Positions that we need to address this offseason.

[maineman209]

Hopefully BB hires a competitive D-coordinator.

Also a 39 year old James Harrison was putting our d-linemen to shame! He was the only one generating pressure on Foles for most of the game. The rest of the guys were just there unable to get off their blockers.

We need to invest in some talent on d-line badly. You can see how that paid off with Jax and the eagles.

I think it was a mistake letting Jones and Long go. Those guys are an upgrade over what we currently have.

Jones was unaffordable. Long wanted a different role than what the Pats needed him to play. Offering him more money wouldn't have made any difference.

 

[maineman209]

Jones is a guy we had and gave up on who is now an ALL_PRO........this team certainly needed his 17 sacks....to suggest otherwise is silly

hell, he even managed to sack wentz in a 34-7 loss

Jones' 2017 cap hit was $10M. His 2018 cap hit is $15.5M.

The Pats had less than $3M in cap space at the end of the 2017 season, and currently have just over $13M in cap space heading into 2018.

The Pats didn't "give up on" Jones. They weren't going to be able to afford his second contract without making drastic cuts elsewhere and they knew that well in advance.

 

[Foxypats]

We need a defense that can rush the passer on a more consistent basis and players that can get TO's, so basically an entire new defense except for maybe 3 or 4 players. What happened last night with the D was atrocious ! No way to sugar coat it.
I really miss the defense we had in the early 2000's

 

[Spiral]

In what I believe was a moment of weakness for BB after the Seattle SB, the Patriots gave a top-of-the-market contract to Mc Courty. He just doesn't make enough plays to justify his salary. Can't get to the boundary on deep balls to the sideline or endzone. I think Duron Harmon could do at least as well, for far less money.

 

[maineman209]

Holes everywhere.

OC
DC

DL: they were pushed around quite a bit last night. Need a guy with some girth. Washington/Wilfork type.
LB: the weakest of the SB units. Need playmakers in the mold of High and Bruschi. Harrison won't be back at 39 yrs old. Sign flowers.
CB: replace Butler. Bademosi is UFA.
WR: Amendola is UFA, will likely go get his final pay day.
RB: Burkhead and Lewis UFA, Burkhead hurt often.
QB: the Next Guy was here. Now we need to get another one.

I expect a very ugly off season. Lots of finger pointing right now.

DL: The 2017 patchwork DL was "pushed around" by the best OL in the league this season.

LB: Since Harrison arrived just a couple days before New Year's Eve, at age 39, he's outplayed 24-year-old Eric Lee.

CB: Rowe was decent in the SB; better than I expected, though he does have his flaws. Jone Jones and Cyrus Jones (IR) are already on the roster as candidates to take Butler's spot as one of the top-3 CBs.

Bademosi is an elite special teamer who has shown that he can be an adequate emergency reserve CB for the defensive secondary in the right role and under the right circumstances (playing safety as a replacement for Chung against the Eagles in the SB were not exactly optimal circumstances). That said, it seems highly doubtful that the Pats offer to re-sign him at the $2.25M he made in 2017.

WR: IF Amendola (who turns 33 next November 2nd) chooses to continue playing, it seems more probable than not that he returns to the Pats and Brady on a one-year deal.

RB: Burkhead had played in 43 consecutive games before missing 4 weeks with cracked ribs early this season. In his 10 games healthy this season, he averaged a combined 52 yards per game - more than either White or Gillislee - and contributed 8 TDs - more than White and Gillislee combined. He's likely to be more affordable than Lewis will be.

QB: It seems more probable than not that there's a rookie QB in Camp for the Pats this season - and possibly another next season, too.

 

[AzorianPats]

In no specific order.

off the line LB, CB, RB and TE maybe DT

I’m not sold on DT fully because we have Vincent Valentine coming back.

TE gronk is talking possible retirement, Dwayne Allen needs to upgraded, and who knows with Bennett.

RB Lewis and Burkhead are FA. I think Lewis is good as gone.

CB to replace Butler. He’s as good as gone.

LB might be our biggest need. Hightower awesome but he can’t stay healthy. Van Noy is good, but the less I see of Roberts the better. Marquise Flowers intrigues me though. He came on at the end.

I think we’re OK at edge. Flowers is good, I think Wise is gonna develop even more. Don’t forget we have Derek Rivers coming back. And I’d love to keep James Harrison on a cheap one year deal.

 

[maineman209]

Chandler Jones received 5 votes for NFL defensive player of the year....

Is Joe Thuney and Malcolm Mitchell enough of a return for a player of that caliber?

The Pats couldn't afford Jones' second contract. The 2nd-rounder that they received for him (that was turned into a starting LG and Mitchell) was more compensation than they would have received (a late-3rd comp pick) had they waited another season and let him walk in FA.

