Patriots Already Getting Spurned Ahead of Free Agency
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Heading into free agency, it was no secret that the New England Patriots were facing an uphill battle when it came to trying to entice top-tier free agents to come to Foxboro.
Apparently, they’ve already been spurned by a couple of key names early in the process. According to Chad Graff of the Athletic, both Buccaneers Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield are two players who didn’t exactly jump at the chance to come to New England.
Evans reportedly had “no interest” in coming to the Patriots, while Jerod Mayo’s team is currently at the bottom of the list of clubs Mayfield is apparently willing to consider. And that would only be if a return to the Buccaneers doesn’t work out, followed by potentially teams like Minnesota or Atlanta also failing to come to an agreement with him.
While you can laugh and say, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?” the reality essentially outlines what the Patriots are up against this offseason.
As we know, this is a team that is horrifically devoid of talent. They have significant needs up front on the offensive line, they need tight ends, receivers, they need all of it.
It’s a tough spot to be in. They’re currently stuck in what’s basically a chicken/egg situation. They can’t attract skill players without a quarterback, and they can’t attract the quarterback due to the lack of skill players.
That’s likely going to be why the Patriots will most likely make a push at the next tier of quarterbacks a priority. That potentially means Jacoby Brissett is likely facing his best opportunity to cash in, and with good reason. Of all the players to have to overpay, he’s probably the best option since you’d rather be stuck paying a guy who is at least a good teammate and a good person, fits your system and has familiarity with your staff (he played under Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland) as well as the fact he’s a decent player on the field. He’s also the type of guy who would likely be a good mentor for whoever they select in April.
Reports have already indicated the interest in Brissett is real, albeit it’s not known if it’s mutual. Still, it’s also a situation where he would likely be considered the day one starter, which is probably a guarantee he won’t get elsewhere.
Getting Brissett in the fold early would at least remove some uncertainty. Better yet, for players who have potentially been with him on other rosters or are familiar with him, it may tip the scale a bit in terms of getting guys to want to come here and play with him. He’s not Cam Newton, but he’s decent enough where he’ll provide more of a draw than the current duo of Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe.
Needless to say, getting their veteran signal-caller will likely need to be step one in the coming days, and one can hope that it’s Brissett who gets the nod. Because if he says no, and knowing how the top-tier guys seem to be viewing New England, they may have a rough stretch over these next couple of weeks adding talent to a roster that desperately needs it.
(Editor’s Note: The above appeared in a recent daily Patriots notebook column.)
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