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It was a classic opening week of Patriots free agency, with the team avoiding the monster top-of-roster deals and instead focusing on filling their holes with mid-range vets.
But with the departures of Cordarrelle Patterson and LaAdrian Waddle, more roster holes have appeared and should be addressed in the next couple of weeks as the market settles in.
Let’s jump into some Posits about where the Pats stand now and where they’ll need to focus on next.
After locking up some of their own, the Patriots came out swinging on Thursday with five reported signings.
No, there wasn’t a Golden Tate-sized blockbuster or anything, but there was a collection of solid moves on veterans who will stabilize the middle and bottom of the roster. And who knows, one of them just might take to the Patriots and emerge as a key contributor.
Here’s a quick look at all five of the signings and where they fit on the roster.
[Read more…] about Patriots Sign Five Free Agents2019 didn’t see the Patriots shock everyone and make an early splashy deal like they did with Adalius Thomas and Stephon Gilmore. Those years are exceedingly rare.
Instead, they did what they’ve usually done, let the big money fall, take care of their own guys first, and wait to pounce on the external value guys looking for a chance to be part of the magic.
After making the trade for Michael Bennett, the Patriots were quiet early in the week, before starting to re-sign and bring back their own players.
Here’s a quick rundown on the signings of Brandon Bolden, Jason McCourty, John Simon and Phillip Dorsett.
[Read more…] about Patriots Make Some Familiar SigningsWith free agency starting next week and Rob Gronkowski reportedly around Gillette Stadium more than he was last year, I’m starting to think we might have ourselves a Gronk back in 2019.
Still, Dwayne Allen is a player that did the dirty work, leading a potent ground attack that led the way to a Super Bowl. And these days you can never have too little Gronk insurance.
With Jacob Hollister an injury MIA in his first two seasons, the Patriots need to target at least two quality tight ends both in free agency and the draft. Let’s take a quick look at some options, internal and external.
[Read more…] about Potential Tight End Free Agents for PatriotsThe Patriots continued to round out the middle portion of their roster this week with three moves, all on the offensive side of the ball, starting with offensive linemen Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas, and ending for now with wide receiver Jordan Matthews.
Matthews was a second-round pick in 2014, was traded to the Bills last preseason but ended the year on injured reserve, meaning the Patriots got him a good discount. He works primarily out of the slot, which makes him a good candidate to help replace Danny Amendola. However, Matthews isn’t exactly the quick-open kind of guy that Amendola or Julian Edelman are. He’s a bigger slot receiver but with good hands and a good feel for getting open.
More on him and Niklas as we get closer and closer to the draft!
[Read more…] about Patriots Stocking Brady’s Potential Weaponry with Matthews, Niklas
Linebacker remains one of the biggest needs on the roster, but the Patriots made a solid depth move at the position by re-signing Marquis Flowers to a one-year deal worth $2.55 million. This is a significant raise after Flowers was making just under $700K after being traded from the Bengals to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick.
Patriots keeping another of their own, re-signing LB Marquis Flowers on a 1-deal worth up to $2.55 million, per @seanstellato.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 22, 2018
Thought to be just a special teamer, Flowers really started to come on at the end of the season, logging 3.5 sacks and nine tackles in the final two games of the regular season. He added a sack and four tackles against the Titans in the AFCDG. After playing just 72 snaps on defense in Cinci, he played 238 for the Patriots and added 123 in the three playoff games, including 18 in the Super Bowl. Yes, the Pats injury apocalypse at linebacker had something to do with Flowers ascension, but he made the most of the opportunity and brings much-needed athleticism to the position group and having just turned 26 he still has some potential.
With the release of Shea McClellan there really is no bad signing at linebacker these days for the Pats, and given Flowers’ progression over the course of the year and his ability to play special teams, Flowers could once again find himself being a significant player in 2018 and should be aiming to cash in even further with another solid year.
Patriots fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Matthew Slater has re-signed with the team after a brief flirtation with the Steelers. The core special teamer and team leader has become the heart and soul of the Patriots locker room, most often leading the Patriots post-game cheer that was started by Tedy Bruschi over a decade ago.
Special teams captain Matthew Slater is returning to the Patriots on a two-year deal, per source.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 20, 2018
Many of us wondered if the signing of Cordarrelle Patterson, a core special teamer and gunner himself, signaled an end to the Slater era, but alas the Patriots will now have two lightning fast players on the punt team who can get downfield and snuff out any potential punt returns.
The return of Slater also bodes well for a Patriots team looking for somewhat of a locker room reset after a season filled with more off-field drama than usual.
[Read more…] about Matthew Slater Signs Two-Year Deal with Pats