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Patriots Pending Free Agent Top 10 Power Rankings

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As the 2018 Patriots take shape, there are a number of players who will be entering the final years of their contracts. Not everyone can be re-signed, as Patriots fans are all too familiar, but who should take priority?

Let’s do a quick power ranking of those who either need new deals or will be on other teams in 2019.

  1. Trey Flowers — Flowers has been battling injuries for much of camp though it doesn’t appear to be anything that will keep him out of the regular season. Still, it’s not the best start for a defensive end looking to get paid as a premium position. The emergence of Derek Rivers would soften the blow if Flowers were to leave, but strong technical players like him are hard to find and defensive end depth is critical as we saw last year. It still appears very much a toss up if the Patriots will pay Flowers top dollar, or turn things over to the trio of Rivers, Dietrich Wise and Adrian Clayborn.
  2. Trent Brown — It’s hard to put Brown second overall when he hasn’t played a single regular season snap but so far he’s been exactly what the Patriots needed at left tackle, a critical position. Do they really want to have to find another left tackle next offseason? Especially considering that Isaiah Wynn’s future is still murky after being lost for the season. It might be smart for the Patriots to spring as soon as possible before every other team in the league sees that he can be a starting left tackle.
  3. Chris Hogan — There were reports that the Pats and Hogan were talking a new deal, which is a good sign considering he’s really the most reliable receiver on the team right now. Most useful is his versatility — he can play inside or out, and while he might not have the quickness of Edelman or the deep speed of Dorsett, Hogan is the most well-rounded and should have a great season if he can stay on the field. He led the league in yards-per-reception in 2016 and despite missing seven games in 2017 he had just four fewer catches and still topped his touchdown total, going fro four to five.
  4. Danny Shelton — So far Shelton has been the most immovable object on the Patriots’ defensive front and looks poised to live up to his first-round billing. Like Trent Brown, it might be premature to put him this high, but with Malcolm Brown’s apparent regression, defensive tackle could be a critical need next offseason. Players like Shelton are impossible to find and if he does play like his draft status I’d move him all the way up into the top three, that’s how critical a player like him is to the defense.
  5. Shaq Mason — Many might argue that Mason should be higher but the reality is that right guard is probably the easiest position on a football team to fill and as much as he’s an athletic specimen and I’d love to keep him, replacing him wouldn’t be nearly as tough as replacing those above him who are unique players at difficult positions to fill.
  6. Stephen Gostkowski — Gost is still one of the best kickers in the game but you just never know when his age and value will hit that crossroads where Belichick feels okay turning the page on him. He had his third-best FG percentage in 2017 and was perfect 4-4 beyond 50 yards. The Pats were lucky when they let Adam Vinatieri walk and turned things over to the rookie Gostkowski and it all went perfectly. Could they get that lucky again?
  7. Eric Rowe — I don’t think anyone is on the Rowe bandwagon even though he’s the most tenured Pats corner and was far better than anyone wants to admit in the Super Bowl. He gives the Pats a tall corner for matchups and is a valuable piece in the secondary. But with both him and Jason McCourty due to hit free agency the Pats might want to make a move to secure at least one of them and so far Rowe looks like the de facto number two corner behind Stephon Gilmore
  8. Malcom Brown — Don’t give up on Brown yet, but it’s not a good sign when the team declines your fifth year option. That likely means they don’t plan on paying you with a big contract. He’ll need his best season as a pro and even then he likely won’t be back.
  9. Phillip Dorsett — I haven’t been all that impressed with Dorsett yet and he’s got a long way to go to earn another contract with the team in my eyes. Still, with Edelman getting older, the cupboard is pretty bare aside from Hogan. I’m fascinated to see how his season unfolds.
  10. Jeremy Hill — An honorable mention here, because this is based on my speculation that Hill will be a featured back at least for the early part of this season and might even be a better piece that Rex Burkhead who just returned from a two-week injury.  Hill would be affordable and excited for a second contract with the team. That spells the Patriots’ favorite word — value.

Other Notable Free Agents

  • Ryan Allen – Could the team be looking to groom Corey Bojorquez behind the scenes this year to take over for Allen next year?
  • Jordan Richards – Imagine what will happen if he gets a new deal over those guys up top?
  • Cordarrelle Patterson – Could be a fun weapon for the offense this year but will he just use the Pats to get a bigger paycheck elsewhere next year? He’s a real wild card and will be somewhat of a luxury this year.
  • LaAdrian Waddle — Has been a life saver with so many recent tackle injuries.

Can We Be Excited About 2018 Patriots Now?

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The Patriots’ preseason win over the Eagles was a different viewing experience for me as I got tied up down the cape on a beautiful and perfect day and had to listen to the first half in the car on the way home. I actually kind of enjoyed it. Obviously, Dan Roche and Matt Chatham know their stuff and are fun to listen to but it was also a bit of a throwback to the old days when catching a Patriots game didn’t always trump everything else. You’d tune into Gino and Gil as you ran your Sunday errands and the Pats *most likely* got toasted.

There was also no way to consume any kind of social media or worry about blogs, it’s was just old school football consumption and from the sounds of it, it was a bit of an old school win. Of course, I started re-watching the game as soon as I got home, eager to see how many of the impressive plays I’d heard actually looked, and it was every bit as delightful as it sounded.

