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

[Headcase]

Chargers (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams)

Titans (Hopkins)

Don't know why we would look to sign these guys, not long term fixes. Big money on names, that is all.

 

[Real fan 02]

Most of the focus in this forum right now is on the draft, but before that happens there is this little thing called free agency. How do you want the team to use their available $66 million?

What players should the Patriots retain, who should they let go? Which positions/players on other teams should they target.

Important Dates:
- Feb 20: Teams may designate Franchise or Transition Players.
- March 5: Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
- March 11-13: Teams are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents.
- March 13: 2024 League Year and Free Agency signing period begins at 4:00 p.m.

Some resources on what free agents will be available. This will expand at some point with cap casualties.

When does NFL free agency start? Dates and best players available after Super Bowl

With the 2023-24 season now behind us, it's time to look ahead to 2025 and which players could help turn teams into contenders.

www.usatoday.com

Here’s a list of the top NFL free agents for 2024 now that the Super Bowl is over

We take an early look at some of the top names in free agency now that the offseason has officially begun.

dknetwork.draftkings.com

This one from Spotrac is useful as you can filter by position, team, and more.

2024 NFL Free Agents Tracker

Tracking the status and signings of all 2024 NFL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

Some more comparisons on availble cap space.
Saints, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers, Broncos, Cowboys, Browns and Steelers are currently upside down.

NFL Salary Cap Space | Over The Cap

NFL salary cap space estimates for all 32 teams

overthecap.com

2024 NFL Salary Cap Tracker: All 32 NFL teams ranked by cap space | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF

Here is how all 32 NFL teams currently stand, keeping in mind that cap space is a constantly changing number as teams maneuver throughout the offseason.

www.pff.com

Looking at Salary Cap Flexibility and Potential Scenarios in 2024 | Over the Cap

Looking at Salary Cap Flexibility and Potential Scenarios in 2024 | Over the Cap

overthecap.com

NFL 2024 Salary Cap Tracker

A real-time look at the 2024 salary cap totals for each NFL team, including estimated cap space.

www.spotrac.com

Thank you for this. It's relatively simple for me. Try and re-sign the mid-tier players KB, Jennings, Henry for example .

Absolutely do everything to retain Owenu.

We need to try to re-up our own players that we identify of guys we want around thst are part of the build back. Then focusing on available FA.. Cincy is going to tag Higgins so he's off the table. Pittman Jr. And, or Ridley. One of the 2 would be nice.

People keep laughing at this but we should trade Mac & a 6th for fields. Get him in the program, while still taking the QB. Add another low tier Veteran at QB.
And see what you have. FAs aren't really so desirable this off season because the elite players are signed up. However just my 2 cents.

 

[farn]

I’d almost rather get pieces in place. Even if they aren’t push the needle types. B free agents that have a role and play it well are more desirable than A+ FAs that end up disappointing. If there are no splashes, no problem. Let’s grab players like we acquired in the past : Hawkins, Van Noy, Vrabel, Washington, Amendola… the types with whom you can build.

 

[DW Toys]

Thoughts:

1.) Decisions, decisions, decisions....

2.) My priorities would depend on these factors:

- What kind of offensive scheme will Van Pelt run? West Coast? And by extension, what kind of OL blocking scheme will Scott Peterson want to install? If it is zone blocking, then we might want to pass on Onwenu. If not, we should then re-sign Onwenu.

- How much money to sign a starter in FA vs. drafting a starter? E.g. Why go after Kirk Cousins when we can just draft Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal?

- Positional availability in the draft. E.g. WR is supposed to be DEEP in this draft...so...maybe pass on the top tier FA WR's...re-sign Bourne...pass on MHJ...and draft a WR or two in rounds 2-4.

3.) So, with the caveat of the above factors possibly later shifting my priorities...I'll ASSUME these factors:

- We run a West Coast Zone Blocking Offense.
- We plan to draft either Daniels or Maye with pick #3 (meaning no OL/WR in the draft until rounds 2+).

