How should the Patriots use their cap $ in 2024 Free Agency?

[slash83]

Barmore extension, first and foremost.

 

[Big Bucks]

awwww look at you guys building free agent signings like it means something.. we got another decade of this self harm to go.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I completely agree. Based on whats available, fortify the defense through FA and build the offense through the draft.
Some guys id really like: DT Christian Wilkins, CB L'Jarius Sneed, S Antoine Winfield Jr, S Geno Stone

I agree. I would prefer B Burns at EDGE opposite Judon with 1 free safety versus signing 2 safeties. How do we sign 4 FAs? Don't sign Duggar or Onwenu. Our defense would be Top 3, maybe #1.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Our Edges have a chance to be really good too. If Judon comes back healthy and White develops that would be an absolutely dominate front. Plus Uche/Jennings if we bring them back.

I think Uche, Jennings, and Wilson Jr. are fairly cheap.

 

[Real fan 02]

Pats need to Re-Sign: Onwenu, Dugger, Jennings, Bourne.

Pats need to look at:
S - Xavier McKinney, Geno Stone, Julian Blackmon, Kamren Curl
CB - Jaylon Johnson, Keisean Nixon, L'Jarius Sneed, A'doree Jackon, Kendall Fuller
TE - Dalton Schultz, Drew Sample,
DT - Leonard Williams, Christian Wilkins
QB - ??
RB - Elliott, Z. Moss, Edmunds, Swift, Singletary,
WR - Not unless the Pats were 10000% sold that the Bears or Commanders were taking MHJ.

I Like it. For QB. Wilson or cousins should be looked at. All your really looking for is a bridge, while grooming the pick. Mac's gone and bailey's back on the PS. On defense I really like the guys we have.. they really played well last season. I would really like a FS and Williams or Wilkins. At WR Ridley or Pittman Jr. Higgins will be tagged.

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Pats need to Re-Sign: Onwenu, Dugger, Jennings, Bourne.

Pats need to look at:
S - Xavier McKinney, Geno Stone, Julian Blackmon, Kamren Curl
CB - Jaylon Johnson, Keisean Nixon, L'Jarius Sneed, A'doree Jackon, Kendall Fuller
TE - Dalton Schultz, Drew Sample,
DT - Leonard Williams, Christian Wilkins
QB - ??
RB - Elliott, Z. Moss, Edmunds, Swift, Singletary,
WR - Not unless the Pats were 10000% sold that the Bears or Commanders were taking MHJ.

Good list
I would add Michael Pittman at WR who is really reliable big target and still young which should help a hopefully qb drafted in the first rd
Maybe lB frankie luvu as well
Maybe trade for jack Conklin if the browns plan to start dawand jones

 

[Uptown]

 

[Uptown]

Winfield or McKinney would be ideal.

 

[mgteich]

I was just kicking around some ideas as far as the bargain bin goes while filling some holes. Below would equate to about 60M in cap space used, but these could mostly be structured to front load/backload. Not sure how I feel about going crazy signing big names to big money when we will suck. Don't want to sign this many players either just looking at people we could get while keeping a chunk of money.

​	Name​	Years​	Money​	cap hit​
QB​	Brisett​	2​	$16,000,000.00​	$8,000,000.00​
WR​	KB​	2​	$10,000,000.00​	$5,000,000.00​
TE​	Fant​	3​	$10,500,000.00​	$3,500,000.00​
TE​	P Brown​	1​	$2,500,000.00​	$2,500,000.00​
T/G​	Onwenu​	4​	$55,000,000.00​	$13,750,000.00​
T​	Brown​	1​	$6,000,000.00​	$6,000,000.00​
Edge​	Epenesa​	2​	$12,000,000.00​	$6,000,000.00​
LB​	Jennings​	3​	$10,500,000.00​	$3,500,000.00​
CB​	A. Austin​	1​	$985,000.00​	$985,000.00​
ILB​	M. Wilson​	3​	$8,000,000.00​	$2,666,666.00​
DT​	J. Jones​	3​	$21,000,000.00​	$7,000,000.00​
S​	Bledsoe​	1​	$915,000.00​	$915,000.00​

Almost all contracts will have signing bonuses, so without wanting to push too much money forward, the first year of a contract might be only half the AAV.

