Positions that we need to address this offseason.

[Deus Irae]

DMC is a decent player. The problem is his contract. His 2018 cap number is $11.9M, the third-highest on the team, and third-highest among all safeties in the league. He isn't the third-best safety in the NFL, and he isn't the third-best player on the Patriots.

Evaluating a player's contract every year, without context, is how a lot of teams get into trouble.

 

[Spiral]

Evaluating a player's contract every year, without context, is how a lot of teams get into trouble.

I compared his salary to other players on the team and other players at his position around the league. That is context.

Teams can also get into trouble by over-rating their own players. BB has generally avoided this, but I believe DMC is an exception.

 

[JackBauer]

next post says it better

 

[Deus Irae]

I compared his salary to other players on the team and other players at his position around the league. That is context.

Not really. It ignores the more important context

Value to team
Cost within the framework of the deal itself, and the expected deal upon signing.

Teams can also get into trouble by over-rating their own players. BB has generally avoided this, but I believe DMC is an exception.

People here routinely overrated McCourty as a corner in his early years. People here have routinely underrated McCourty as a safety since the switch.

 

[mosi]

Except the one time which cost them the game. Sorry.

 

[rads2005]

WalterFootball.com: 2018 NFL Free Agents - Top 100

I'm going by this list with just a quick google search.

Generally the Pats don't pay for the top names, although Gilmore was an interesting exception this offseason.

One name I would like as a roll of the dice would be Navorro Bowman, assuming he fits the X's and O's of the Pats D. He's had more time to recuperate from that nasty knee injury. It's a risk of course, and maybe/probably he'd miss some games, but maybe they could gamble he'd be there for the playoffs.

#32 on that list would be nice to have back, but I can also see them using the money savings and re-signing Burkhead and going with he and James White.

I confess to not knowing much about Justin Ellis but he's described as a "monstrous run stopper."

Could see them signing an older guy like Brent Grimes as a stopgap since Butler isn't coming back.