My priorities would be this:

1.) Sign one of the top OT's in free agency to replace Trent Brown (who I assume we will let walk). That takes care of one tackle spot. And we can draft the other tackle in rounds 2+ and have him compete with whoever we tried out there last year before we moved Onwenu outside. The interior of the line should be OK with Sow manning RG, Andrews suiting up for another season, and Strange healing up to man the LG spot. Not ideal, but a different blocking scheme could help (we tried this with Patricia though).

2.) Resign our own free agents in Kendrick Bourne (who I think will come with a bit of an ACL/Hometown discount) Anfernee Jennings, Mack Wilson, Pharaoh Brown, and/or Hunter Henry. These guys should provide us with some value....hope none of them wants to break the bank.

3.) Sign our Dugger replacement. Doesn't have to be as good, but needs to be solid enough and doesn't break the bank.

4.) Dip into the DEEP FA defensive player market for upgrades all across the board so we can go offense heavy in the draft.

Expert analysis Cousin, Well thought out.

The big thing is blocking scheme to me. We did not fair well when we went to Zone blocking in the past. By the way Onwenu is the first you sign.

Dugger is a nice weapon but we can't keep 4 Strong Safeties. I think Mapu is better suited for a LB. Get a real Free Safety. They like Bledsoe.

Do we want to put our chips in on the holy three QBs in the first three picks who has a documented 50%-50% chance to succeed, or do we reinforce our glaring holes with quality and add a FA or a later round QB pick? I am for the later.I am not a fanboy of Fields but at the second he is better than the holy three who have not taken an NFL snap. Ok , then spend a little more for Kirk Cousins and perhaps get a chance at the playoffs............ Yep resign Henry, Draft MHJ at pick #3 and shore up the OL and I think we have enough running game and defense to be a 9 or 10 wins Team with him. (I think the Vikes will resign him sadly). Mayfield goes back to Tampa and some want Brissett? Worse passing completion than Mac Jones.


DW Toys

 

[Hyped]

Not sure that Jones>Brisset at this point. And am not sure whether Jones is salvageable...

One thing for sure, if we roll the dice at QB and it doesn't work out...we will be back here in the same spot next year anyway. I think I go QB...once you hit on QB..you are pretty much set for a decade....

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

How can I take this list seriously ? Would anyone here actually choose perennial loser Herbert over Burrows ? And IF Herbert were to actually be the 4th QB going into next season, doesn’t that say A LOT about the sad state of affairs ?

Tell me you haven’t watched LAC without telling me

I’d go Hurts ahead of him as well. As well as Love, Stroud, even lovable loser Prescott - at least he has a winning % career….


Holy cow. Murray “I need to sign a contract to limit my Nintendo screen time” from Arizona is #11 ?!?

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

Without a qb in place, I would focus in FA in resigning your own high value guys like Onwenu and Duggar.
Will have to wildly overpay to get top tier playmakers.
The time to do that is after you have an OL and a qb

 

[Joey007]

My second point is based on others rankings not mine or the teams, rumors say that don't want to pay Mike, maybe because they see him as a Guard....just guessing.

I'm in on spending #3 (or changing it into #6 and change) on a LT....and I'd happily spend our 3rd rounder or better on a RT.

What would be your QB solution

 

[JohnJH]

Thoughts:

1.) Decisions, decisions, decisions....

2.) My priorities would depend on these factors:

- What kind of offensive scheme will Van Pelt run? West Coast? And by extension, what kind of OL blocking scheme will Scott Peterson want to install? If it is zone blocking, then we might want to pass on Onwenu. If not, we should then re-sign Onwenu.

- How much money to sign a starter in FA vs. drafting a starter? E.g. Why go after Kirk Cousins when we can just draft Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal?

- Positional availability in the draft. E.g. WR is supposed to be DEEP in this draft...so...maybe pass on the top tier FA WR's...re-sign Bourne...pass on MHJ...and draft a WR or two in rounds 2-4.

3.) So, with the caveat of the above factors possibly later shifting my priorities...I'll ASSUME these factors:

- We run a West Coast Zone Blocking Offense.
- We plan to draft either Daniels or Maye with pick #3 (meaning no OL/WR in the draft until rounds 2+).