 

[Steve102]

Jones is a guy we had and gave up on who is now an ALL_PRO........this team certainly needed his 17 sacks....to suggest otherwise is silly

hell, he even managed to sack wentz in a 34-7 loss

Cardinals were 8-8. They can have the sexy pass rusher. It's not as simple as amassing talent, it's getting that talent under the cap. I'd love to have the guy, too, but who do you give up to sign him?

 

[maineman209]

It's possible, but historically most rookie UDFAs who go on IR in Foxboro do not get a second chance, for whatever reason.

You're not wrong, but the Pats signed Davis after his injury was revealed at the Combine.

Davis is under contract. If he's healthy enough to compete, it seems to me that the Pats are likely to give him a fair shot through OTAs and Camp.

 

[VrabelJr]

How can you not be optimistic about this defense?

Hightower, Valentine, and McClellin will be back next year.
We will see what Derek Rivers has to offer.
It's a make or break year for Cyrus Jones.
Bademosi, Jonathan Jones, Adam Butler, and Wise all got a ton of experience that's only going to make them better.
Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers look raw but have potential if they can play next to better players like Hightower rather than be asked to be Hightower.

An LB corp of Hightower, Van Noy, McClellin, Flowers, Lee is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe we need to add one top end athlete to that group.

If we add the right players through the draft/FA at DL we're looking at a dominant defense for the next couple years again.

 

[Stumpy]

We need a new impact LB. If Shea is not coming back then we definitely need more talent. We made due and guys played above themselves with great coaching. But long term can't be Roberts, Flowers, Lee etc. Van Noy is a keeper and continues to improve. Hightower we obviously keep, but the injuries are a concern. If we could get a 2nd and 3rd round pick for him, I'd take it and rebuild the LB corps. I know he's awesome and all, but it's hard when you think he might get hurt on every play.

I wouldn't say DE, because we'll have Derek Rivers back and Wise should improve as well.

Could always use more quality OL as well, Tackles especially.

And a QB of course, Brady was amazing yesterday but I can't imagine we don't draft another QB this spring.

The toughest to fill may be Offense and Defensive coordinator.
Is it crazy to think BB might promote his son from Safeties coach?

 

[DaBruinz]

This offseason is going to see a HUGE turnover to this Patriots Roster, IMHO..

UFA:
Malcolm Butler, James Harrison, Johnson Bademosi, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Nate Solder, LaAdrian Waddle, Cameron Fleming, Matthew Slater, Danny Amendola, Nate Ebner,Brandon King, Marquis Flowers, Ricky Jean-Francois, Brandon Bolden

ERFA:
Caleb Kidder

Unknowns:
Shea McClellin, Rob Gronkowski, Keionta Davis, Andrew Jelks, Tony Garcia, Harvey Langi

Returning from IR/ NFI:
Vincent Valentine, Derek Rivers, Jonathan Jones, Cyrus Jones, Dont'a Hightower, Marcus Cannon, Malcolm Mitchell, Julian Edelman,

Probable Cap Casualties:
Dwayne Allen, Martellus Bennett, David Harris

This is the first time in a long time that the Pats don't have several RFA/ERFA.
Re-signing Nate Solder and Dion Lewis have to be THE top priorities unless the Pats. Solder is the top LT FA this year so will likely be in high demand.

Dion Lewis was great during the regular season but seemed to disappear against Jacksonville and against Philly. Not sure if this was because of the game plan or what. I love Dion Lewis, but there is a lack of good RB FAs beyond him and Le'Veon Bell though Damian Williams could be a darkhorse candidate..

In the games he played, Burkhead played well. The problem was that he missed a bunch of time. Then he came back and took a hard kidney shot against Jax and we didn't see him again in that game except on STs. Burkhead had one series in the SB where he played well.. Then because of game circumstances, wasn't on the field beyond STs..

The TE position could be a huge issue if Gronk doesn't come back. Martellus Bennett is coming off shoulder surgery and had said that 2017 was his last year in all likelihood. That may change. Dwayne Allen was a good #2 TE for the Pats and wasn't involved much in the passing game because of the Pats having the likes of Cooks, Amendola, Hogan, Gronkowski, and White. Hollister made some progress this year, but he's more of an move-TE than a Monster-TE ala Gronk.

Like others, I believe that the Pats need help on defense. Most everyone is saying that they need help on the Front 7. When I see that they have Rivers, Valentine, Hightower and Langi returning from Injury, I see them getting some help.

I do believe they need someone to play the NT position. They have a good foundation with Guy, Brown, Butler and Vincent Valentine. I think that Malcolm Brown is best suited to play the UnderTackle position in a 4man front and a DE position in a 3 man front.

With Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, and the return of Derek Rivers, they have a good young foundation at DE. However, they need someone else. There are a few decent ones available. Tank Carradine and Kerry Wynn are two potentials.