So, if we sign Onwenu to a 4 year $56M contract, the average would be $14M a year. Let us say his first year salary is $2M and his signing bonus is $20M. His first year cap hit would be $7M or half of the average annual contract value. Contracts can be made to be a smaller percentage by having fake years and void years, but half of the AAV seems to be an OK metric.

For example, we could add a 5th year with a $35M option bonus. This would be fine for Onwenu who would likely avoid the franchise tag, This would reduce the first year cap hit to $6M.

 

[50-yard-line]

Jennings is solid, and can't cost much.

Bourne will be cheap because if he takes 12 months to heal he will only be good for one month in'24 - I think it is bad taste to drop an injured player but we do not have to pay him a lot.

Uche was great in '22, but dipped in '23. If he was injured in '23 maybe we sign him for short dollars, he is very athletic, and no-one else will bid much for him.

I have already said the Duggar and Onwenu are great, not special, and Mapu and Sow can replace them so FA dollars are not efficient resigning someone who the replacement for is already in house.

Most posters want to resign and overpay our own guys. Happens every year.

One of the problems with the Patriots is that they either don't have guys worth re-signing or don't pay the ones they do (Thuney). Thse are the guys you need in the locker room.

Onwenu is seriously undervalued by many here. He's probably the top FA option for OL this year, since Brown is older nad has faced so many injuries.

Onwenu is 1a to me for signing. Dugger and Henry are 1b.
On the lower level, guys like Bourne, Jennings, Raegor, Austin, Bryant, Mills aren't going to break any banks. Uche is a funny case because he might get a blow-away offer elsewhere. These are guys you want to keep. They have plenty of cap to do all of this AND go get some top-end talent (there isn't much out there, at least on O!).

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

One of the problems with the Patriots is that they either don't have guys worth re-signing or don't pay the ones they do (Thuney). Thse are the guys you need in the locker room.

Onwenu is seriously undervalued by many here. He's probably the top FA option for OL this year, since Brown is older nad has faced so many injuries.

Onwenu is 1a to me for signing. Dugger and Henry are 1b.
On the lower level, guys like Bourne, Jennings, Raegor, Austin, Bryant, Mills aren't going to break any banks. Uche is a funny case because he might get a blow-away offer elsewhere. These are guys you want to keep. They have plenty of cap to do all of this AND go get some top-end talent (there isn't much out there, at least on O!).

In FA we want to plug holes, not upgrade a position. We need a FS. We need TEs. Those are holes. Duggar can be replaced by Mapu. Onwenu can be replaced by Sow. If Duggar is expensive then let him walk and use that money to plug a hole.

It can be argued that Onwenu plugs the RT hole, but I disagree. I think Onwenu is an average RT (not quick enough for speed rushers), and we should draft a great RT. Duggar might be a top FA at safety and Onwenu a top FA at guard, but we have good younger replacements for both players. We have so many holes, we need to plug the holes in FA. Free safety, tall press corner opposite Gonzo, Tight End 2x, 3rd down RB, EDGE opposite Judon, RB behind Rahm. Then concentrate on QB, WR, and Tackle in the draft.

We need to plug holes in FA and not emotionally sign our own guys. The locker room will be fine if we start winning.

 

[mgteich]

In FA we want to plug holes, not upgrade a position. We need a FS. We need TEs. Those are holes. Duggar can be replaced by Mapu. Onwenu can be replaced by Sow. If Duggar is expensive then let him walk and use that money to plug a hole.

