1 – It may not garner as much attention as some of the deals New England will likely reach this coming “burn some cash” free agency week or even as compared to when he arrived in Foxborough as part as an “uncharacteristically aggressive” spending spree back in 2021, but the reported re-signing of veteran tight end Hunter Henry could be one of the sneaky big moves this offseason for the Patriots.
Whether you prefer to track personnel moves based on need or supply and demand, the reported three-year, $30 million deal to keep the 29-year-old Henry in a Patriots’ uniform is a positive pact.
Henry is coming off a previous three-year deal that paid him $37.5 million. In a world – professional sports or otherwise – where inflation is an accepted cost of doing business, the new contract is more than palatable for a team with more than $100 million in cap space to retool its roster this offseason.
And while Henry is by no means a superstar or great player – he’s averaged basically three receptions for 37 yards per game over his career with a touchdown every two to three games – he’s a much-needed fit for Alex Van Pelt’s new-look New England offense.
The Patriots didn’t have a player under contract at tight end with Henry, Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown set to hit free agency. With Dalton Schultz re-signing with the Texans and Brock Bowers a likely top-10 pick, there weren’t going to be a lot of high end options at the position in either free agency or the draft.
Is Henry the second-coming of Gronk? Nope. Comparable to Travis Kelce or any of the elite players currently at the position? Certainly not.
But Henry is a consistent, reliable player on the field and a guy who’s developed into a leader as a captain in New England off of it.
He’ll be a resource for Van Pelt as well as whoever the heck will be at quarterback for the Patriots this fall, be it a rookie or veteran.
There will be bigger headlines with bigger contracts signed in the coming days, including in New England. At least that’s what many fans are expecting and hoping for.
But make no mistake, the re-signing of Henry before the veteran tight end hit free agency is probably a much bigger deal than it’s being given credit for.
2 – While keeping Henry in the mix in New England is a positive, the fact that it appears that offensive lineman Mike Onwenu is set to test the open waters of free agency is not. The versatile guard/right tackle probably could have been considered the Patriots’ top priority in light of the issues along the offensive line in recent years and the potential to have a rookie passer working behind that suspect group this coming fall.
But with plenty of money to be spent across the NFL and limited high-end options at tackle, Onwenu could be set to take advantage of the market. The Rams and Kevin Dotson probably set the floor for Onwenu’s market with the guard’s three-year deal worth $48 million. The Patriots would probably jump at the idea of $16 million a year.
So is Onwenu able to get $18 million a year? More than $20 million a year?
New England seemed to at least prepare for the possibility it could be priced out of the Onwenu market this past week when it signed former Steelers starting right tackle Chuckwuma Okorafor to a deal with a reported base value of $4 million. Okorafor started 59 games in Pittsburgh, including all 17 as recently as 2022. He started seven games last fall before falling out of favor, reportedly due to issues regarding the coaching of the Steelers’ offense, a relatively common issue last fall in Pittsburgh before coordinator Matt Canada was relieved of his duties.
Re-signing Onwenu – who is representing himself in negotiations after moving on from his agent -- still has to be a top desire in New England.
But his contract desires combined with limited supply on the market could price him out of town.
3 – If Onwenu isn’t in the mix moving forward, veteran Tyron Smith certainly could be a nice Plan B for the Patriots. Smith is well thought of inside of Gillette Stadium. The 33-year-old former first-round pick earned eight trips to the Pro Bowl in Dallas, including a pair of All-Pro seasons as one of the best left tackles in the game. But Smith hasn’t played a full season since 2015 and has played in just 30 of a possible 66 regulars season games over the last four years.
At his best, Smith is a very appealing option at tackle for the Patriots in a time of need at the position. But he hasn’t been at his best – certainly not his healthiest – for a long time. Buyer beware.
4 – While finding a path to solidify the offensive line is a key part of the New England offense, there will be an even sexier search going on to inject life into the wide receiver position. That search could certainly include the free agent pursuit of Jacksonville’s Calvin Ridley. It could include trade options, Jerry Jeudy having already been dealt to the Browns and former Broncos teammate Courtland Sutton supposedly still on the market. It will also likely include at least one draft pick, preferably in the top three rounds.
Second-year slot DeMario Douglas is the Patriots’ top returning receiver right now. Veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker are complementary options, at best, presuming they even make it to 2024.
Kendrick Bourne is an impending free agent coming off a torn ACL who has voiced a desire to return, but his value and role are a bit dubious.
The Patriots will reportedly chase Ridley. They certainly have to be doing their due diligence on the receiver draft class which is as deep and speedy as it is top-heavy with guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.
New England needs to add at least one higher-end receiver. How it gets that guy is anyone’s guess right now, but with franchise tags limiting the supply in free agency it might be a smarter path to go down the rookie road.
5 – While the depth of the position is questionable, running back probably isn’t near the top of the Patriots’ list of needs this offseason. Rhamondre Stevenson is one of the better, more proven players on the entire New England offense, even if he’s heading into a contract year. But looking at the free agent market and the relative value of the running back position in the NFL, it could represent an area of value for a team with limited spending limitations. The running back market is set to include All-Pros and former NFL rushing leaders in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard and Austin Ekeler. Pairing any one of those guys with Stevenson would certainly present a lot of options for Van Pelt and a lot for opposing defenses to deal with on a weekly basis. It would also be another step toward taking some pressure off whatever QB – rookie or veteran – is under center each week.
6 – Speaking of rookie quarterbacks, the long path to the 2024 NFL Draft has seemingly taken a turn for the worse for Drake Maye of late.
While each of the top prospects will have their time in the critical spotlight, the questions around Maye and his value have grown in recent days with some suddenly projecting him as a middling QB prospect and others declaring that he has to sit for at least a year or two before he’ll be ready for NFL action. Those opinions may have merit and some come from respected analysts. But, the feeling here has not changed. Maye is among three relatively valuable prospects at the biggest position of need in New England, the most important position in all of sports. All three are worthy of consideration. All three should be in play at No. 3 for the Patriots if they remain on the board. It’s really that simple, even if all the time and talk leading up to April 25 is muddying the water.
7 – NFL free agency is going to dominate the headlines this week with the so-called legalized tampering period kicking off on Monday and contracts getting signed when free agency launches on Wednesday. But it’s also worth noting that college football pro days will ramp up over the next week-plus as prospects show their stuff in workouts for NFL scouts. March 12 is a big day with Oregon, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Georgia shows its wares the next day. March 20 includes Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and USC. North Carolina and Washington share the spotlight a bit later, on March 28.