Yes, I’m excited the defense was so disruptive, but let’s also remember that this was a far cry from that fearless gameplan offense we saw from the Eagles the last time these two teams met in Minnesota. The good news is that we can still feel good, and you can bet your five Super Bowl rings that Eagles fans definitely feel pretty miserable about being 0-2 in the preseason.

It feels like it will be hard for even the most negative Patriots fans to piss and moan about this one, which could possibly mean that the local narrative will become one that is excited about this Patriots team, instead of gleefully awaiting an internal soap opera to destroy the entire franchise from within.

But I’m sure they’ll do their best to keep fans angry and calling in about their trash takes.

Here are my rapid-fire notes on a preseason game that felt like it announced the 2018 Patriots’ presence.

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Patriots Gameplan: Preseason Week 2 vs Eagles

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Another Patriots preseason game is upon us, and in Week 2 there’s a chance to build on everything that was revealed in the comeback victory of week 1. The team has since wrapped up practices that are open to the public as we continue to build up toward a regular season that is just a few weeks away.

Are you excited? You should be because the Patriots dynasty is very much alive. The end will suck and likely come suddenly, but until then all is still right with the world, just as it’s been for nearly the last two decades.

Again, this won’t be a usual gameplan because, well, there just aren’t gameplans in the preseason. Only a collection of simple schemes that give the coaching staff a sense of players when they have little other than their own skills to rely on. But what matters most is the fight in the team and there appeared to be no problems against the Redskins. Just the usual sloppy start followed by a stellar finish, done mostly by guys who will be looking for other jobs in a few weeks.

Here are five things to watch against the Eagles.

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Patriots Remain Super Bowl Favorites

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It’s easy here in the New England media bubble to lose sight of the fact that among the various sportsbook sites on this list, the Patriots are still the favorite to win Super Bowl 53. The last 17 years have seen unprecedented success and it’s fascinating to see where we’re at now — a desperate search for why this is when the Patriots begin to finally decline.

The rest of the league’s fans and punditry must shake their heads. If this is what it’s like when Brady and Belichick are still here what will it look like when the next coach-quarterback combination arrives? How do the Jets’ media feel about their receiver group? Yikes.

There are no sports takes without drama and how much real drama is there with the Patriots now? The media have taken their grasping at straws to a new level, peddling narratives that are tired and contrived with the continued desperate hope that they’ll see the crack that sinks the ship first.

The Kraft-Belichick-Brady power struggle. Brady not living at the stadium anymore. Gronk’s contract. Brady’s contract. Belichick not making things fun. The media has seemingly grown more and more desperate, clinging to these stories while failing to see the real football narratives that are actually far more interesting, but require a little bit more of actual thought.

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Patriots Clear Off PUP, Tuesday Tweets of Note

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The Patriots welcomed back the remaining members of the PUP squad meaning that they’ll open the season with no one getting a free pass behind the scenes until Week 6. Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Nate Ebner all returned to practice, donning full pads meaning their time being physically unable to perform were coming to an end.

For the Joneses, it’s a good sign that they’re back before the first preseason game. Jonathan could insert himself into the slot conversation over rookie Duke Dawson, while Cyrus faces a make or break year where the Pats could really use his punt return ability. He’s a bit of a wild card as a cornerback, especially with a loaded depth chart but maybe just maybe he could be a factor.

As for Ebner, he’s just about a roster lock for his special team prowess and is a good presence to have back on the field for Bill Belichick’s favorite phase of the game.

More on the brewing battles and what went down at Tuesday’s practice in the Tweets of Note.

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Pats Posits: Monday Day Off Regroup

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Finally, we’ve got a couple days off here without a bunch of new Patriots information coming at us fast and furious. Not that I’m complaining, but the first week-plus of camp is always a whirlwind of activity — finding out which guys might actually have a chance to contribute (hello Duke Dawson) and which guys we had far too high of expectations of (bye Jordan Matthews). A couple days to catch our breath and enjoy the old Randy Moss highlights has been nice.

The best news is that we get an actual preseason game this Thursday. Usually, these first preseason games are heavy on the mostly expendables, I wouldn’t be surprised if none of the key veterans took the field for any snaps. While this can be frustrating, it will also really give a chance to the lower end guys who are fighting for a roster spot to shine.

More than ever the sports talk radio points continue to chase their tail, trying like hell to get us concerned about the wide receiver position? Sometimes I’m just amazed at how little thought can go into these takes. Do they even watch practices? Do they pay attention to who comes and goes? It’s why I continue to just do my own thing, which is often way out of step with the narratives that the talking heads like to force down our throats.

Here are a bunch of regroup-y Posits as we get ready to see a Patriots football game this week.

18% off at the Prop Shop with code 2018

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Patriots Add Eric Decker

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc9EutK6U2w

In a move that felt inevitable as soon as Jordan Matthews was lost for the season, the Pats signed receiver Eric Decker to a one-year deal. Though we all remember what a pain in the ass Decker was playing for the Broncos and Jets, he’s definitely near the end of the road. But perhaps a shot at a ring and nothing to lose with the best quarterback he’s ever played with 😉 can help him squeeze out one last productive season. You can see his most recent work above.

He was 1-6 vs. the Patriots with two touchdowns and under a 50 percent catch rate. Seems like I was more afraid of what he could do than he ever actually did. His best game against the Pats was six catches for 94 yards with the Jets in 2014.

I am eager to give him a look. He has good size and brings a similar physical presence inside that Matthews would’ve brought. Decker’s experienced and shouldn’t be holding anything back. It could turn into an interesting year with him and Brady, especially the first four weeks.

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