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Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
Over the past two offseasons, the New England Patriots chose not to go into full rebuild mode after longtime quarterback Tom Brady departed. It seems to have been the right decision, as the Pats have a new franchise signal-caller in Mac Jones and reached the playoffs as an AFC wild-card team in 2021.
But if New England is going to make progress in 2022, it will need to make the right moves this offseason. The Patriots don’t have a ton of cap space, and they have some key players hitting the free-agent market. So it will be interesting to see how head coach Bill Belichick constructs his team’s roster for the upcoming season.
NFL free agency is set to begin Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, but the legal tampering period starts 48 hours prior to that. And it won’t take long for big names to start coming off the market.
Here’s a last-minute free agency guide for the Patriots with the offseason about to ramp up.
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Doug Murray/Associated Press
2022 NFL Cap: $208.2 million
Cap Space: $13.4 million, per Over the Cap
Expect the Patriots’ available cap space to increase soon, as they are likely going to make moves to create more financial flexibility in the weeks ahead. In fact, they have already started doing just that.
New England recently released linebacker Kyle Van Noy, which created more cap space for the team before the start of free agency. The team could cut more players and/or restructure contracts in order to have more money to spend on free agents who can help fill the holes on its roster.
Earlier this offseason, the Pats lost director of player personnel Dave Ziegler, who left to become the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, new director of player personnel Matt Groh, consultant Eliot Wolf and pro scouting director Steve Cargile will be collaborating with Belichick to determine New England’s plans for free agency and the 2022 NFL draft.
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John Bazemore/Associated Press
- CB J.C. Jackson
- FS Devin McCourty
- LB Dont’a Hightower
- OT Trent Brown
- G/C Ted Karras
- WR Matthew Slater
- RB James White
- RB Brandon Bolden
- K Nick Folk
Not only is J.C. Jackson among the Patriots’ top players hitting free agency, but the 26-year-old cornerback is also among the best players on the market. New England opted to not use the franchise tag on Jackson, so he’s going to get a sizable deal, either from the Pats or a different team.
Jackson isn’t the only notable New England defender who is a free agent, as Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower will also both be available. So the Patriots are going to have some key spots to fill if they don’t re-sign any of these standouts.
On offense, the Pats are still in fairly good shape, although they could use some depth at various positions. If neither James White nor Brandon Bolden returns, they could opt to bring in another running back to join Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in the unit.
New England will also need to decide whether it wants to re-sign the 37-year-old Nick Folk or bring in another kicker.
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Matt Patterson/Associated Press
Offensive Linemen
It’s possible that the Patriots will have two starting spots to fill on the offensive line if they don’t bring back either Karras or Brown. New England has solid players in the other starting roles up front (Isaiah Wynn, David Andrews and Shaq Mason), so it could have a strong unit again if it adequately fills the other two spots.
The Pats seem unlikely to spend big on the offensive line because of their other roster holes. But if they need to fill Brown’s spot at right tackle, perhaps they will consider a player like Morgan Moses, an eight-year NFL veteran who would provide a consistent presence on that side of the line.
Linebackers
With Hightower and Van Noy both free agents, the Patriots are going to have big decisions to make regarding their linebacker corps. Jamie Collins and Ja’Whaun Bentley are also hitting free agency, so New England doesn’t have a ton of depth at the positions.
Bobby Wagner was recently released by the Seattle Seahawks and would be a tremendous addition to the center of the defense. Will the Pats be able to afford him? If they can, they should do whatever it takes to land him. If not, Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr are other top linebackers on the market who would provide a boost for New England.
Cornerback
This all comes down to whether or not the Patriots bring back Jackson. If he returns and joins fellow corners Jonathan Jones and Jalen Mills in the secondary, they would be set. But there’s at least a chance that Jackson won’t be back in 2022.
In that case, perhaps New England considers using a large chunk of its assets on a replacement. Charvarius Ward would be a great long-term fit, or maybe the Pats would take a chance on a player like Kyle Fuller, who will be looking to have a bounce-back year.
Wide Receiver
Even though the Patriots brought in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne last offseason, they are still lacking star power in their receiving corps. Plus, Jakobi Meyers is a restricted free agent, so it’s not a guarantee that he will be back.
Jones may not reach the next level until he has a true No. 1 playmaker to throw the ball to. Allen Robinson II and JuJu Smith-Schuster could be enticing targets for New England to consider among the solid wide receivers set to be on the market.
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