New England Patriots Free Agency News: Recapping Day One
By Cyrus Geller
Day one of free agency was a whirlwind, and unfortunately for New England Patriots fans, it didn’t end well. The day started with a few blockbuster trades that didn’t really affect the Pats, but it ended with Darrelle Revis inking a five year contract with the New York Jets.
Bleh.
This news sucks, but the Patriots will rebound, make some other moves, and be back in contention in the AFC come January of 2016. As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are at the helm, things will be okay in Foxboro. Let’s recap what went down yesterday, sans the Revis signing.
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Brandon Browner Let Go
This kind of flew under the radar because of Revis, but the Patriots decided not to pick up Browner’s option, making him a free agent. By doing this, New England saved nearly $5 million in space, which I was fine with, before I realized they wouldn’t be getting Revis back. Now that number 24 is heading back to garbage-city, I’m not sure how I feel about going after Browner. On the one hand, we need corners badly. But on the other, without Revis, Browner’s style doesn’t make a lot of sense. It will be interesting to see how the Pats handle their secondary situation going forward.
Shane Vereen To The Giants
There was a very low chance the Pats would be keeping Vereen this offseason, as he was just looking for more money than New England was willing to offer. Vereen ended up signing a three year, $12.35 million contract with the Giants, which was way above the Patriots’ price range. I’m happy for Vereen, and even though he is in New York, and I wish him the best of luck over the next couple of years. How does this affect the Pats? Well, it depends on how they feel about James White. If they think he can carry the third down back load himself, then they should be okay. But my feeling is they want to bring in a veteran for security. I thought Roy Helu would be that guy, however he was snatched up by the Raiders yesterday. We’ll see who they target from here.
Pats Sign Brandon Gibson
This signing definitely flew under the radar, but it was another good one by Bill Belichick. Gibson won’t be challenging Gronk or Jules for the top slot in this offense anytime soon, but as a third or fourth option, he will fit in very nicely. He has shown throughout his career that he can be productive when given the opportunity, and he should be given a few reps this year in Foxboro. If he does end up sticking, I like him as a fourth option much more than Tim Wright.
Minor Moves
In other minor news for the Pats, Jonathan Casillas was signed by the Giants (for a whopping $10.5 million), and James Develin, Sealver Siliga, and James Morris were all retained on tendered contracts. Losing Casillas wasn’t ideal, but for that kind of money, I’m sure the Patriots paid for his flight out of here. And with Casillas leaving, that opens the door for Morris to become that depth linebacker, which is a role I think he will excel at next season.