It can be argued that Onwenu plugs the RT hole, but I disagree. I think Onwenu is an average RT (not quick enough for speed rushers), and we should draft a great RT. Duggar might be a top FA at safety and Onwenu a top FA at guard, but we have good younger replacements for both players. We have so many holes, we need to plug the holes in FA. Free safety, tall press corner opposite Gonzo, Tight End 2x, 3rd down RB, EDGE opposite Judon, RB behind Rahm. Then concentrate on QB, WR, and Tackle in the draft.

We need to plug holes in FA and not emotionally sign our own guys. The locker room will be fine if we start winning.

What is your plan with regard to securing the 4 OT's we need for the 53 man squad.

LT: For me, this is a hole.

RT: you say that we should draft a "great" RT. Perhaps that is possible in the late first or early 2nd, a fine strategy if we already have secured our starting LT, who presumably is more important (and harder to get than the RT.

Swing OT/backup OT: we need someone who can start if necessary at LT or RT. And, yes, this could be 2 different players; a backup LT (Critical position) cannot always be even an OK RT.

Developmental OT: I always want to have a 4th OT for the future. I expect this could be a low level free agent or a 4th or 5th round draft choice.
=================
MY BOTTOM LINE
We canNOT ignore the OT position in free agency. We need at least a starting LT (after which we still would need to draft 2-3 OT). Better is to sign at least 2 OT's in free agency. I'm fine with expecting to draft ONE OT that we will count on to start as a rookie. Drafting 2-3 tie us much of the draft, presuming that we want the flexibility to draft a QB at 3.

 

[50-yard-line]

In FA we want to plug holes, not upgrade a position. We need a FS. We need TEs. Those are holes. Duggar can be replaced by Mapu. Onwenu can be replaced by Sow. If Duggar is expensive then let him walk and use that money to plug a hole.

It can be argued that Onwenu plugs the RT hole, but I disagree. I think Onwenu is an average RT (not quick enough for speed rushers), and we should draft a great RT. Duggar might be a top FA at safety and Onwenu a top FA at guard, but we have good younger replacements for both players. We have so many holes, we need to plug the holes in FA. Free safety, tall press corner opposite Gonzo, Tight End 2x, 3rd down RB, EDGE opposite Judon, RB behind Rahm. Then concentrate on QB, WR, and Tackle in the draft.

We need to plug holes in FA and not emotionally sign our own guys. The locker room will be fine if we start winning.

It's not emotional. Onwenu is the second-highest rated OL in the FA period. Your opinion is just htat, but even if you're right, without him, RT is a hole. With him, it's not - and he's only going to improve there as his time has been mostly spent at guard.
Why in the world would you want to let a top OL you developed walk? The draft is a crapshoot, FA's hit sometimes and miss others (and there aren't any top FAs out there in a league desperate for OL, particularly OT talent.

 

[javajunky]

I want the Pats to get younger and to get them into long-term contracts. I would trade older veterans for picks and sign no one over 28 to no more than a minimum contract. Holes on the roster are secondary right now. We need to build the base.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

MY BOTTOM LINE
We canNOT ignore the OT position in free agency. We need at least a starting LT (after which we still would need to draft 2-3 OT). Better is to sign at least 2 OT's in free agency. I'm fine with expecting to draft ONE OT that we will count on to start as a rookie. Drafting 2-3 tie us much of the draft, presuming that we want the flexibility to draft a QB at 3.

There are no OTs in FA. Who do you suggest? Our backups are as good as any backups in FA. Anderson? Lowe? T Brown would be a great backup if he is cost effective - I doubt anyone will sign him at his age with his track record at the Raiders. Who do you want to sign in FA?

If we pay Onwenu top dollar we have a good RT at top dollar - not a great way to start a rebuild. It is important to remember that this is a rebuild, not a restructure to make another run. QB is R1, OT in R2 and R4?

Any way around it, fillig out the offensive line is going to take two years.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

It's not emotional. Onwenu is the second-highest rated OL in the FA period. Your opinion is just htat, but even if you're right, without him, RT is a hole. With him, it's not - and he's only going to improve there as his time has been mostly spent at guard.