At LB, they have Hightower, Van Noy, and Roberts. Nicholas Grigsby is also on the roster, but he's more of a ST only player. Hopefully they have Harvey Langi returning as well. But they are missing that fast, young, athletic play-maker who can play in coverage as well as hold up against the run. There are some big names in free agency which should allow the Pats to focus on a lesser name and get them signed for a relatively cheap amount. Demario Davis could be that guy..

Cornerback is going to be a big issue. They have Gilmore and then a bunch of question marks. Rowe was pretty much horrible the entire year. For every good play he made, he got burned 3-4 times as much (imho) . The SB seemed to highlight that. I think he's best as a reserve outside corner or possibly against bigger/slower TEs.. Cyrus Jones and Jonathan Jones are coming back from major injuries. Cyrus Jones looked like he might have turned a corner in TC until he got injured. Jonathan Jones was the Pats best corner covering receivers in the slot. But ankle injuries are extremely tough on corners..

The SB pretty much assured that Malcolm Butler played his last game as a Patriot. Still haven't heard why he was benched. Butler had a very good stretch of games when Gilmore was out, but he got beat more and more as the season went along. This was highlighted by the game against Jacksonville, imho.

The Patriots have 3 safeties in Harmon, McCourty, and Chung. Richards is on the team, but the SB just highlighted that he doesn't get the job done in games. He may be great in practice, but it just doesn't translate to game production. Special Teams play seems to be his only saving grace..

Special Teams is an area where the Pats added players right before the start of the season and those players did well. Bademosi and Marquis Flowers both played well on STs and stepped up when called upon during the season. With both of them PLUS King, Slater, and Ebner as UFA, the Pats will be addressing this area..

 

[Nunchucks]

LB is the biggest need. After that they need another corner, a defensive end, a quarterback, and a safety to replace Richards. But, they really need to use a pick on a LB who can run well.

 

[IllegalContact]

Cardinals were 8-8. They can have the sexy pass rusher. It's not as simple as amassing talent, it's getting that talent under the cap. I'd love to have the guy, too, but who do you give up to sign him?

well, then people should not complain about having absolutely no pass rush.......do you want it or not? or do you want it only if it's cheap? you could use the same argument for not paying mccourty.......I would take 17 sacks over mccourty

 

[NG Pats Fan]

I never want to hear Bademosis name again. That missed tackle cost us dearly

 

[JackBauer]

How can you not be optimistic about this defense?

Hightower, Valentine, and McClellin will be back next year.
We will see what Derek Rivers has to offer.
It's a make or break year for Cyrus Jones.
Bademosi, Jonathan Jones, Adam Butler, and Wise all got a ton of experience that's only going to make them better.
Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers look raw but have potential if they can play next to better players like Hightower rather than be asked to be Hightower.

An LB corp of Hightower, Van Noy, McClellin, Flowers, Lee is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe we need to add one top end athlete to that group.

If we add the right players through the draft/FA at DL we're looking at a dominant defense for the next couple years again.

I suppose sneezing might be a bit of an overreaction but that's nothing special either.

 

[zipster9]

We need a defense that can rush the passer on a more consistent basis and players that can get TO's, so basically an entire new defense except for maybe 3 or 4 players. What happened last night with the D was atrocious ! No way to sugar coat it.
I really miss the defense we had in the early 2000's

Early 2000's was a 3-4 defense.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Our CBs are fine IMO with high upside. A trio of Gilmore, Rowe & J. Jones can be a top unit.

When you remove Chung/Richards reps vs. the Eagles WRs; our CBs battled their wideouts pretty well IMO.

 

[maineman209]

Even though the defense should be the focus I think getting Lewis and Burkhead under contract is a priority. I would also like to see them re-sign Solder to a two year deal.

On defense:

Butler is gone, period. However getting J. Jones back will help, however they will still need another quality CB.

Safety is strong overall but Richards is a big liability and he needs to go. They should be able to bolster the secondary in free agency.

Linebacker-To me this is their biggest area of need. Getting Hightower, Rivers, and Langi back will obviously help but they struggle mightily with RPO and Mobile quarterbacks, and they really need more speed outside. Hopefully Marquis Flowers and Lee will also continue to develop.

D-Line. Branch is gone but they will get Valentine back. The core is young, Brown, Flowers, Butler, and Wise all look good, but they need more depth and re.-signing Flowers and Brown are going to be priorities in the near future.

Overall it’s going to be a fascinating offseason with many changes, fortunately there is no organization better at handling change than the Patriots.

We’re on to 2018

Agree, however ...

I'd say that Richards needs to be replaced. There's absolutely no guarantee that a free agent who would be a sure-fire upgrade over Richards will be available and affordable.

Meanwhile, Richards is a top special-teamer with experience on the defense and signed cheaply ($1.12M) through 2018. Cutting him before an adequate replacement is on the roster seems like not such a great idea to me and saves only about $500k on on the cap.

 

[zipster9]

I never want to hear Bademosis name again. That missed tackle cost us dearly

Jordan Richards got burned as well.