PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

10 Free Agents in Patriots Wheelhouse

by

The Patriots are never interested in winning the offseason. During free agency they’re interested in rounding out their team so that they have no glaring needs heading into the draft. Not to say there won’t be needs still, but by mid-April the Patriots should have a 53-man roster that they could roll out there and make the playoffs. Hey, times are good.

Searching for external free agents when there are so many internal free agents to deal with can be futile. Still, there’s only a set number of players who really fit what the Patriots do, so identifying those players is a little easier.

I already took a look at five splashy signings the Pats could make. But let’s face it, splashy free agent signings are rarely their thing, unless you count signing your own players. I’m sure re-signing Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler and a couple of the other significant free agent Patriots would be plenty splashy for all of us.

There are two types of external the Patriots primarily target. First, the talented but misused. You hope that some Brady and Belichick magic rubs off and all of sudden you’ve got a Rob Ninkovich, Mike Vrabel or Wes Welker or any of the other hundred or so of these guys who have helped build the dynasty, going from castoff to star.

Second, the talented vet looking for one last shot at a ring. Think Chris Long, Andre Carter, Brian Waters, even Junior Seau. Those are the guys who fly under the radar, because you just can’t know who’s willing to, as Long put it, “play for five dollars” to be in New England.

Here’s a list of 10 more free agents who jumped out at me.

[Read more…] about 10 Free Agents in Patriots Wheelhouse

Pats Posits: The Cold, Dead Offseason

by

 

We’re now two weeks removed from the Patriots’ Super Bowl 51 victory and the reality of the offseason is starting to sink in. The other thing that is sinking in? How much that Super Bowl 51 victory meant and its place in Patriots history.

From here on out with Belichick and Brady, it’s all icing on the cake. You know that they’ll take at least a couple more major swings at number six, and maybe the team will stay healthy enough to get it. But they got number five, in uber dramatic fashion, and there’s simply no denying the greatness of this run, no matter how hard anyone wants to bang the ‘Gates drum.

As we slip into offseason mode there’s a certain calm that comes after winning a legacy-cementing Super Bowl. Yeah there are a bunch of free agents and a bunch of cap space, but at this point, it’s like whatever, BB’s got this.

All we know for sure is that it will be interesting, maybe more so than usual.

More on the coming offseason and the rest of the Super Bowl fallout in the Posits.

[Read more…] about Pats Posits: The Cold, Dead Offseason

10 New Belichick Hoodie Facts

by

By now you’re probably getting sick of the Bill Belichick Hoodie Database. I know I am, but with the help of a great Patriots fan twitter user @fearthe_beard11 I’ve been able to fill in all but ONE hole in the database going all the way back to 2003. (If anyone has the 2003 at Eagles game handy let me know!!)

Just when I think I can take a Hoodie vacation, they suck me back in!

Thanks to his great work, rounding up more than 10 missing games, it means we finally have the complete record of Bill Belichick and his hoodies, especially the one he’s most known for, shown above, the 2003 Gray Reebok Hoodie.

I even went back and re-tallied all the records to make sure it’s all accurate. In all, Belichick wore a variation of the 2003 Reebok Sweatshirt, both hoodie and mock versions, gray and blue, 97 times, going 74-22 (.762 win percentage).

All this new information uncovered even more interesting tidbits about Bill Belichick and the hobo-esque attire he made famous.

Here are 10 new Hoodie Facts I’ve uncovered.

[Read more…] about 10 New Belichick Hoodie Facts

5 Potential Free Agent Splashes for Patriots

by

Free agency can be overwhelming when you’re just a simple one-team blogger like me. There are just so many names, so many salaries, so many performances to take account of, that it’s hard to find great external fits.

And let’s face it, the Patriots don’t rely on early free agency for the core of their team.

Instead, they fill out the periphery, usually with depth players on short term deals like they did with Chris Hogan, Chris Long and Shea McClellin last season, or Jabaal Sheard in 2015. But really, they’re just as likely to find contributors during training camp or in season like Rob Ninkovich, Kyle Van Noy, Akeem Ayers, etc. as they are at this time of year.

Still, the Pats have a ton of cap space this season, and while the priorities remain signing their own players like Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler and others first, the opportunity is definitely there in 2017 to make a splash in free agency and really improve the team.

Here are five players that I think are good fits and could be viable candidates to fill some of the holes the Patriots have.

[Read more…] about 5 Potential Free Agent Splashes for Patriots

What Do To With Danny Amendola

by

While Danny Amendola has made clutch play after clutch play for the Patriots in their past two runs to the Super Bowl, his time with New England might very well be up.

Currently, Amendola is due to make 6.5 million in 2017, and he ranks fourth out of all Patriots in terms of cap hit, counting 7.8 million against the cap. Trailing only Brady (14M), Nate Solder (11.2M), and Devin McCourty (10.9M), Amendola is scheduled to count more against the cap than fellow receivers Julian Edelman (5.8M) and Chris Hogan (3M), not to mention Rob Gronkowski (6.8M). Because of this, there is a 0% chance Amendola remains on the roster with his current contract, so the Patriots can choose to either restructure his contract or release him.

Amendola has restructured his contract the past two offseason’s, so it remains to be seen if he would be willing to take a pay cut for the third straight year. Following a first restructure in March of 2015 that took 2.3 million off his deal, Amendola made about 2.7 million for the 2015 season, and after another restructure in May of last year that cut his salary by 4.4 million, Amendola made just 1.5 million in 2016.

[Read more…] about What Do To With Danny Amendola

Pats Should Prioritize Extensions for Edelman and Solder

by

There’s been plenty of analysis about which free agents the Patriots should retain this offseason, but another major piece of the puzzle will be extending players to either balance out their cap hit and/or prevent them from hitting free agency next offseason. Two players that are prime for extensions are left tackle Nate Solder and Julian Edelman.

Solder bounced back from a biceps tear in 2015 to hold down Tom Brady‘s blindside for the Super Bowl run. He didn’t have his best game against Dwight Freeney in Houston, but that doesn’t take away from the stability that Solder brought this season.

Solder’s cap hit for 2017 is due to be over $11 million dollars, a number the Pats would love to get down. Solder’s had two contracts with the Patriots, his initial rookie deal and then a two-year extension he signed in 2015 that guaranteed him $20 million.

He’ll turn 29 this April, so Solder still has plenty of good football left in him. The Patriots have already agreed not to use the franchise tag on him in 2018, so now’s a good time to take a look at a deal that would make sense for both sides. With the rest of the starting offensive line locked up for at least the next two seasons (David Andrews is a RFA next offseason), another two year extension that spreads some of his cap hit out would make sense for Solder.

[Read more…] about Pats Should Prioritize Extensions for Edelman and Solder

Should Pats Ditch Shea McClellin?

by

Shea McClellin signed a three-year, $9 million contract last offseason, the biggest contract the Patriots awarded to an external free agent in 2016. He ended the season having played just 37 percent of the defensive snaps and 49 percent of the special teams snaps, logging 16 solo tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack.

That’s not great production for that much money and in 2017 McClellin is currently slotted to be the 10th highest-paid Patriot. The Pats could save $1.6 million in cap space if they were to cut McClellin. Should they when there’s already a lot of uncertainty with some key front seven players?

I have to admit, I was not a fan of McClellin’s early in the season. While we thought he’d play a sub linebacker role, he started out as more of an edge hybrid where he was ineffective. His athleticism was clear, but he lacked much “pop” to his game and just didn’t really do anything to stand out.

[Read more…] about Should Pats Ditch Shea McClellin?