The New England Patriots are preparing for the 2012 season already. The combine is currently underway in Indianapolis, then that is followed by the free agency period starting on March 17. And it caps with the NFL Draft in April in New York City.
The Patriots need help in some areas, those being wide receiver, pass rusher, linebacker and secondary. I think it’s pretty evident they need a deep threat on the outside. They need some of what Randy Moss gave them to help open it up more for Wes Welker (if he is still there) and the tight ends. It also allows Tom Brady to use a weapon he hasn’t been able to unleash as much as he had in the past and that’s the deep ball.
They also need a pass rusher, be it from the line or as a linebacker, they need a guy or group of guys who can terrorize an opponents quarterback on a regular basis. Andre Carter, who got hurt and finished the season on the IR, and Mark Anderson did a good job this season but they are free agents. I’d like to see them come back and add a linebacker who can rush. There’s also the possibility that LB Jermaine Cunningham going into his third season could finally become that player.
In the secondary they do have some help coming from IR in CB Ras-I Dowling who missed most of his rookie season with a hip injury.
I do see them pursuing a few free agents and some of the potential good fits include WR Brandon Lloyd, who played the last half of the season for new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in St. Louis. New England will also have significant interest in WR Mike Wallace of Pittsburgh, as long as the Steelers don’t use the franchise tag on him.
Look for them to look at some secondary help in free agency as well. This could come in the form of CB Cortland Finnegan of Tennessee and Kansas City’s young CB Brandon Carr; both are among the top defenders available. There may also be some interest in Oakland S Tyvon Branch, who grew up outside of Syracuse, NY and played his college football at UConn. New England could be of interest to Branch in being closer to family and friends.
With those needs the team also has its own free agents that need to be considered. Do they attempt to resign these players or do they let them walk?
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Here are the definitions of the free agent types.
UFA – unrestricted free agent, players with 4 or more years of service can sign with any team.
RFA – restricted free agent, players with 3 or more years of service who can sign with any team but original team has right to match the offer.
ERFA – exclusive rights free agent, player with two years of less who is not under contract. If his team makes him an offer at the 3 year veteran minimum salary he has to take it or leave the NFL. If no offer is made he is a free agent.
The Patriots free agents are:
QB Brian Hoyer – RFA
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis – UFA
RB Kevin Faulk – UFA
WR Wes Welker – UFA
WR Deion Branch – UFA
WR Matthew Slater – UFA
C/G Dan Connolly – UFA
C Dan Koppen – UFA
C/G Ryan Wendell – RFA
DE Andre Carter – UFA
DE Eric Moore – UFA
DE Shaun Ellis – UFA
DE Mark Anderson – UFA
DT Gerard Warren – UFA
DT Kyle Love – ERFA
LB Gary Guyton – UFA
LB Tracy White – UFA
CB Antwaun Molden – UFA
S James Ihedigbo – UFA
S Nathan Jones – UFA
S Bret Lockett – ERFA
Out of the free agents this is what I see the team doing.
Welker is tagged as the franchise player and gets the one-year average value salary unless he and the team negotiate a long-term deal before the league deadline.
Faulk is most likely going to retire and will not return. If he does play in 2012 it’s only in New England.
Green-Ellis, Branch, Connolly, Koppen, Molden, Ihedigbo and Jones I see being re-signed and remaining in Foxboro.
Carter, Anderson and Warren all want to stay I’d imagine the feeling is mutual as long as the price is right.
Slater could be enticed by another team with the prospect of playing wide receiver. He is pretty valuable to the Patriots as a special teams player but could possibly stay and be given a long look as a deep threat on the outside.
White I see returning to play special teams, where he excels, and fill in as a linebacker.
Moore, Ellis and Guyton I don’t see hanging around. At least Guyton and Ellis were in the doghouse at some point during the season and will probably be allowed to walk away without an offer. Moore will most likely seek more playing time elsewhere.
Hoyer will stay as Tom Brady’s back up until he becomes a UFA, then Mallett moves up.
Wendell I don’t see sticking around he can probably play more and get paid more on a rebuilding team.
Love is a guy I really think they give the 3 year veteran offer to, he adds a lot of depth to the defensive line and started a lot this past season. They may even look to do a longer contract with him and lock him up for say 3 years at suitable money.
Lockett is guy who I think is gone and will not get a ERFA offer from the team. He has had some off field incidents in the last year or so with his rap music and the whole Kim Kardashian incident, very un-Patriot like. He’d have been cut long ago if he wasn’t hurt.
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