2018 FA . NE Day 4: recap // UPDATED

Updated - 17.3.


*age at the start of the season

Players signed:
DT Shelton, 25* -- trade -- 2018 + option 2019 (by May 3rd) -- 2M cap hit
CB J.McCourty, 31 -- trade -- 2018 -- 3M cap hit
DE Clayborn, 30 -- UFA -- 2019 -- ? — 6-rd comp pick cancellation
RB Hill, 26 -- UFA -- ? -- ?
OL Tobin, 28 -- UFA -- 2018 -- ?

Re-signed:
RB Burkhead, 28 -- 3y/10M -- 2020 -- 2.3M cap hit
ST (S) Ebner, 29 -- 2y/4.8M -- 2019 -- 2.0M cap hit
ST (LB) King, 25 -- 2y/2.6M -- 2019 -- 1.2M cap hit
ST/RB Bolden, 28 -- 1y/880K -- 2018 -- 0.9M cap hit
WR Britt, 30 -- picked up 2018 option -- 1y/1.5M -- 1.5M cap hit

Extended:
S Chung, 31

UFA lost:
OT Solder — signed w NYG - 4y/62M (35 gtd) — 3-rd comp pick
CB Butler — signed w TEN - 5y/61M (30M gtd) — 3-rd comp pick
RB Lewis — signed w TEN - 4y/20-23M (11.5M gtd) — 6-rd comp pick
WR Amendola — signed w MIA — 2y/12M (8.5 gtd) — 6-rd comp pick
CB/ST Bademosi -- signed w HOU -- 2y/6.25M -- 6/7-rd comp pick

Players released:
TE Bennett — cut
DT Branch — not picked up 2018 option
LB Harris — retired
WR/R Reedy — cut
DE Kidder — cut

NE UFA remaining:
OT Waddle
OT Fleming
LB/ST M.Flowers
ED Harrison
ST/WR Slater

__________________

68 players signed - 22 to go
?M cap space remaining*

*5-10M usually left for Draft (app. 2M), in-season signings, bonuses etc.

2018 Draft picks gained: 5th round #159 (from CLE), 7th round #219 (from CLE)
2018 Draft picks lost: 6th round #205 (to (CLE)
2019 Draft projected picks gained (4 max per team): 2 x 3.-rd
2019 Draft picks lost: 3rd round
__________________

possible cap space increase/flexibility:

possible cap saving restructures (if needed):
QB Brady (22M), S McCourty (12M), TE Gronkowski (11M), TE Allen (5M)

possible cuts:
LB McClellin (2.3M saving), Gillislee (2.2M saving) + some others but for minimal gain

.

Players rumoured to have Pats interest:

DE Clayborn, ATL (rumoured asking price 8M/apy)

Pats are clearly looking to add veteran DE (were in the mix for Bennett & Murphy)


Some links to possible UFA / SFA* acquisitions (*Street Free Agents don't count against cap):

Day 1 in the books: What's left for the Patriots in free agency?
Patriots free agency tracker: Rumors, news, signings, instant analysis


If you are looking for big name/money signings (not impossible) look at SFA or trade.
Pats will want to keep the 2 3rd round comp picks (for Solder and M.Butler).

And before Bill and Nick start to do their magic . once again some wise words from Louis Riddick on Pats roster building..

*spoiler: not for fans who like to worry

Just FYI..

For now Dola is exactly on the edge between 5th and 6th round comp pick. And still projected to be a fifth. Thats because the salary rank cutoff between those two picks is 270. Right now Dolas 6m APY are rank 261.

Compensatory Draft Picks Cancellation Chart | Over the Cap

So 9 more FAs with salaries higher than Dola and he will drop under that line.

long distance said:

Before Day 2 starts let's have a recap of NE FA so far:


Players signed:
DT Shelton, 25* -- 2018 + option 2019 (by May 3rd) -- 2M cap hit

*age at the start of the season

Re-signed:
RB Burkhead, 28 -- 3y/? -- 2020
ST (S) Ebner, 29 -- 2y/5M* -- 2019 -- 2.2M cap hit
ST (LB) King, 25 -- 2y/2.6M -- 2019 -- 1.2M cap hit
ST/RB Bolden, 28 -- 1y/880K
WR Britt, 30 -- picked up 2018 option -- 1y/1.5M -- 1.5M cap hit