My priorities would be this:

1.) Sign one of the top OT's in free agency to replace Trent Brown (who I assume we will let walk). That takes care of one tackle spot. And we can draft the other tackle in rounds 2+ and have him compete with whoever we tried out there last year before we moved Onwenu outside. The interior of the line should be OK with Sow manning RG, Andrews suiting up for another season, and Strange healing up to man the LG spot. Not ideal, but a different blocking scheme could help (we tried this with Patricia though).

2.) Resign our own free agents in Kendrick Bourne (who I think will come with a bit of an ACL/Hometown discount) Anfernee Jennings, Mack Wilson, Pharaoh Brown, and/or Hunter Henry. These guys should provide us with some value....hope none of them wants to break the bank.

3.) Sign our Dugger replacement. Doesn't have to be as good, but needs to be solid enough and doesn't break the bank.

4.) Dip into the DEEP FA defensive player market for upgrades all across the board so we can go offense heavy in the draft.

I just know I don't want a 35 year old Kirk Cousins who'll want 30+ Million a year to boot. And it doesn't solve our long term QB needs and greatly detracts from the money that we'll have to spend this year and beyond. I'd rather grab a cheaper option while the rest of the offense is built up. But if either Maye or Daniels can become legit, we can't pass on them, let alone for a guy in his mid-30's who will cost as much as Cousins will.

 

[farn]

Tell me you haven’t watched LAC without telling me

Justin Herbert Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Justin Herbert. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Where is Cousins to yell “you like that ?” When you need him ?

He’s made the playoffs once and lost the game. If we glorify QBs on wins, we must also critique re: losses. He has stars on O and on D and cannot even manage a .500 record after four years in the league ?

Stats-man who manages to F up at the worst times. If a loser is one who loses more than wins, Herbert is a loser.

His best season is a Mac-esque 10-7. Best season.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Franchise Henry... Transition tag owenu... Draft two tackles... 2nd and 3rd or 4th... Buys you time until you draft well

 

[chasa]

hopefully kraft has some cash left after the superbowl ads to actually spend on players

 

[Ivan]

What teams need to free up cap, who could release or trade good WRs on the cheap?
That’s our target.

Right now Pittman is going to be a very rich man.

I agree with your first thought, look for cap casualties and shorter term deals while they build over the next couple of seasons. Keenan Allen on a 2 year deal could bring leadership and experience for younger receivers they draft.

Pittman and others are going to get grossly overpaid.

 

[Ivan]

Chargers (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams)

Titans (Hopkins)

This is what I was thinking as well

 

[mgteich]

Most of the focus in this forum right now is on the draft, but before that happens there is this little thing called free agency. How do you want the team to use their available $66 million?

What players should the Patriots retain, who should they let go? Which positions/players on other teams should they target.

Important Dates:
- Feb 20: Teams may designate Franchise or Transition Players.
- March 5: Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
- March 11-13: Teams are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents.
- March 13: 2024 League Year and Free Agency signing period begins at 4:00 p.m.

Some resources on what free agents will be available. This will expand at some point with cap casualties.

When does NFL free agency start? Dates and best players available after Super Bowl

With the 2023-24 season now behind us, it's time to look ahead to 2025 and which players could help turn teams into contenders.

www.usatoday.com

Here’s a list of the top NFL free agents for 2024 now that the Super Bowl is over

We take an early look at some of the top names in free agency now that the offseason has officially begun.

dknetwork.draftkings.com

This one from Spotrac is useful as you can filter by position, team, and more.

2024 NFL Free Agents Tracker

Tracking the status and signings of all 2024 NFL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

Some more comparisons on availble cap space.
Saints, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers, Broncos, Cowboys, Browns and Steelers are currently upside down.

