PatsPropaganda

Very valid points and I think the 5th year option certainly does count for something. Look, I’d prefer they use the pick, but I just think that given the draft’s current set up, with the Pats having the last pick of the first day, it will an extremely in-demand slot. If a team is willing to overpay for it, the Pats seem to always want to jump on that kind of value.

Great notes from Chris Price this weekend, with this notable list of remaining free agents would could fit., I’d take Connolly and Wisniewski, and add maybe Dane Fletcher to the list if not McCarthy:

• a) Colin McCarthy: The Patriots kicked the tires on the linebacker this spring, and apparently expressed real interest in signing the 25-year-old, a 6-foot-4, 235-pounder who played the last four years of his career with the Titans.
• b) Stefan Wisniewski: A veteran who is likely in the same holding pattern as McCarthy — he also visited Foxboro earlier this spring — the 26-year-old offensive lineman who has played both guard and center the last four years with the Raiders would provide some much needed depth at the position for New England. 
•  c) Reggie Wayne: We’ve been proponents of the idea of at least kicking the tires on Wayne for a long time now, and he could be an intriguing post-May 12 addition. The 36-year-old recently made it clear that he’d like to play one more year, and if he doesn’t get a chance to reunite with his old pal Peyton Manning in Denver, the veteran pass catcher would make an interesting addition for Belichick, who has always praised his work. 
•  d) Red Bryant: The 6-foot-5, 328-pound defensive lineman came close to signing with the Patriots when he was a free agent in 2012, but ended up with the Seahawks. The 30-year-old is not the elite-level defender he once was, but he’s durable (he’s played in 63 of a possible 64 regular-season games over the last four years) and is considered an excellent locker room presence.