*contract from Spotrac; not seen reported; Miguel includes similar cap hit

UFA lost:
OT Solder — signed w NYG - 4y/62M (35 gtd) — 3-rd comp pick
CB Butler — signed w TEN - 5y/61M (30M gtd) — 3-rd comp pick
RB 33Lewis — signed w TEN - 4y/20-23M (11.5M gtd) — 6-rd comp pick
WR Amendola — signing w MIA — 2y/12M (8.5 gtd) — 6-rd comp pick

Players released:
TE Bennett — cut
DT Branch — not picked up 2018 option
DL RJF — cut
LB Harris — retired
WR/R Reedy — cut
DE Kidder — cut

NE UFA remaining:
OT Waddle
OT Fleming
LB/ST M.Flowers
CB/ST Bademosi
ED Harrison
ST/WR Slater

__________________

64 players signed
20M cap space remaining* . (not including Burkhead)

*5-10M usually left for Draft (>2M), in-season signings, bonuses etc.

2018 Draft picks gained: 5th round #159 (from CLE)
2019 Draft projected picks gained (4 max per team): 2 x 3.-rd + 2 x 6.-rd
2019 Draft picks lost: 3rd round
__________________

possible cap space increase/flexibility:

possible cap saving restructures (if needed):
QB Brady (22M), S McCourty (12M), TE Gronkowski (11M), TE Allen (5M)

possible cuts:
LB McClellin (2.3M saving), Gillislee (2.2M saving) + some others but for minimal gain

Click to expand...

Nitpicking:

Players released:
DL RJF — cut - He wasn't cut.

possible cap space increase/flexibility:
Add Ryan Allen and Gostkowski ...

current roster structure
$ - 2018 cap hit in M$
* - ST value
age - at the start of the 2018 season
___________________


QB - 12Brady (41, 2019, $22), 2Hoyer (33, 2019, $0.9)


RB - 34Burkhead* (28, 2020, ?), 28White (26, 2020, $2.4), 35Gillislee (27, 2018, $2.2), 38Bolden* (28, 2018, $0.9)
FB - 46Develin* (30, 2018, $1.5)


WR - 11Edelman* (32, 2019, $4.2), 14Cooks (24, 2018, $8.5), 15Hogan* (29, 2018, $3.3), 19Mitchell (25, 2019; $0.7) 9/7; 13Dorsett* (24, 2018+1, $1.5), 85Britt (30, 2018, $1.5), 81C.Hollister* (25, futures), 84McCarron* (slot,PR; 25, futures)


TE - 87R Gronkowski (29, 2019, $11), 83Allen* (28, 2019, $5), 47J.Hollister* (24, 2019, $0.5), 82Tye (27, futures)


OL - 62Thuney (OL, 25, 2019, $0.9), 60Andrews (C, 26, 2020, $1.6), 69Mason (IOL, 25, 2018; $2), 61Cannon (T, 30, 2021; $5.8), 75Karras (IOL, 25, 2019, $0.5), 74Croston (G/T, 24, 2019, $0.5), 63Garcia (T, 24, 2020, $0.7), 76Jelks (T, 25, 2019, $0.5), 66Farris (G, 26, 2018, $0.5), 72J.King (G, 25, futures), 64Ferentz (C, 29, futures)



DL - 90Brown (24, 2018, $2.4), Shelton (25, 2019*, $2), 93Guy (28, 2020, $3.6), 99Valentine (24, 2019, $0.7), 70A.Butler (24, 2019, $0.5), 98Flowers (25, 2018, $2), 91Wise* (24, 2020, $0.6), 95Rivers* (24, 2020, $0.7), 55Lee* (24, 2018, $0.6), 96Grissom* (25, 2018, $0.7), 51K.Davis (24, 2019, $0.5)


LB - 54Hightower (28, 2020, $8.5), 53Van Noy* (27, 2019, $3.6), 52E Roberts* (24, 2019; $0.6), 58McClellin* (29, 2018, $3.2/0.8sb;0.2wo), 48Langi* (26, 2019, $0.5),


S - 32McCourty* (31, 2019, $12), 23Chung* (31, 2018, $3.8), 30Harmon (27, 2020, $3.8), 37Richards* (25, 2018, $1.2), S 39Travis* (24, futures), 26D.Jones* (25, futures)


CB - 24Gilmore (28, 2021, $12.5), 25Rowe* (25, 2018; $1.1), 31J Jones* (24, 2018; $0.6), 41Cy Jones* (25, 2019; $0.9), 27R.Lewis* (CB/FS/ST; 24, futures), 22Wiltz* (24, futures)


ST - 3Gostkowski (34, 2018, $5), 6Allen (28, 2018, $2), 49Cardona (26, 2018; $0.7), 50Grigsby* (LB, 26, 2018, $0.6), 36King* (LB, 25, 2019, $1.2), 43Ebner* (S, 29, 2019,? )

how is danny shelton a part of free agency?

luuked said:

Just FYI..

