Let’s take a look at some of the roster changes the team needs to make.
| Player | Jim McBride | Ben Wolin | Nicole Young |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ja’Von Bentley, LB | let him walk | Resign | Resign |
| Brandon Bolden, RB | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Trent Brown, O.T. | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Jamie Collins, LB | let him walk | let him walk | let him walk |
| Nick Faulk, K. | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Donta Hightower, LB | Resign | let him walk | let him walk |
| Brian Hoyer, QB | Resign | Resign | let him walk |
| JC Jackson, CB | let him walk | let him walk | let him walk |
| Jacob Johnson, FB* | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Ted Karras, G/C | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Brandon King, ST | Resign | Resign | let him walk |
| Devin McCourty, S. | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Jacobi Meyers, WR* | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Rifleman Olszewski, WR* | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| Matthew Slater, ST | Resign | Resign | Resign |
| James White, RB | Resign | Resign | Resign |
Jim McBride
Resign: Bolden, Brown, Faulk, Hightower, Hoyer, Johnson, Karras, King, McCourty, Meyers, Olszewski, Slater, White.
Analysis: The Patriots have a bunch of free agents, and not all of them will return to the ranks, but there are a few outstanding players that it makes sense for the club to keep in the city.
Protecting Jones will always be a top priority, so targeting Tackle Brown and versatile inside agent Karras is good business practice.
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Brown was the happiest and most productive during his time in New England and it would have been mutually beneficial to keep him in place. He knows how to play both left and right tackle – very few players can boast of this. He’ll likely get richer deals elsewhere, but perhaps a cheaper but still competitive New England contract (plus the peace of mind that comes from playing in his lucky spot) will be enough to make a deal here.
Similarly, Karras could get bigger offers from outside New England (Las Vegas comes to mind), but it would be wise to sweeten the pot for this guy. He is smart and resilient and can play in any defensive position as well as provide protection for David Andrews in the center.
On the other hand, making treaties with longtime captains McCourty and Hightower would be prophetic. The defenses will see some changes, especially on the second and third levels, but keeping these two in place will help with the transition as they can channel new faces, both young and old.
Both players are extensions of the coaching staff thanks to their quick wits on the pitch and leadership in the dressing room. Every club has beacons that teammates look up to, and McCourty and Hightower are two of the brightest in New England.
Special teams aces Slater and Bolden are two more popular and prolific frontrunners best suited to New England, and it would be a surprise if they didn’t return yet again.
David Andrews (left) is solid, but the Patriots could use insurance in center from Ted Karras. Matt Slater (center) and Devin McCourty should be re-signed for both their leadership and their consistency. Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Let them go: Bentley, Collins, Jackson
Analysis: Jackson is a wonderful talent, but he has become too expensive for a team that can use the $20+ million he has to patch up a lot of holes.
As for Bentley and Collins, they fit in well, but New England needs to figure out if their younger linebackers can play.
Ben Wolin
Resign: Bentley, Bolden, Brown, Falk, Hoyer, Johnson, Karras, King, McCourty, Meyers, Olszewski, Slater, White.
Analysis: With the departure of Stephon Gilmour and likely JC Jackson, the Patriots need to bring McCourty back to ensure a stable game and lead in the minor roster. They should bring Brown back for another right tackle attempt, although I wouldn’t mind him switching to the left flank to replace Isaiah Wynn. White seems like a cheap and easy move, although the Patriots should also choose his eventual replacement.
Karras is ideally suited to the role of an auxiliary defender / center. Bolden, Slater and King are low-cost moves that will bolster special teams and secure locker room leadership. Bringing Faulk back is the easiest decision they’ve made, while re-signing Hoyer as backup quarterback is the second most difficult.
Almost the entire linebacker hall is claiming free agency, and the Patriots should pick Bentley over Hightower because he’s six years younger. And the Patriots should try to re-sign Olszewski and Johnson at a lower price than the original bidding round ($2.433 million).
Let them go: Collins, Hightower, Jackson
Analysis: I wish they would bring Jackson back, but they refused to franchise him for $17.3 million, and I see the logic in using that money to sign two or three cornerbacks instead.
They could use Hightower’s locker room lead, but he turns 32 in August and it looks like his career has been on the decline this past year. Collins turns 33 this fall and I think the Patriots need to rejuvenate as a linebacker.
Nicole Young
Resign: Bentley, Bolden, Brown, Faulk, Johnson, Karras, McCourty, Meyers, Olszewski, Slater, White
Analysis: The return of McCourty, Slater and White (if they are healthy from season-end hip subluxation) makes sense for both leadership and football. All of them were captains last season, and all of them can still make a meaningful contribution on the field.
Keeping Brown and Karras would strengthen the offensive line. They may have attracted interest on the open market, but both had experience playing elsewhere and have since expressed appreciation for the Patriots. If you have to part with one of these, the Brown will probably go for its price and durability issues.
If the Patriots aren’t ready to hand over to sophomore kicker Quinn Nordin, then it won’t be hard to win back against the Folk. Saving Meyers is another daunting task.
The task of the Patriots will be to manage their limited salary cap space. How many of these deals will be for one year? The more one-year contracts, the less flexibility the team has regarding the limit.
Dont Hightower may be redundant. Stu Milne/Associated Press
Let them walk: Collins, Hightower, Hoyer, Jackson, King
Analysis: Written on the wall for Jackson, who will probably hit his long awaited paycheck. Just in case the market doesn’t turn out as rich as expected, Jackson may want to go back to where he first gave him the chance to become an undrafted free agent.
I’ve been thinking about completely revamping the linebacker corps by letting go of Hightower and Bentley, but the Patriots are likely to want some level of continuity as they move into a younger, faster group. Hightower was redundant due to his age. However, if the money is manageable, a return is out of the question.
It may be time for Hoyer, who turns 37 in October, to join the coaching staff. Players and coaches were thrilled with Hoyer’s contribution last season. The Patriots hired Joe Judge as an offensive assistant, but were still able to use a special coach for Jones after the departure of longtime offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels. Due to concerns over the weakening of the coronavirus pandemic, having three quarterbacks on a roster of 53 may no longer be necessary. That being said, when Hoyer was asked earlier about the possibility of becoming a coach, he said something along the lines of why should I work 10 times more to get 10 times less?
Nicole Young can be contacted at [email protected]. Ben Wolin can be contacted by email [email protected]. Jim McBride can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.