The New England Patriots have put together a fantastic 14-3 season that includes a Super Bowl appearance. Despite the team’s sudden rise, however, there remain holes on the roster. The offensive line will need to be fixed for the long term, Maye will need another weapon, and the edge needs another playmaker.
While New England has 12 draft picks to fill their roster out, free agency offers a massive opportunity for immediate improvement. Despite their being likely to take massive strides through free agency additions, some players may only become available via trade after their squads utilize the franchise tag.
In a recent article from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, it is cited that six teams could use the franchise tag on their stars sooner rather than later. While it means massive short-term pay days for those players, it also means some of New England’s top targets are likely to disappear from their free agency board.
Top Patriots free agent targets could end up tagged
WR George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Of all the players on Davenport’s list, Pickens seems the most likely to be tagged and the most likely to be of interest for the Patriots. Stefon Diggs is an excellent underneath and intermediate threat, but the rest of the receiver room is an ensemble cast that, while complementing each other, can be upgraded upon.
Pickens had 6.3 catches and 119.6 yards per game with four touchdowns in the Cowboys’ three games without CeeDee Lamb. The Patriots are possibly the best destination for Pickens, but it seems unlikely they’ll be able to snatch a player who just had nearly 1,500 receiving yards.
WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
The Patriots need to add another big-name receiver, but I’ll be hoping their answer to that need is someone other than Jennings.
While I do think the former Tennessee Volunteer can be a nice option, he’s closer to a WR2 or elite WR3 than a WR1. Would he be the best option after Diggs? Probably, but it wouldn’t be by much. New England is shelling out less than $10 million combined to Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Pop Douglas.
Hollins had 93 fewer yards than Jennings while also playing 15 games, while the tag would cost over $23.5 million more than Hollins’ current cap hit. While he’s been a productive player for the Niners, there are far better options in the draft, free agency, and the trade market than Jennings.
ED Odafe Oweh, L.A. Chargers
Oweh was shipped to the Chargers from the Ravens in a midseason trade. After not recording a single sack in Baltimore over the first five games, he went on to have 7.5 with the Chargers during his 12 regular season games. He terrorized the Patriots in the wildcard round of the playoffs, notching three sacks and two forced fumbles, one of the finest performances of his career.
His Chargers form (Weeks 6-17) would have put him on pace for 10.6 sacks in 17 games, making him one of the league’s more productive pass rushers. The Patriots could very well have interest considering how he dominated them and their need on the edge. Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder are rotational players, but Harold Landry’s injuries have made him a non-factor in the latter half of the season. K’Lavon Chaisson, though productive, is an impending free agent.
The New England Patriots are one of the best-positioned teams in the NFL, but one thing to keep an eye out for will be other teams tagging free agents. Players like Pickens, Jennings, and Oweh being tagged could shift the team’s focus to other players.
Other impending free agents, like Travis Etienne, Breece Hall, Kyle Pitts, and Devin Lloyd, could also be tagged. While there’s still plenty of time, use of the franchise tag will be something to look out for over the next few weeks.