For now Dola is exactly on the edge between 5th and 6th round comp pick. And still projected to be a fifth. Thats because the salary rank cutoff between those two picks is 270. Right now Dolas 6m APY are rank 261.

Compensatory Draft Picks Cancellation Chart | Over the Cap

So 9 more FAs with salaries higher than Dola and he will drop under that line.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

Im taking “realistic“ approach here since it is very likely he will fall. You saw the contracts flying around these days. OL market is crazy. I wouldn't be surprised anymore if both Waddle and Fleming surpass Dola..

some OL contracts so far:
OT Solder — signed w NYG - 4y/62M (35 gtd)
OT Hubbard, PIT — signed w CLE - 5y/37.5M (18M gtd)
OT Smith, CIN — signed w ARI - 2y 8-10M
G Kline, TEN — re-signed w TEN - 4y/26M (12 gtd)
C Richburg, NYG — 5y/47.5M (28 gtd)


One expects Pats bring one of them back . hopefully not on a contract higher than Cannon..

Here the missing Ebner deal:

TommyBrady12 said:

how is danny shelton a part of free agency?

Click to expand...

Acquired during the free agency stage of the 2018 roster-building process - in lieu of signing a UFA or SFA.

long distance said:

current roster structure
$ - 2018 cap hit in M$
* - ST value
age - at the start of the 2018 season
___________________


QB - 12Brady (41, 2019, $22), 2Hoyer (33, 2019, $0.9)


RB - 34Burkhead* (28, 2020, ?), 28White (26, 2020, $2.4), 35Gillislee (27, 2018, $2.2), 38Bolden* (28, 2018, $0.9)
FB - 46Develin* (30, 2018, $1.5)


WR - 11Edelman* (32, 2019, $4.2), 14Cooks (24, 2018, $8.5), 15Hogan* (29, 2018, $3.3), 19Mitchell (25, 2019; $0.7) 9/7; 13Dorsett* (24, 2018+1, $1.5), 85Britt (30, 2018, $1.5), 81C.Hollister* (25, futures), 84McCarron* (slot,PR; 25, futures)


TE - 87R Gronkowski (29, 2019, $11), 83Allen* (28, 2019, $5), 47J.Hollister* (24, 2019, $0.5), 82Tye (27, futures)


OL - 62Thuney (OL, 25, 2019, $0.9), 60Andrews (C, 26, 2020, $1.6), 69Mason (IOL, 25, 2018; $2), 61Cannon (T, 30, 2021; $5.8), 75Karras (IOL, 25, 2019, $0.5), 74Croston (G/T, 24, 2019, $0.5), 63Garcia (T, 24, 2020, $0.7), 76Jelks (T, 25, 2019, $0.5), 66Farris (G, 26, 2018, $0.5), 72J.King (G, 25, futures), 64Ferentz (C, 29, futures)



DL - 90Brown (24, 2018, $2.4), Shelton (25, 2019*, $2), 93Guy (28, 2020, $3.6), 99Valentine (24, 2019, $0.7), 70A.Butler (24, 2019, $0.5), 98Flowers (25, 2018, $2), 91Wise* (24, 2020, $0.6), 95Rivers* (24, 2020, $0.7), 55Lee* (24, 2018, $0.6), 96Grissom* (25, 2018, $0.7), 51K.Davis (24, 2019, $0.5)


LB - 54Hightower (28, 2020, $8.5), 53Van Noy* (27, 2019, $3.6), 52E Roberts* (24, 2019; $0.6), 58McClellin* (29, 2018, $3.2/0.8sb;0.2wo), 48Langi* (26, 2019, $0.5),


S - 32McCourty* (31, 2019, $12), 23Chung* (31, 2018, $3.8), 30Harmon (27, 2020, $3.8), 37Richards* (25, 2018, $1.2), S 39Travis* (24, futures), 26D.Jones* (25, futures)


CB - 24Gilmore (28, 2021, $12.5), 25Rowe* (25, 2018; $1.1), 31J Jones* (24, 2018; $0.6), 41Cy Jones* (25, 2019; $0.9), 27R.Lewis* (CB/FS/ST; 24, futures), 22Wiltz* (24, futures)


ST - 3Gostkowski (34, 2018, $5), 6Allen (28, 2018, $2), 49Cardona (26, 2018; $0.7), 50Grigsby* (LB, 26, 2018, $0.6), 36King* (LB, 25, 2019, $1.2), 43Ebner* (S, 29, 2019,? )

Click to expand...

