Opinion: Patriots Could Show Interest In Saints/Bears Players
The Patriots have a history of snatching up players who participated against them in joint practices, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who goes on to examine which Saints and/or Bears — the two clubs that will hold sessions with New England this summer — could be of interest to Bill Belichick & Co. While some New Orleans players such as defensive tackle John Jenkins and wide receiver Brandon Coleman could intrigue the Patriots, both are likely to make the Saints roster, so rookie running back Daniel Lasco or linebacker Davis Tull could be more New England’s speed. From Chicago, linebackers Sam Acho and Christian Jones, as well as first-year receiver Daniel Braverman, could face uphill climbs to make the Bears roster, and thus worth keeping an eye on from New England’s perspective.
Top 10 Teams That Could Sign Dwight Freeney
When I originally outlined this list, I saw more than half the clubs in the NFL as possible landing spots for veteran edge rusher Dwight Freeney. Even in his age-35 season, Freeney managed eight sacks for the Cardinals while playing only 255 defensive snaps. Many teams around the league could use that kind 
of production.
[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Defense]
I eventually whittled down the list, and given that Freeney has stated he’d like to play for a winning team during the upcoming season, I tried to weed out clubs that seemingly have no shot at contending in 2016. Still, Freeney is an enticing addition not only because of his ability to disrupt the pocket, but because he’ll come cheap — his deal with Arizona last year was only for the prorated veteran’s minimum (though it did include sack incentives). Cap space won’t be an issue when trying to lure Freeney.
With that said, let’s take a spin around the league and examine some potential fits for Freeney (and his devastating spin move)…
Atlanta Falcons — It’s impossible to overstate just how poor the 2015 Falcons were at getting after opposing quarterbacks. They recorded only 19 sacks, the lowest total for any team in in the league since 2009, and finished last in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta’s only meaningful offseason addition to its defensive line was former Dolphin Derrick Shelby, who as Robert Mays gleefully noted in a recent Ringer NFL podcast (audio link), boasts all of nine career sacks. Freeney visited the Falcons at the beginning of June, but head coach Dan Quinn said his club would off — for now — on signing the veteran edge rusher.
Arizona Cardinals — Freeney has always stated that he’d prefer a return to the desert, but it’s not clear if the Cardinals are reciprocating that interest. Arizona acquired former Patriots pass rusher Chandler Jones this offseason, lessening its need to add another edge presence, and the club would also like to see what it has in its younger options, such as Markus Golden, Alex Okafor, and Shaq Riddick. Still, the Cards clearly know what Freeney brings to the table, so a reunion — at some point down the road — still makes a ton of sense.
Baltimore Ravens — All the way back in March, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said his club “wasn’t done in free agency” and casually mentioned that Freeney remained unsigned. Since that statement, Baltimore hasn’t plucked any key players from the open market, but it did select two rush linebackers — Boise State’s Kamalei Correa and BYU’s Bronson Kaufusi — during the draft. The Ravens will already field two aging veterans, Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, at outside ‘backer during the upcoming season, so perhaps the team doesn’t want another player who’s near the end of his career. General manager Ozzie Newsome, however, loves experienced players, as evidenced by the fact that Baltimore deployed the fifth-oldest AV-adjusted defense in 2015, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective.
Buffalo Bills — Bills general manager Doug Whaley specifically name-checked Freeney last month, indicating that the club would only look to add veterans if their younger players weren’t progressing as planned during camp. But Buffalo definitely has a need, as first-round pick Shaq Lawson will miss some regular season action after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rex Ryan is planning on using a more conventional 3-4 look in 2016, so Freeney would spend most of time at outside linebacker, but he clearly has the versatility to shift back to end if Buffalo shows a 4-3 front.
Cincinnati Bengals — Along with the Falcons, the Bengals are one of two teams that has actually met with Freeney, as they had him had him in for a workout at the end of May. Cincinnati has two above-average starters at end in Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, but the club has little in the way of depth. As Roster Resource shows, the Bengals would be forced to rely on Margus Hunt, Will Clarke, and Marcus Hardison — a group that has all of two sacks to its name — if one of their starters went down. But if Cincinnati does look into officially adding Freeney, reports have indicated that it might not be until training camp begins, or perhaps even later.
Dallas Cowboys — In what is clearly a developing theme among clubs on this list, Cowboys management said at the end of last month that they weren’t interested in Freeney for the time being, as they’d prefer to get a look at their younger rushers first. That stance is going to be a problem for Freeney, who has admitted he’d like to get into a camp as soon as possible in order to prepare mentally. Teams simply don’t have much incentive to sign a veteran who will take practice reps away from less-experienced players. Still, with Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory each facing four-game suspensions, the Cowboys clearly have a pass-rushing need.
Detroit Lions — One side of Detroit’s defensive line is spoken for by the dominant Ziggy Ansah, while the opposite side is manned by the underrated Devin Taylor, an ascending player entering the final year of his rookie deal. However, the Lions did lose both Jason Jones and Darryl Tapp in free agency, so they could certainly use another edge rusher to lessen the load on Taylor, who only played about half of the club’s snaps last season. Freeney would be part of a rotation in the Motor City, which is how he’s best utilized. For what it’s worth, Justin Rogers of MLive.com didn’t dismiss the idea of Detroit signing Freeney when asked earlier this month.
Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs could be without linebacker Justin Houston, one of the NFL’s best defensive players of the past half-decade, for part or most of the 2016 season after he underwent ACL surgery earlier this year, but Houston isn’t the only Kansas City edge defender dealing with knee issues. Fellow veteran Tamba Hali is also recovering from offseason surgery and hasn’t participated in camp, while Dee Ford left practice earlier this month with knee tendinitis. Freeney wouldn’t help compensate for any loss in coverage, but he’d be an improvement over current Chiefs backups Frank Zombo and Dezman Moses in terms of pass rush.
New Orleans Saints — We’ve discussed at length the historically inept 2015 Saints defense, so suffice it to say that New Orleans can still use all the help it can get. Last year’s second-round pick, Hau’oli Kikaha, was supposed to make the transition from linebacker to defensive end this summer, but he’ll now miss the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in mid-June. Currently projected to rely on Bobby Richardson (who graded as one of the five worst edge defenders in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus), Obum Gwacham, and fourth-round rookie David Onyemata to line up opposite Cameron Jordan, the Saints could use Freeney perhaps more than any club on this list.
New York Jets — The Jets will continue to run essentially the same defense used by the 2015 Cardinals, as Arizona continued to employ former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles‘ concepts even after he left for the head coaching job in New York. Gang Green’s defense was very good last year, as they ranked fifth in DVOA and first against the run according to Football Outsider’s metrics. The one area where they weren’t exceptional, however, was pass rush (21st in adjusted sack rate). As Roster Resource details, New York is set to count on Lorenzo Mauldin and Jordan Jenkins — who have played a combined 253 snaps in the NFL (all by Mauldin) — as starting outside linebackers. Freeney, then, could be make sense as a edge rusher who sees 20-25 snaps per game.
Others — The Colts could use another rusher off the edge, but Mike Wells of ESPN.com reported last month that Indianapolis hadn’t engaged in talks with Freeney, and added that a reunion was unlikely. Freeney described a possible stint with the Patriots as a “win-win” for both parties, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com doesn’t see the fit, noting that New England already has a healthy stable of defensive ends and linebackers. In the NFC, the Eagles could be a landing spot as they convert to a 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. Brian Robison isn’t anything special opposite Everson Griffen in the Vikings‘ front, while in Carolina, Mario Addison and Wes Horton are currently the last lines of defense for the Panthers if injuries should befall either Kony Ealy or Charles Johnson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Notes: Hightower, Collins, Edelman
Recently, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com ran down the NFL’s “best defensive triplets” and ranked the Patriots No. 10 with a trio of safety Devin McCourty, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and linebacker Jamie Collins. One knock on this talented group, however, is the injury factor as all three missed time last season.
It should also be noted that the Patriots will have to take action in order to keep this group together beyond the 2016 season as both Collins and Hightower are entering their contract years. Last year, Collins graded out as the No. 5 linebacker in the league while Hightower came in at No. 10, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. This year, Collins will earn less than $1MM on the final year of his rookie deal while Hightower will make $7.751MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. It will take years and security to keep both players and Collins in particular is due for a monster raise.
Here’s more on the Pats:
- Even though Julian Edelman could be forced to miss the start of the Patriots’ season following his second foot surgery, Phil Perry of CSNNE.com doesn’t expect the team to place him on the PUP list, which is not good news for receivers frying to make the cut. Right now, Perry projects that the Patriots will go into 2016 with Edelman, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin, and Matthew Slater on the 53-man WR depth chart. As shown on Roster Resource, Nate Washington and Aaron Dobson are also in the mix and Perry’s roster projection has them on the outside looking in. Ditto for seventh-round pick Devin Lucien, though he could potentially be snuck onto the practice squad.
- Should the Patriots make a play for Chiefs running back Knile Davis? Ben Volin of The Boston Globe isn’t sure if the Pats are willing to trade within the AFC, but he sees Davis as someone who could potentially replace LeGarrette Blount as the team’s heavy back. Davis is expendable in KC as the team has recently inked Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, and Charcandrick West to contract extensions. Meanwhile, Davis holds a bit of extra value since he is in a contract year and could factor into the compensatory pick equation.
- Recently, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com also raised the name of Titans tailback Bishop Sankey as a potential trade target for New England. Sankey, a second-round pick in 2014, has yet to impress in Tennessee but he did enter the league with a decent amount of hype and it’s possible that a change of scenery could suit him well.
