this offseason. He isn’t vital to the Patriots offensive success, but the team has proved that they’re even more dangerous when they have a pair of pass-catching tight ends on the field.

The status of Rob Gronkowski could also play a role in Bennett’s future with the team. The 27-year-old hasn’t played in 16 games since 2011, and his 25 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns were all career-lows. While there have been trade rumors surrounding the talented tight end, I’m under the belief that the team would be foolish to bail on him in a year where he holds an incredibly affordable $6.75MM cap hit. Gronk’s presence doesn’t necessarily deemphasize Bennett’s role in the offense, as the two showed that they can co-exist. Still, the team might not be willing to invest big money in Bennett if they’re planning on keeping Gronkowski long-term.

In the case that Bennett does leave, the team will surely bring in another veteran tight end who could catch the ball (Rob Housler and another scrapheap tight end will presumably fill the role of blocking tight end). Vernon Davis, Jermaine Gresham, and Jared Cook would fit the mold of the veteran, pass-catching tight end.

The team is set when it comes to their pass-catching running back, as the team can rely on the two-headed monster of Dion Lewis and James White. However, starting running back LeGarrette Blount is set to be a free agent, and there’s no guarantee that the veteran will be back – no matter what kind of pay cut he’s willing to take.

The 30-year-old had his best NFL season in 2016, compiling 1,161 yards and a league-high 18 rushing touchdowns. While those numbers are certainly eye-popping, a further look implies that the stats may be more a product of opportunity than talent. Blount finished second in the NFL with 299 carries, and his 3.9-yards-per-carry (30^th in the NFL) implies the former sentiment. These numbers went down in the playoffs, as Blount averaged 3.1-yards-per-carry during the Patriots’ three postseason games.

There’s something to be said for Blount’s familiarity with the Patriots system, and the veteran presumably won’t command a huge contract (especially if he’s open to returning to New England). On the flip side, there’s also something to be said for looking for minor improvements, and a more reliable running back could help preserve the aging Brady. Plus, this year’s crop of free agent running backs could allow the Patriots to secure an upgrade without breaking the bank.

Rival fans probably have nightmares of an Adrian Peterson, a Jamaal Charles, or even an Eddie Lacy joining the Patriots. I have a feeling that these players will likely command a contract the exceeds what New England is willing to offer, but it’d be surprising if the Patriots don’t at least explore these veteran options. The fact that the team stuck with Blount throughout the entire campaign indicates that they weren’t overly worried about his mediocre yards-per-carry stats, but the Patriots also won’t be willing to just hand him the starting role in 2017.

Wide receiver seemingly has the least amount of question marks, as Michael Floyd is the only bona fide member of the unit to hit free agency. I’m skeptical that veteran Danny Amendola will be willing to take another pay cut (especially following a successful postseason), so there’s probably a 50-50 chance that he could be gone. Julian Edelman will obviously be back as Brady’s binkie, while Chris Hogan is perfectly suited to be the team’s number-three wideout.

This means the team could be seeking another playmaker to play opposite Edelman. The Patriots could already have that option in-house with Malcolm Mitchell. You rarely see Brady trust a rookie as much as he did the fourth-round pick this past season, as Mitchell finished the campaign with 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns. The electric, speedy wideout should continue to improve, and that would eliminate the necessity to add another top receiver. On the flip side, Mitchell could follow the path of Aaron Dobson and Brandon Tate to become the next highly-touted Patriots receiver to peak too early.

3) A Trade Partner for Jimmy Garoppolo: Considering all of the team’s apparent needs, the biggest question surrounding the Patriots as they head into the offseason is the status of back-up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The conclusion of the former second-rounder’s rookie contract is quickly approaching, so it’s apparent the Patriots need to make a decision sooner than later.

After serving as Belichick’s personal human victory cigar for the first two years of his career, Garoppolo looked like he was more than able to manage a team through his two starts in 2016. During that one-plus game sample, the quarterback completed 71-percent of his passes for 496 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Garoppolo ultimately sat out the next two games as he recovered from an AC joint sprain, and Brady was back from suspension by the time the young quarterback was ready to play.

Of course, we know how that story ended. Brady put up MVP numbers through his 12 regular season games, and he helped lead the Patriots to another Super Bowl championship. If there were any doubts regarding Brady’s future with the organization, they were certainly hushed following his postseason performance.

So why wouldn’t the Patriots want to keep their apparent heir apparent to Brady? The easy answer is money. Garoppolo will be hitting free agency following the 2017 season, and there’s no world where the organization will want to commit plus-$30MM to a pair of quarterbacks. After having seen teams commit themselves to the likes of Matt Flynn and Brock Osweiler, it shouldn’t be too shocking that rival organizations are rather infatuated with Garoppolo, and the quarterback will presumably earn a pretty penny when he reaches the open market. Therefore, instead of risking losing the quarterback for nothing, it’s in the Patriots’ best interest to trade Garoppolo while his value is at his highest.

The Patriots could theoretically head into next season with both Brady and Garoppolo (as well as second-year quarterback Jacoby Brissett), and then be forced to make a decision next offseason. The team could always franchise Garoppolo before he hits free agency, and then they could deal him once he’s locked into that one-year contract. This certainly isn’t an awful route. If Brady shows a sudden Peyton Manning-like decline, the team already has their replacement ready to go. If Brady continues cruising, they can simply trade Garoppolo. On the flip side, if the team trades Garoppolo and Brady shows signed of decline, the team could be forced to hand the reigns to Brissett. While the rookie looked competent during his two starts in 2016, he’s yet to prove that he can even reach Garoppolo’s level.

However, the old sports adage says that players lose trade value every day that they remain on their current team. With a weak crop of quarterbacks in this year’s draft and an abundance of aging veteran signal-callers littering the free agency pool, team’s hoping to get a jump start on their rebuild will want their franchise quarterback as soon as possible. Therefore, it’s likely that the Patriots will receive the best Garoppolo trade offers this offseason as opposed to next.

Former Brady backups like Matt Cassel and Brian Hoyer proved to be capable quarterbacks, but they certainly weren’t franchise players. Still, that fear won’t stop other teams from offering a haul for Garoppolo. The Browns, 49ers, and Bears are three of the more popular teams when it comes to rumors surrounding the quarterback, and as our own Connor Byrne noted, the Browns second first-rounder (12^th overall) may convince the organization to pull the trigger on a Garoppolo trade.

As of right now, a trade seems unlikely, as reports from earlier this week indicated that the Patriots are not expected to trade their young signal-caller. Of course, this could just be a leverage attempt from the organization. For what it’s worth, more than 72-percent of our readers believe New England should indeed trade their young quarterback.

During the Patriots victory parade, Belichick started an awkward “No Days Off!” chant. We can only assume that the front office will be working tirelessly as they presumably look to trade Garoppolo before the upcoming draft.