Free Agent Targets 2019

[luuked]

not since last year

The issue was, is, and will be, how long Brady can be effective.

The rest is almost the same each year. Go back and see where we were last year going into the offseason. We had key free agents, questions about vets and needs. This is always the case.

We are very well set with draft picks. We should add at one DT and one DE/OLB in the first two rounds. We have enough cap money; with a 2-3 restructures being available as always.

I agree and I am not saying we are in a dire situation.

But I think we can all agree that the backbone of the Patriots 2.0 (2010+) is slowly getting to the end of their run. So I think saying there is more uncertainty than in a long time is not hyperbolic. Add in the age of Brady and the uncertainty how the team plans to address his situation (go year-by-year ? tag ? give him the 2 yr extension to have a bit of flexibility ?) and this will be a pretty pivotal offseason.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I agree and I am not saying we are in a dire situation.

But I think we can all agree that the backbone of the Patriots 2.0 (2010+) is slowly getting to the end of their run. So I think saying there is more uncertainty than in a long time is not hyperbolic. Add in the age of Brady and the uncertainty how the team plans to address his situation (go year-by-year ? tag ? give him the 2 yr extension to have a bit of flexibility ?) and this will be a pretty pivotal offseason.

Next April may be our biggest draft since we rebuilt the defense with jones/Hightower. Gonna need to find similar success.

 

[maineman209]

Next April may be our biggest draft since we rebuilt the defense with jones/Hightower. Gonna need to find similar success.

One way or another the 2019 90-man off-season roster seems likely to be exciting.

 

[TomPatriot]

Gronk and/or Brady won’t be here next year. There are many others.

 

[JayNM]

D. McCourty is going to be cut or traded. That's my wild guess.

I am really interested in how we approach our DLine... most guys are plateaued rotational players*l at best and high-priced veterans here and there. All easily replaced in my opinion.

Except for Flowers obviously. Is it crazy to think they could pay the guy some decent $$ and draft around him, with some free agents leftovers here and there?

Anyway, I agree with the sentiment... 2019 is a big year.

Even more if you consider that whatever foundation we build is going to be the one who endures the post-brady era

 

[JarOfMayo51]

This will be the first offseason in a long time where it feels like anything could happen. The future could go any direction at this point.

I was totally against the idea back in training camp of a trading Gronk, but now I’m starting to see it as a very real possibility... if not a certainty

If they trade Gronk and restructure a few contracts like Mcourty and Allen, they should have a bit of cap room to work with

Trent Brown is an xfactor, he could make a huge splash in FA as well.. I could see the Patriots giving him a 2 year deal similar to Solder, but some desperate team could break the bank

 

[JarOfMayo51]

D. McCourty is going to be cut or traded. That's my wild guess.

Cutting him would be an epic blunder


I could see trading him or restructuring his deal, but there is no way they just flat out cut him.

He is a team captain, I think people forget that. OP has us cutting 3 of our team captains with no compensation in return and no viable backup plan, just to create cap space.

Well I’d like to know what we would do with all that cap space... because you aren’t finding a replacement for Hightower, McCourty or Gronk in free agency or the draft

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Okay, I'm going to "go there." Kareem Hunt is on a rookie contract.

 

[JayNM]

Cutting him would be an epic blunder


I could see trading him or restructuring his deal, but there is no way they just flat out cut him.

He is a team captain, I think people forget that. OP has us cutting 3 of our team captains with no compensation in return and no viable backup plan, just to create cap space.

Well I’d like to know what we would do with all that cap space... because you aren’t finding a replacement for Hightower, McCourty or Gronk in free agency or the draft

I didn't say that his contract could be reworked because I have the feeling he won't accept. Again, this is a bold hot take, so I completely understand u not agreeing.

The thing about McCourty is that I don't see him being irrepleaceble. Actually I think that Harmon can do his job serviceably for a lot less.

HT is a more obvious case... to me it's clear that he isn't at the same level of previous years, but at the same time I think he knows this and will be more open for a restructure.

I think Gronk comes back next year and then retires.

 

[mcmurtry86]

Cutting him would be an epic blunder


I could see trading him or restructuring his deal, but there is no way they just flat out cut him.

He is a team captain, I think people forget that. OP has us cutting 3 of our team captains with no compensation in return and no viable backup plan, just to create cap space.

Well I’d like to know what we would do with all that cap space... because you aren’t finding a replacement for Hightower, McCourty or Gronk in free agency or the draft

Belichick has a long history of cutting team leaders and well respected players

McCourty is still useful but clearly in decline and in no way worth his contract. Why would any team trade for the right to pay him huge money next year given his obvious decline?

If his cap number was 5-6M, he’d be a lock to stay. But it’s twice that and being a great teammate only goes so far when the team has many holes and no money to fill them

 

[luuked]

I didn't say that his contract could be reworked because I have the feeling he won't accept. Again, this is a bold hot take, so I completely understand u not agreeing.

