The Patriots were arguably the most active team this offseason, which included spending over $160 million in guaranteed money.
But, because they entered the offseason with the third-most cap space in the league and structured contracts strategically, the Patriots still have some money available to spend.
As of Thursday morning, they have just under $16 million of cap space, and even with money needed to sign their rookie class, the team should still have in excess of $10 million left.
So, how could they spend it?
Here are a few options.
1. Add a big-name wide receiver
For months, and even years, the Patriots have been connected to Odell Beckham and Julio Jones. Looking at the current wide receiver depth chart, a No. 1 receiver certainly could be added and one of those two would fill that void. With that being said, it feels like a long-shot either of them are dealt from the current teams and even more so that the Patriots would be the team to land them. With that being said, they have one of the better cap situations in the league — ninth-most — and would have a better chance of making a contract work than most teams.
2. Extend players of their own
While extensions could be spread out over future years, there is the possibility of giving a player a pay bump for the upcoming season. Stephon Gilmore obviously comes to mind, as he currently is on the books for just $7 million and certainly is deserving of a raise. It will be interesting to see how things play out with him because unlike last year, the team actually has a good amount of money to work with. Another player who could get an extension is cornerback JC Jackson.
3. Save it for 2022
This isn’t very exciting, but the Patriots could always just save it for next offseason. They certainly are not a finished product in terms of rebuilding the roster and will likely be active once again next offseason. It’s also worth noting all of their signings from this year will not all work out — it’s just how things go in the NFL — so some of them will need to be replaced. Knowing how Bill Belichick operates, this will be the most likely route they go. It could also be used to acquire a player or two at the trade deadline.