The first few days of NFL free agency have come and gone with a number of teams making major moves. Odell Beckham and Antonio Brown were traded. Teams forked over tens of millions of dollars for the likes of Le’Veon Bell, Trey Flowers, Landon Collins, Nick Foles and Trent Brown.
And then there were the New England Patriots.
Coach Bill Belichick isn’t afraid of making a splashy move. The Patriots doled out a $65 million contract to cornerback Stephon Gilmore on the first day of free agency in 2017. That same year they traded for Brandin Cooks.
What the Patriots did this week was make minor, methodical moves to fill in their depth chart. The names weren’t flashy but the five free-agent signings make sense.
The Patriots still haven’t signed a kicker or a punter with Stephen Gostkowski and Ryan Allen without a contract.
If the Patriots don’t bring back Gostkowski, they’ll have a cringe-worthy list of free-agent kickers to consider, but the team also could dip into the draft to fill the void. That’s unless they really like kickers such as Matt Bryant, Phil Dawson or Sebastian Janikowski.
Bringing back Allen always made sense – if the price is right. The Patriots pushed him last summer by bringing in undrafted free agent Corey Bojorquez. The Pats liked the rookie enough to place him on their practice squad, but he was claimed by Buffalo.
Then there’s the receiver position. The Patriots made strong pushes for two slot receivers – Adam Humphries and Cole Beasley – but both signed elsewhere. The Pats brought back Phillip Dorsett, and signed Bruce Ellington and Maurice Harris. Those names might not be recognizable and they might not make the 53-man roster, but this wouldn’t be the first time the Pats found an under-the-radar receiver.
Without Cordarrelle Patterson, the team could use a kickoff returner. Ellington has experience but hasn’t returned since 2015.
The Patriots also need help on the defensive line. They traded for three-time Pro Bowler Michael Bennett to help ease the loss of Flowers, but the team could use more help. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Pats added another veteran defensive tackle or edge-rusher.
Then there’s the tackle position. The Pats lost Trent Brown but have Isaiah Wynn, who’s coming off an Achilles injury. What they need is more depth. Bringing back LaAdrian Waddle makes sense.
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