{"id":130848,"date":"2022-03-08T10:45:24","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T15:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=130848"},"modified":"2022-03-08T06:54:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T11:54:37","slug":"new-england-patriots-free-agency-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/03\/08\/new-england-patriots-free-agency-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots Free Agency Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Free Agency is right around the corner, and the New England Patriots should be active once the league year officially begins. While they don\u2019t have the same money they had at this point last year, the team currently has over $9.5 million in cap space and still has a <\/span>multitude of ways to increase that number<\/span><\/a> if they want to.<\/span><\/p>\n

What the New England Patriots Should Do In Free Agency<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Step1: Re-sign JC Jackson<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The NFL is a passing league, and teams should be building their defenses around stopping the pass. Cornerback is one of the most important positions in football, but it\u2019s especially important in New England\u2019s man-heavy scheme. The Patriots play man coverage as much as anyone in the league, and there aren\u2019t many cornerbacks capable of lining up opposite an opposing WR1 and locking them down all game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JC Jackson is one of those cornerbacks. After spending the first three years of his career opposite Stephon Gilmore, the former undrafted free agent proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a legitimate top-10 cornerback. The Maryland product has an innate nose for the ball, doesn\u2019t give up too many big plays, and is entering his age-27 season. He should have plenty of good football left in his tank and be well worth whatever money he makes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the salary cap rising, there is a very real chance that Jackson receives a Jalen Ramsey type of contract. While a big number like that could scare away some fans, it\u2019s important to remember that this deal could easily be structured such that Jackson\u2019s immediate cap hit does not financially burden the team. As demonstrated in this piece<\/a>, the Patriots could structure Jackson\u2019s contract such that the big cap numbers only occur when the salary cap is inflated beyond the current mark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[pickup_prop id=”17439″]<\/p>\n

Step 2: Get A Wide Receiver<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Jackson will help solidify the pass defense, but the Patriots need more offensive ammunition if they want to keep up with the rest of the AFC. Mac Jones had an impressive rookie season, but he is obviously not on the same level as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow, at least at this point in his career. If the Patriots want to close the gap in talent between Jones and the aforementioned young gunslingers, then they\u2019ll need to get Jones some more impressive offensive weapons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than likely, Amari Cooper will be the best option on the open market. However, the Patriots simply don\u2019t have the money to sign Jackson and Cooper, so New England might need to go bargain shopping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots love to buy low on veterans coming off down years, and Allen Robinson fits that description to a tee. The former second-round pick had a season to forget in 2021, but he was one of the NFL\u2019s better receivers as recently as 2020. If the market is down on him, the Patriots could easily sign him<\/a> to a one-year, prove it type of contract.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, New England could go after a good-but-not-great receiver like Will Fuller. Fuller is coming off an injury-plagued season but is one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league when healthy. Assuming he\u2019s good to go, he\u2019d be a major upgrade on Nelson Agholor. The Patriots reportedly had interest in A.J. Green last year, and his lone season with the Cardinals proved he can still be a fine third or fourth option in the passing game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Deshaun Watson to Will Fuller for the wild TD \ud83e\udd2f\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/rwzFWnA4b4<\/a><\/p>\n

— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) November 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n