Court Should Make Decision On Brady's Case Soon; Decision To Part Ways With Lombardi Not Mutual
- Tomorrow marks five full weeks since Patriots quarterback Tom Brady filed a request for an en banc hearing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, legal experts anticipated that the Court would take no more than six weeks to make its decision, so Brady should know within the next few days whether he will get a second bite at the appellate apple.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe hears that Michael Lombardi‘s recent departure from the Patriots was not as mutual as it was first reported. Volin writes that New England was happy to have Lombardi serve as the team’s assistant to the coaching staff the past two years, because most of his salary was still being paid by the Browns, but after Lombardi’s contract expired, the Patriots chose not to keep Lombardi on the books. Volin adds that head coach Bill Belichick was Lombardi’s only real ally inside the building, and that Lombardi’s role in bringing in former Browns like Jabaal Sheard and Dion Lewis was overstated.
Opinion: Gronk Is Patriots' Best Contract
Of all of the Patriots‘ team-friendly deals, their pact with Rob Gronkowski stands as their best contract, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Gronk is currently in the middle of a six-year, $54MM deal with just $13.2MM guaranteed. That contract looks better and better for the Patriots as the star tight end continues to dominate and lesser tight ends cash in elsewhere. The Pats extended Gronk under the old Collective Bargaining Agreement in which you could lengthen a rookie’s deal after just his second season in the NFL. The Patriots realized that they had a star in the making in the University of Arizona product and pounced at a time when he was willing to trade in upside for security. Now, the Patriots have Gronkowski at a below-market price as they control him until the age of 30.
- More from Fitzgerald, who writes that the Patriots‘ worst contract is the one belonging to offensive tackle Marcus Cannon. The 28-year-old is a versatile player, but Fitzgerald doesn’t understand why New England felt the need to give him a two-year, $8.5MM deal with $3.2MM guaranteed. On the plus side, the Pats only guaranteed Cannon’s signing bonus, so they can cut him after one year and move on, if necessary.
Brandon Marshall's Deal To Impact Collins, Hightower?
- Brandon Marshall has a new four-year deal, worth $8MM in average annual value with the Broncos and Phil Perry of CSNNE.com wonders how that might impact the deals that Patriots linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins can expect in the near future. Perry notes that the advanced metrics have been very impressed with the work of both players. Collins graded out as the No. 5 linebacker in the league in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus, and was No. 6 in the year prior. Hightower, meanwhile, was ranked at No. 10 and No. 5, respectively, in those years. Since his rookie season in 2012, Hightower has never graded below No. 24, according to PFF.
Clay Harbor Favorite For No. 3 TE Role, But Will Have To Earn It
- Now that Patriots No. 3 tight end Michael Williams suffered a season-ending ACL tear, free agent acquisition Clay Harbor becomes the favorite to assume that role, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. However, Reiss cautions that even though Harbor received a $400K signing bonus–which is significant for a player for Harbor’s caliber–he will still have to earn his spot on the field (after all, the team handed out a $450K signing bonus to Reggie Wayne last year, and Wayne’s tenure as a Patriot lasted all of two weeks).
Mike Lombardi Tipped Belichick To Dion Lewis
Mike Lombardi‘s departure from the Patriots after two seasons could close a Cleveland-to-New England pipeline to some degree, and that particular route has been successful to the Pats recently.
Mike Lombardi‘s departure from the Patriots after two seasons could close a Cleveland-to-New England pipeline to some degree, and that particular route has been successful to the Pats recently.
The veteran front office executive helped tip Bill Belichick to Dion Lewis and assisted in paving the way for Jabaal Sheard to join the Patriots, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com notes.
Lewis spent 2013 on the Browns’ IR after breaking his leg and did not make Cleveland’s 2014 roster. But Lombardi, fired from his brief post as Browns GM in February 2014, helped bring the scatback to the Patriots, with whom Lewis proved explosive, totaling 622 yards from scrimmage in six starts in 2015.
The Patriots extended Lewis quickly last season, signing him for a minuscule two years and $3MM in October before he tore his ACL a month later.
Michael Lombardi Leaves Patriots
- Longtime front office executive Michael Lombardi is leaving the Patriots, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. No reason has been given for Lombardi’s exit, but the former NFL Network analyst could be headed to HBO to join Bill Simmons’ new venture, according to Reiss. Lombardi, whom the Pats hired in 2013 as an assistant to their coaching staff, was previously the general manager in Cleveland.
Patriots Notes: RBs, Sankey, Brissett
The Patriots seem likely to look for another running back in the coming months, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who wonders if New England could show interest in Titans back Bishop Sankey. Sankey isn’t expected to make Tennessee’s final roster, so he could likely be had for minimal compensation — or the Pats could simply wait until Sankey is waived and try to pluck him then. If and when he is cut loose by the Titans, Sankey shouldn’t be on the street for long, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that multiple clubs have already expressed interest in the former second-round pick.
- Though most rookie contracts are now a breeze, clubs and agents can begin to negotiate a bit starting in the third round, a topic that Reiss has examined in the past. Writing in a separate column today, Reiss notes that the Patriots‘ Jacoby Brissett (who officially inked his rookie deal earlier today) is one of just two third-round picks who received 100% of their maximum allowable slotted compensation — the other, unsurprisingly, is also a quarterback, Cody Kessler of the Browns. The value of the QB position is such that even third-round picks can exert a little bit of leverage as they hammer out deals.