Nice, concise format!

One nitpick: Lawrence Guy actually played 166 ST snaps for the Pats in 2017.

What is the likelihood of resigning M. Flowers and Bademosi? Would love to have those guys back.

Bademosi was clueless in the SB with his coverage no thanks.

Flowers should be a Patriot

That was a great recap by Riddick. Sometimes you forget that Lewis, DA, and Butler ALL started out as UDFA's. 2 of them were picked up off the scrap heap, and only Solder was a high draft pick, and we got 7 seasons of good work out of him before he left.

I have felt from the start that Lewis, DA, and Butler are all replaceable by guys who can do at least 90% of what they did. So Solder is the big loss and will be hard, but not impossible to replace. However, when you think about it, EVERY good team loses a key player or two to FA. What separates the great teams from the good ones is their ability to overcome those INEVITABLE loses. BB has an 18-year record of managing those loses successfully and I doubt very much that he will fail to do so this year as well.

BTW- I'm kind of loving all the doom and gloom from the media pukes this offseason. All the talk about these "defections" signals the end of the NE dynasty brings me back to the days when we were the underdog. I really MISS those days and will be glad to have them back.

patfanken said:

BTW- I'm kind of loving all the doom and gloom from the media pukes this offseason. All the talk about these "defections" signals the end of the NE dynasty brings me back to the days when we were the underdog. I really MISS those days and will be glad to have them back.

Click to expand...

The good ol’ days when Belichick was signing 20+ players off the scrap heap and everyone just laughed at the cast of nobodies and washed up has-beens he brought to the team. Those teams turned out to be smart, and tough as nails. A Super Bowl won is a Super Bowl win. I don’t care how we do it. I agree with you though. Those were some fun teams to watch. We built incredibly well from the draft and filled in with smart matching pieces.

patfanken said:

That was a great recap by Riddick. Sometimes you forget that Lewis, DA, and Butler ALL started out as UDFA's. 2 of them were picked up off the scrap heap, and only Solder was a high draft pick, and we got 7 seasons of good work out of him before he left.

I have felt from the start that Lewis, DA, and Butler are all replaceable by guys who can do at least 90% of what they did. So Solder is the big loss and will be hard, but not impossible to replace. However, when you think about it, EVERY good team loses a key player or two to FA. What separates the great teams from the good ones is their ability to overcome those INEVITABLE loses. BB has an 18-year record of managing those loses successfully and I doubt very much that he will fail to do so this year as well.

BTW- I'm kind of loving all the doom and gloom from the media pukes this offseason. All the talk about these "defections" signals the end of the NE dynasty brings me back to the days when we were the underdog. I really MISS those days and will be glad to have them back.

Click to expand...

I would love to see the defense take on that underdog mentality. They're getting skewered for losing the Super Bowl (even by those who also think it was because Butler was benched), and I doubt they'll make any splashes this offseason that will make people think they're a top 5 group. With Flores (a bit of an underdog story himself) as the all-but-official new DC, I'd love to just see the attitude of the defense shift to one of, "Oh yeah? Watch us."

patriot1136 said:

What is the likelihood of resigning M. Flowers and Bademosi? Would love to have those guys back.

Click to expand...

Kinda depends on how many teams are as interested in trying to upgrade the bottom ends of their rosters as much as the top ends. Probably not all that many, but - with Patricia and Quinn - Detroit may be one now.

maineman209 said:

Kinda depends on how many teams are as interested in trying to upgrade the bottom ends of their rosters as much as the top ends. Probably not all that many, but - with Patricia and Quinn - Detroit may be one now.

Click to expand...

I think that we should start with Casillas.

And yes, I would be fine with adding Flowers and Bademosi also.
=====
1) Bademosi would be a top Ster, who is an emergency #5 corner. I expect that we will be able to afford him or an equivalent replacement.
2) Marquis Flowers may have played well enough in his show-me year that he will be too expensive for us.
3) Casillas should be affordable and available. If he is, we should jump on it, rather than waiting for the results of the bidding war regarding Flowers.
4) Harrison is a possibility. However, apparently he has decided to skip camp, and then go to someone who wants him (there could be more than one team). There is no reason to count on Harrison in any way.