The New England Patriots are looking to rebound from a 7-9 season and the 2021 NFL free agency market is a way to hit the reset button quickly.
The New England Patriots experienced the team’s first losing season since the 2000 season last year. The team also missed the playoffs and spent the majority of the season out of the race for the AFC East. Although the team was playing its first season after Tom Brady’s departure, the quarterback is just one of the many wholes to fill on the roster.
Offensively, the team was 27th in points scored. The passing game was one of the worst in the NFL. As of right now, not much has changed for the team’s offense. There are no impactful offensive players returning from injury. This is one of the team’s biggest areas of need this offseason.
The defense was better than the offense, but it wasn’t a difference-maker by the end of the season. The defense was built around the secondary, but the team was unable to stop the run. The team was rarely able to force teams into passing situations to take advantage of the secondary.
The Patriots gave up 131.4 rushing yards per game last season. In a pass-happy league, this was borderline inexcusable. Looking into the 2021 offseason, the team needs help in the passing game on offense and needs to beef up the front seven on defense to help stop the run.
Without Tom Brady and coming off of a losing season, the Patriots most likely will not get top players to sign for a discount. This was something the team took advantage of in the past. The team is not likely to set the market at certain positions either.
What the team may do in free agency is overpay for the right players or the right positions. This means they could pay a tight end top dollar because the position costs less. They may also overpay for two or three middle-of-the-pack wide receivers in 2021 NFL free agency instead of spending equal money on just one receiver.
5. Curtis Samuel, WR
Curtis Samuel just had the best season of his career at the right time. The wide receiver was used in a variety of roles by the new Panthers coaching staff and it all paid off. He was not great in one area, but his versatility is what might be most attractive for the Patriots.
Samuel went over 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time in his career. His 77 catches for 851 yards are better than what any receiver for the Patriots had last season. He also had 200 yards rushing and was even used out of the backfield at times. One of the great things about Samuel is that he does not have to be lined up exclusively out of the slot or any one place in the formation.
He is not the most marquee name on the free-agent market, but he is one of the better wide receivers available and he would be a great fit for what Josh McDaniels likes to do with the offense. Samuel can be moved all over the offensive formation, and last season he showed the ability to run just about any type of route.
Signing Samuel could also help soften the blow for the eventual loss of James White in free agency. He could run some of the same safety routes plus more. He would give the Patriots the dynamic X-factor the offense has lacked for the past few seasons. An added bonus is that Samuel is a former second-round pick that played for Bill Belichick’s friend Urban Meyer at Ohio State.