The Patriots were arguably the most active team in the NFL over the last week, making a ton of moves and drastically improving their roster.
It was clear Bill Belichick was not satisfied with how 2020 went and with $60-plus million in cap space, he was able to make moves to improve his team.
With that being said, there’s still work to be done.
The Patriots currently have 77 players on their 90-man roster, along with nine draft picks. Something has to give, which means there will be more cuts and even trades in the coming weeks, along with several more additions.
Here are five things left for the Patriots to do this offseason.
1. Add one more wide receiver
While the Patriots added Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne this week, it still feels like another player is needed at the position, preferably someone who could potentially be a No. 1 option. There are quite a bit of No. 2s and 3s, which is better than last year, but more is needed. This could come via free agency or the draft at No. 15 overall. It’s worth pointing out there are several big-name receivers still available who could be looking to take one-year deals. Perhaps one of them could make sense for the Patriots to boost the position.
2. Add a quarterback, preferably a rookie
Right now, the Patriots only have Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegada at the position. Based on Newton’s contract, it seems the team is not totally satisfied and will be looking to upgrade. While it could be another veteran, the more likely scenario is via the draft, potentially even trading up in the first round to get one of the better QBs available. This could set up a scenario like Miami had last year with Ryan Fitzpatrick mentoring rookie Tua Tagovailoa.
3. Add a running back
Even before the week began, there were reports the Patriots were interested in adding a running back, but that hasn’t yet happened. As of now, there’s just Sony Michel, Damien Harris, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor at the position. Rex Burkhead and James White are free agents, but Burkhead is coming off a torn ACL and likely won’t be ready for the start of the season. Whether it’s bringing back both these players or adding someone else, it feels like the Patriots need to make sure they add someone who can catch the ball out of the backfield. They have been connected to Leonard Fournette and Chris Carson in recent days.
4. Try and bring back Lawrence Guy
New England has added to its defensive front with Henry Anderson, Davon Godchaux and Montravius Adams this week, but it still feels like there’s room for someone like Guy. The veteran has had a terrific four years in New England where he’s turned into one of the leaders on the defense. If the two sides can make it work, this seems like a great move to solidify the front-seven.
5. Figure out JC Jackson/Stephon Gilmore’s future
Things could go either way with both of these players. Jackson received a second-round tender, so it’s possible another team signs him and the Patriots don’t match so they get a second-round pick in return. Or, he could sign the tender and return for another year. Meanwhile, Gilmore will likely need a raise from his current $7 million salary for 2021. The thought was the Patriots wouldn’t want to do that and might look to trade him, but after a big week of moves, maybe they will considering they are back in the playoff mix. Ideally for the team, it would find a way to keep both players.
