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Gerald McCoy: 5 Possible landing spots for Pro Bowler in free agency

By Cody Williams

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 01: Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks off the field after beating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at the Georgia Dome on November 1, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 01: Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walks off the field after beating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at the Georgia Dome on November 1, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

New England Patriots

Even after re-signing Danny Shelton and landing Mike Pennel in free agency, the New England Patriots find themselves in an interesting spot in regards to their interior defensive line. With the loss of Malcolm Brown in free agency (signed with the New Orleans Saints), it would stand to reason on paper that the Patriots could be looking to add more talent and bodies to the rotation up front.

Admittedly, the Patriots did complete a trade for Michael Bennett this offseason that could alleviate some of the concerns in that regard. While Bennett does fit seamlessly into being a base-end for New England, he does have the versatility and experience moving inside in sub-packages, which he may do given the more substantial depth on the edge on the Pats’ roster.

While that may be true, adding Gerald McCoy would still make a great deal of sense for this team. For one, he simply fits the free agency mold that the Patriots have long followed under Bill Belichick. They have made a living off of bringing in recently released players and making them into reclamation projects — though that would not be hard with McCoy as his release had little to do with his performance.

In addition to that, as mentioned, McCoy would address a need for this New England defense. The one drawback, however, is the financial situation. The Patriots currently have just over $10 million in cap space to operate with, per Over the Cap. If McCoy wants something around the vicinity of the $13 million he was initially owed by the Bucs, the Pats may have trouble making that happen. Then again, we’ve seen players take a New England discount before, so it can’t be ruled out here.

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