An Independent Patriots Blog
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 SigningsHere’s yesterday’s live broadcast from I Love Boston Sports in the South Shore Plaza in which me and Fitzy discuss the departures of Trent Brown and Trey Flowers and so much more!
And just like that, they were gone.
I guess I forgot about how silly the “legal tampering period” is because the Monday mid-day news of the Patriots’ big fish signing elsewhere caught me a bit by surprise.
Trent Brown made it two years in a row that a Patriots free agent left tackle became the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL, signing with the Oakland Raiders.
Trey Flowers followed Matt Patricia and Danny Amendola to Detroit, as the ex-defensive coordinator and GM Bob Quinn continue to put a Patriots stamp on the Lions.
Neither departure was all that much of a surprise. With tons of money to spend, everyone
So what now for the Patriots?
[Read more…] about Goodbye Trey Flowers and Trent BrownThe Patriots appear to be trading for Michael Bennett, though no official word has come down since news of the trade broke on Friday.
Bennett is coming to New England from the Philadelphia Eagles, along with a 2020 seventh-round pick, in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick.
Boston.com
My first thought was being blown away by how immediately aggressive a team coming off their sixth Super Bowl was being. Yes, Trey Flowers is about to hit the market but grabbing Bennett cushioned any potential blow his departure might make.
Make no mistake, Bennett is at the end of the road and in no way should be considered a favorable replacement to the hitting-his-prime Flowers. But as we’ve seen, you can never have too many pass rushers and Belichick just couldn’t resist a manageable deal on one of the only pass rushers to give the Pats problems in Super Bowl 49.
[Read more…] about Patriots Already Aggressive in Nabbing Bennett(s?)With 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 Patriots