Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is fast approaching, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. The Super Bowl XLIX winning New England Patriots are next on the board.
It didn’t look like it was going to happen at times during the regular season, but in the end the Pats finished atop the NFL once more. Riding Tom Brady’s leadership on offense and Bill Belichick’s masterful coaching (and possibly Pete Carroll’s now infamous play call), they figured out a way to get it done. Though going a full decade without a championship, the victory in Glendale was the franchise’s fourth in the Brady/Belichick era and a stark reminder that the Patriots dynasty remains alive.
The euphoria in the Boston area surrounding the Pats Super Bowl triumph has been tempered of late due to the epic snowfall that has engulfed the region recently. Wicked weather aside (with my best Boston accent), questions also remain as to whether New England can keep some key pieces from this championship run together. Of particular interest in this regard is where they stand with respect to that all-important thing known as the salary cap.
Salary Cap Situation
The Pats are one of six teams currently over the cap heading into 2015. Though it is expected to increase $7 million to $140 million, New England’s effective salary cap stands at around $146.442 million. Their current spending for 2015 comes slightly above that number and combined with around $4.6 million in dead money associated with dealing Logan Mankins to Tampa Bay last season, they find themselves around $4.9 million above their cap number.
Darrelle Revis is interesting when discussing the Patriots’ situation from a salary cap standpoint. Could “Revis Island” 2015 become associated more with the defensive back becoming a cap casualty than with his ability to shut down opposing wide receivers? His cap number is a gargantuan $25 million and he’s due a $12.5 million roster bonus if he’s still with the team when free agency signing begins. Even though they’d incur $5 million in dead money if they cut him before June 1st, they’d still realize $20 million in savings which would improve their cap outlook immensely.
2015 NFL Draft Picks
Obviously, New England will be picking last in each of the first three rounds on account of you know what. What remains unknown are the rounds they’ll be able to make their two compensatory picks. The NFL awards these selections when teams lose higher value free agents than they sign in a given year.
The two players in question for the Pats are defensive back Aqib Talib who ended up in Denver and middle linebacker Dane Fletcher who signed with Tampa Bay. Most projections have New England getting a third-round pick from the league for losing Talib and a seventh-rounder for Fletcher.
In total, the Patriots are expected to end up with ten picks in this year’s draft. They received a fourth-round selection in the Logan Mankins deal and also received a sixth-round pick in a move that saw them acquire linebacker Jonathan Casillas from the Buccaneers.
New England Patriots Top 3 Offseason Needs
Wide Receiver
The Pats have been dead set at the slot for some time now with Wes Welker before and now Julian Edelman. Tight end isn’t that much of a question mark either with Rob Gronkowski a bona fide Pro Bowler there. What this team has been missing though is that deep ball threat Seattle employed at times to nearly squash their title dreams. Brandon LaFell sort of emerged as a feature receiver in his first year at Foxborough but neither him nor Edelman eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark during the 2014 regular season. Of course, Gronk had a a little something to do with that.
I know Brady has begun to rely on this “dink and dunk” game as he gets older and his arm strength declines, but if him and the Pats brass are looking for high yards per completion guys through free agency, this year might be the time to do it. Of particular interest in terms of talent at potentially excellent value might be a Torrey Smith from the Ravens. Smith finished in the top ten in yards per catch last year while also grabbing 11 touchdowns.
Though not expected to be as loaded with game changing talent as last year, the 2015 draft class at the position should contain some diamonds in the rough. Ohio State’s Devin Smith, who showed his ability to come up with the ball on many big time occasions, is projecting as late second round right now and could be there when New England picks last in round two. If they decide to try and mine someone out of the later rounds, players such as Central Michigan’s Titus Davis, who was an NFL prospect last year and decided to stay in school, could be an option.
Defensive Tackle
Vince Wilfork has been a mainstay of the Patriots interior defensive line for over a decade now and is set to enter his 12th season in the league. It may be time to add depth at this position to prepare for a day without the imposing defensive tackle out of Miami.
The free agency market is extremely attractive this year with Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh the most prominent of the bunch. Given their cap situation I don’t expect the Pats to pursue him, but his current teammate Nick Fairley will also be on the market. Though he’ll probably be looking for a significant raise from his initial rookie contract and may even get franchised by the Lions, he would be a welcome addition if New England can figure out a way to create enough cap room.
A more cost effective option might be to pursue a player at this position in the draft. Another Ohio State star, Michael Bennett, demonstrated his ability as a pass rusher and run-game neutralizer during the Buckeyes’ own championship run and is expected to go late first to early second round. The Patriots could be in a position to take him with that final pick in the first round.
Secondary
If the Patriots decide to cut ties with Revis and are also unable to re-sign safety Devin McCourty, set to become an unrestricted free agent, this has the potential to become a significant need. It also could become an opportunity. There are a plethora of talented players at this position set to become free agents and also represent great value for a team needing to get under the cap.
Both Rahim Moore and Quintin Demps had stellar seasons for the Broncos and Giants respectively and New England could get an upgrade without having to commit too much money. There’s also Tashaun Gipson of Cleveland who finished second in the league in interceptions. Gipson’s a restricted free agent that will likely get lucrative tender from the Browns, meaning the Patriots might need to fork over a high round draft pick if they were to acquire him.
Draft wise, the Patriots could take a look at addressing the position in the middle to late rounds. I made mention that they’re expected to get two compensatory picks, including one that could possibly give them an extra pick in the third round. Players such as Ole Miss’ Cody Prewitt or Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond, both of whom had standout years in 2014, could be available there.
Be sure to have a look at our other articles showcasing each NFL team’s three most pressing needs.
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