NFL Salary Cap Space | Over The Cap

NFL salary cap space estimates for all 32 teams

overthecap.com

2024 NFL Salary Cap Tracker: All 32 NFL teams ranked by cap space | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF

Here is how all 32 NFL teams currently stand, keeping in mind that cap space is a constantly changing number as teams maneuver throughout the offseason.

www.pff.com

Looking at Salary Cap Flexibility and Potential Scenarios in 2024 | Over the Cap

Looking at Salary Cap Flexibility and Potential Scenarios in 2024 | Over the Cap

overthecap.com

NFL 2024 Salary Cap Tracker

A real-time look at the 2024 salary cap totals for each NFL team, including estimated cap space.

www.spotrac.com

March 15 last day to cut Jackson and avoid paying him a $2M bonus

 

[mgteich]

Thoughts:

1.) Decisions, decisions, decisions....

2.) My priorities would depend on these factors:

- What kind of offensive scheme will Van Pelt run? West Coast? And by extension, what kind of OL blocking scheme will Scott Peterson want to install? If it is zone blocking, then we might want to pass on Onwenu. If not, we should then re-sign Onwenu.

- How much money to sign a starter in FA vs. drafting a starter? E.g. Why go after Kirk Cousins when we can just draft Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal?

- Positional availability in the draft. E.g. WR is supposed to be DEEP in this draft...so...maybe pass on the top tier FA WR's...re-sign Bourne...pass on MHJ...and draft a WR or two in rounds 2-4.

3.) So, with the caveat of the above factors possibly later shifting my priorities...I'll ASSUME these factors:

- We run a West Coast Zone Blocking Offense.
- We plan to draft either Daniels or Maye with pick #3 (meaning no OL/WR in the draft until rounds 2+).

My priorities would be this:

1.) Sign one of the top OT's in free agency to replace Trent Brown (who I assume we will let walk). That takes care of one tackle spot. And we can draft the other tackle in rounds 2+ and have him compete with whoever we tried out there last year before we moved Onwenu outside. The interior of the line should be OK with Sow manning RG, Andrews suiting up for another season, and Strange healing up to man the LG spot. Not ideal, but a different blocking scheme could help (we tried this with Patricia though).

2.) Resign our own free agents in Kendrick Bourne (who I think will come with a bit of an ACL/Hometown discount) Anfernee Jennings, Mack Wilson, Pharaoh Brown, and/or Hunter Henry. These guys should provide us with some value....hope none of them wants to break the bank.

3.) Sign our Dugger replacement. Doesn't have to be as good, but needs to be solid enough and doesn't break the bank.

4.) Dip into the DEEP FA defensive player market for upgrades all across the board so we can go offense heavy in the draft.

starting LT
I'm OK with signing our starting LT.

Backup LT
We have Love and Anderson. Do you have faith in either? I don't.

RT
If we have a better plan, I can see not signing Onwenu. He's not worth $20M as a RT. 34 or a slight move up will get us our starting RT.
I suppose McDermott is a backup and competitor for the spot, but we really need better.

OT - BOTTOM LINE
Your plan is a free agent and pick 34. I'm 100% fine with that. However, I think that we should sign another OT in free agency, to compete at RT and/or be our swing OT.
===============
MAJOR RE-SIGNS
Yes to all your choices, including Henry, who needs to be re-signed or replaced. I expect that it is Dugger or a replacement who would start at Free Safety.

ALSO
We need to re-sign Bryant and another CB to replace Mills. I'd keep Reagor.

RUNNING BACK
Do we really go with Stevenson and Harris? I wouldn't I'd re-sign Zeke. he wants to come back. Also, a 3rd down RB would be expesive in free agency, leaving the draft pick available for a WR.

 

[Hyped]

I liked what Zeke brought to the table last year. My only question is how much does he want?

 

[Edelmania]

Franchise Henry... Transition tag owenu... Draft two tackles... 2nd and 3rd or 4th... Buys you time until you draft well

Tagging Henry would cost 18M which is ridiculous and wont happen but I think he should be easy enough to resign

 

[Toofy]

Tagging Henry would cost 18M which is ridiculous and wont happen but I think he should be easy enough to resign

Henry is around 7 million a year . Freshmen TEs are dime a dozen and produce 400-500 yards / season with 4 -6 TDs and you can get them in 2nd or 3rd round . Sadly we don't know how to draft them . Hence we overpay.

 

[Headcase]

What would be your QB solution

Some FA that fits the Offense