Sure he will improve, but not a lot. Onwenu is a huge hulking man, he will never have quick feet (he should be a guard). Speed rushers will always give him fits. This is a rebuild that will take a few years, we should not panic in Y1 and pay top dollar to a mediocre RT. It will take two to three years to fix the OL, QB, and WR positions. Even if Onwenu is a top FA, that only tells you that there are no great options in FA.

Why in the world would you want to let a top OL you developed walk? The draft is a crapshoot, FA's hit sometimes and miss others (and there aren't any top FAs out there in a league desperate for OL, particularly OT talent.

Working with Sow is not a crap shoot. He was good in Y1, will only get better, and his measureables are great. Sow will be a great RG. No reason to pay Onwenu to be a RG when we have the replacement in-house. We should use out FA dollars where there is a greater need.

I agree that RT is a greater need, but disagree that Onwenu is the solution at top FA dollars. We need a LT and a RT. It might take a few years to plug both holes, and we can use T Brown or Anderson or another for a year while we rebuild to temporarily plug the RT hole if there is not a solution in the 2024 draft. In two years, during Y2 of the rebuild, if we have a young LT and RT locked up for 3 or 4 years at rookie dollars we will be in a much better position than paying top dollar for Onwenu. If Onwenu was a top tackle I would agree on signing him. We should sign top FAs with our FA dollars. There are a lot of better FAs than Onwenu.

 

[Real fan 02]

Jennings is solid, and can't cost much.

Bourne will be cheap because if he takes 12 months to heal he will only be good for one month in'24 - I think it is bad taste to drop an injured player but we do not have to pay him a lot.

Uche was great in '22, but dipped in '23. If he was injured in '23 maybe we sign him for short dollars, he is very athletic, and no-one else will bid much for him.

I have already said the Duggar and Onwenu are great, not special, and Mapu and Sow can replace them so FA dollars are not efficient resigning someone who the replacement for is already in house.

Most posters want to resign and overpay our own guys. Happens every year.

When a teams been bad, as we have been there projects some one to likely be seen as over paid. We need to identify guys we see as pillars going forward for the build-back. Owenu of course, Dugger will likely get paid somewhere else. Bills no longer here so KB returns, on a team friendly 3 year deal. Definitely agree Mapu is in play he came on strong l as te Last season. Uche, Jennings will be retained for short $$ IMO..

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

When a teams been bad, as we have been there projects some one to likely be seen as over paid. We need to identify guys we see as pillars going forward for the build-back. Owenu of course, Dugger will likely get paid somewhere else. Bills no longer here so KB returns, on a team friendly 3 year deal. Definitely agree Mapu is in play he came on strong l as te Last season. Uche, Jennings will be retained for short $$ IMO..

I do not agree on Onwenu. Onwenu is a great RG and an OK RT. Sow will be a great RG, so we do not need to pay Onwenu to play for RG. Same thing with Mapu and Duggar, Mapu replaces Duggar if Duggar is expensive in FA.

I do not think we should pay top dollar for Onwenu to play RT when he is a good, not great, RT. This is a rebuild, we are not going to the SB in 2024 so we can use the FA dollars somewhere else (to sign a great player) and draft a LT and RT.

 

[Real fan 02]

I do not agree on Onwenu. Onwenu is a great RG and an OK RT. Sow will be a great RG, so we do not need to pay Onwenu to play for RG. Same thing with Mapu and Duggar, Mapu replaces Duggar if Duggar is expensive in FA.

I do not think we should pay top dollar for Onwenu to play RT when he is a good, not great, RT. This is a rebuild, we are not going to the SB in 2024 so we can use the FA dollars somewhere else (to sign a great player) and draft a LT and RT.

Well I see your point, but it's whatever the market dictates for him. The resources need to be 90% dedicated to the offensive side of the ball starting with the QB, O line then skill positions in that order. We agree on mapu/Dugger.

 

[crownontherocks]