The thing about McCourty is that I don't see him being irrepleaceble. Actually I think that Harmon can do his job serviceably for a lot less.

HT is a more obvious case... to me it's clear that he isn't at the same level of previous years, but at the same time I think he knows this and will be more open for a restructure.

I think Gronk comes back next year and then retires.

I think there is a substantially bigger chance DMac is on our roster when OTAs start than Gronk.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Belichick has a long history of cutting team leaders and well respected players

McCourty is still useful but clearly in decline and in no way worth his contract. Why would any team trade for the right to pay him huge money next year given his obvious decline?

If his cap number was 5-6M, he’d be a lock to stay. But it’s twice that and being a great teammate only goes so far when the team has many holes and no money to fill them

I don’t see him in decline as clearly as you do I guess. In what way is he declining? What metric is being used to make that assessment?

It’s clearly not a decline from age or physical ability, because he’s still one of the fastest players in the league

I also think his role in the defense helps others like Harmon out.. if you remove dmac, I don’t think Harmon can just come in and fill that role without missing a beat.

As someone else just posted in a new thread, we basically have 5 DBs on the field at all times, so having 3 good safeties is important

 

[chasa]

Okay, I'm going to "go there." Kareem Hunt is on a rookie contract.

So is Sony Michele, and Sony doesn't have the domestic abuse baggage. And Hunt contract just got voided so whoever signs him is signing him at market value, not rookie contract.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

So is Sony Michele, and Sony doesn't have the domestic abuse baggage. And Hunt contract just got voided so whoever signs him is signing him at market value, not rookie contract.

So we sign him cheap for late season depth. The Patriots organization is like "Boy's Town" and Belichick is Father Flanagan.

 

[maineman209]

Cutting him would be an epic blunder


I could see trading him or restructuring his deal, but there is no way they just flat out cut him.

He is a team captain, I think people forget that. OP has us cutting 3 of our team captains with no compensation in return and no viable backup plan, just to create cap space.

Well I’d like to know what we would do with all that cap space... because you aren’t finding a replacement for Hightower, McCourty or Gronk in free agency or the draft

My guess is that DMac takes a 2-yr extension that lowers his 2019 cap hit while increasing his guaranteed money a bit. JMac might even get a new 2-year deal.

I think maybe Gronk retires for health reasons.

HT might agree to a restructure that shifts salary to performance bonuses, or he might get traded during Camp if the Pats can come up with a couple more Bentley types.

 

[JayNM]

I think there is a substantially bigger chance DMac is on our roster when OTAs start than Gronk.

I mean, I 100% think this is logical. But we disagree fundamentally in 2 points:

1 - I think you (and others) are misreading the value of Gronk's contract. First, it's only 12M this year with incentives, which probably wont be met- At this year's pace he will only meet the playing time incentive. (Agent: Gronk can earn $4.3M in incentives in '18) - So his contract, this year, is 9.1 M (most likely)

Now consider the TE's market. At 9,1, he would be the 4th highest TE. Considering that This was the first year where players surpassed him (at least in base), it logical to assume that the market will keep on rising, since it's been re-set. (Jimmy Graham is the highest paid TE... and he is not hallmark player)

So, do I think Gronk's production is easily and cheapily repleaceble from whoever i might get, in this inflationated market? The answer to me is no. Even if he is slower for good (and missing time this season too), Gronk still has the 9th most yards and how he is still a tremendous blocker (much better than Allen, IMO, who is held in high regards here). Plus, he is treath to every DC's head in the league, opening pieces all around and, finally, knowing the playbook, something that we know it is not easy (And TEs have the hardest responsabilites, at least i remember reading this somewhere)

2 - I am being bold (AKA stupid) for D. McCourty

Yeah, that's just it. I simply have a feeling that he will get traded, because his production (not skillset) can be replaced cheaply

 

[TheRainMaker]

Okay, I'm going to "go there." Kareem Hunt is on a rookie contract.

Do you remember Mike Gillislie? Hunt would do similar what Gillislie did here. There’s a reason he was not regarded as a high draft prospect. He’s needs a lot of creative formations and a threat of mobile QB to be effective. He has not proven he can run in a tight formation or straight up like Sony has already shown.

 

[RobertWeathers]

So we sign him cheap for late season depth. The Patriots organization is like "Boy's Town" and Belichick is Father Flanagan.

Careful about anything that has to do with "Father" and "Boys" in these parts....

 

[TBR]

Gronk and/or Brady won’t be here next year. There are many others.

If they win the Super Bowl - maybe Gronk will retire. Perhaps Brady, but less likely IMO.

 

[TheRainMaker]

If they win the Super Bowl - maybe Gronk will retire. Perhaps Brady, but less likely IMO.

I’ve said in the off-season and it’s looks even more likely now. If Brady wins, he’ll retire.