Available Free Agents the Patriots Could Still Sign

It’s clear the Patriots did not have the type of successful year in 2020 that they are known for having. Struggles on both sides of the ball went on all season long, with little improvements made throughout. But the organization dominated free agency earlier this year, bringing in top names to help ensure the 2021 season doesn’t end the same.

Although it appears the team will be much improved this year, it’s difficult to predict how successful they’ll be in late June. But even if it all looks good on paper, there’s always room to bring in more key players, especially those of which that are experienced and known for their talent. With most of the biggest names of free agency already being signed, there are still some interesting prospects for the Patriots to look into if they so choose.

Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell – running back

Going into the 2021 season, the Patriots have a stacked room of running backs. With the emergence of Damien Harris in his second year, as well as drafting the said-to-be second coming of Legarrette Blount in Rhamondre Stevenson this last draft, the team is well set up with young talent for a handful of years.

New England opted to not re-sign Rex Burkhead as he went to free agency this year, losing one of their longest-tenured RBs of the last several seasons. Burkhead was on pace for the best performance of his career in 2020 before going down with an ACL tear last November. They did, however, bring back James White on a one-year contract, leaving them with one reliable pass-catching back.

Although White did not have his most productive year, (missing some time due to mourning the death of his father) he was still able to make an impact as a receiver when on the field. Coming into the 2021 season leaves a lot of that type of production solely on his shoulders, as fellow RBs Damien Harris and Sony Michel are more traditional running backs, predominately used best in the run game.

But the Patriots do have some options to bring in some veteran talent if they feel it’s needed. Once known as a few names at the top of their position, Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell hit free agency this year. And as of this writing, remain unsigned.

Gurley is coming into his 7^th year in the league, spending last season with the Atlanta Falcons. Dealing with a knee injury for most of the year, he did not have his usual Pro Bowl caliber year. At the end of the 2020 season, Gurley played in 15 games with 195 rushes for 678 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also had 25/35 receptions for 164 yards.

Le’Veon Bell also had an atypical year. Starting the season for the Jets and eventually signing with the Chiefs, Bell played 11 games with 82 rushes for 328 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 16/20 receptions for 138 yards. Certainly not the most impressive for a once 1,000+ yard running back, but his dynamic style of play is difficult to look passed.

Both Gurley and Bell have the potential to help boost the Patriots’ backfield. With Harris and Michel mostly sticking to the ground, either of the free agents could add more depth to the roster and be the top target in receptions by RBs in coordination with James White.

If Cam Newton is presumed to be the starting QB come September, it’s fair to believe there will be a lot of running the football again this season. But having multi-faceted running backs at the helm would make the offense less predictable while also giving Newton the ability to have more options from play-to-play.

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Richard Sherman –cornerback

The Patriots have arguably one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and atop of that list is Stephon Gilmore. J.C. Jackson is not far behind, but the young up-and-comer hasn’t proven just quite yet to be at a CB1 status.

The future of Gilmore in New England remains unclear, although a few reports recently have suggested the team and the former DPOY may be closer to working something out with his contract soon. But because of this uncertainty, it leaves a big hole that the Patriots may need to explore their options to fill.

Losing Patrick Chung to retirement earlier this year opened the door for the team to sign a versatile player in Jalen Mills. Because he can play all positions in the secondary, it’s possible the Patriots could use him to make up for the absence of Gilmore. But because of his versatility, keeping Mills in one spot on the field seems unlikely.

If New England is looking for a proven CB1 to sign, if they intend on not working with Gilmore for a new contract extension, Richard Sherman is a good name to look at. Although the 33-year-old is coming off a season mostly spent on IR due to a calf injury, he is only one year removed from his 5^th Pro Bowl selection as well as another season spent going to the Super Bowl.

Playing in just 5 games in 2020, Sherman had 1 interception and 18 tackles. Nothing to get excited over, but his 2019 season was more on par with his usual production. In 15 games, he totaled 3 interceptions returned for 65 yards and a touchdown, and 61 total tackles.

Because Gilmore’s future with the team is in question, and it was reported recently in an interview with Sherman that the Patriots almost drafted him in 2011, signing the corner this offseason wouldn’t be a bad idea. If the Patriots don’t bring back Gilmore, signing Sherman would most likely be a short-term deal due to age and injury. But the talent he would bring and the probable great pairing with J.C. Jackson has the potential to be a force to not be reckoned with.

Justin Houston & Olivier Vernon – defensive end

New England’s defense has been the more successful side of the ball for a few seasons now. But 2020 was not a good showing for them and it’ll be memorable because of that.

Throughout the entirety of the season, the defense struggled to stop the run. Allowing 2,103 rush yards by opponents, including 250 yards by Miami in week 15, and 17 rushing touchdowns, it was easy for teams to make big plays on the ground. Not only could they not set the edge or block up the middle, but the Patriots’ pass rushers also rarely got their hands on the quarterback. Totaling only 24 sacks on the year ranked them 27^th in the league, with Chase Winovich leading the defense with 5.5 sacks himself.

The 2020 season was unique for the entire league, but the Patriots seemed to be affected more so than others. The absence of veteran players was consistently felt, with Dont’a Hightower opting out of the year and losing Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy in free agency. This put a lot of pressure and expectation of production on the shoulders of Chase Winovich, Ja’Whaun Bentley and rookie Josh Uche.

It’s possible that can be a legitimate reason for the lack of success all year, especially when the last two seasons demonstrate a vast difference in performance defensively. In 2019, New England totaled 41 sacks, allowed 1,528 total rush yards and only 7 rushing touchdowns. Collins led the team with 7 sacks and 3 INT, while Van Noy totaled 15 QB hits and a touchdown. With their presence missing from the field, the team’s success took a big hit they were unable to recover from.

Coming into 2021, Bill Belichick took advantage of the cap space available to the team and signed incredible talent to bolster the Patriots’ defense. The addition of Matthew Judon and returns of Hightower and Van Noy are sure to be beneficial.  However, there are still a few top name free agents left unsigned that have the potential to bring in some much-needed performance that the team has been missing

One name to keep an eye on is Justin Houston. In the 10^th season of his career, Houston played in 16 games for the Indianapolis Colts accumulating 8 sacks, 12 QB hits, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. On top of all that, he also scored 2 safeties. Having this type of production on your team would obviously elevate your defense, but his presence on the Patriots would bring more than meets the eye.

New England has one of the oldest teams in the league in general, but more specifically on defense. Because most of their offseason signings are that of veterans in the league rather than drafting, there are not many players developing in the system from the time of being a rookie. But with guys like Winovich and Uche already on the roster, and rookies Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins joining the team this year, things appear to be changing. Signing Houston would bring in that veteran experience and leadership this defense needs, and the incredible play he would bring is just icing on the cake.

Another name to look at is Olivier Vernon. A possible underrated name to be discussed, Vernon played in 14 games for the Browns in 2020, totaling 9 sacks and 16 QB hits. Because the Patriots struggled massively in this area last year, his addition to the team would make opposing quarterback’s jobs much more difficult. Like Houston, he also had 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery, while also scoring a safety.

Because the offense was in shambles last season, the defense had to be at its near-best at all times. On paper, it appears the additions the team made in free agency will drastically improve the production offensively. But if that ends up not being the case, bringing in a guy like Vernon on top of the other new signings/returns would be instrumental in this team’s success.

Fortunately for the Patriots, they made the right moves in the offseason to improve the weaknesses from last year. There are not many positions that are in dire need of upgrading as it stands right now, so these free agents are not desperately needed as much as they have been previously. But it’s never a bad idea to have too much talent on your team, than not enough. And all the names listed here would simply put the team over the top and back to the nearly untouchable team New England fans are used to.