Patriots: Top 5 free agents the team should try and retain

4. Jason McCourty

There were many heroes in Super Bowl 53; and among them, Jason McCourty stands at the very forefront. In what was the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history, the Patriots prevailed 13-3 over the Rams. The game’s lone touchdown came when Sony Michel dove into the end zone after a gorgeous down-the-field completion from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski set him up.

McCourty’s pass breakup in the end zone, though, might have been the difference between the Patriots winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy or losing their sixth Super Bowl. Rams quarterback lofted one of his only good throws of the night to ex-Patriot Brandin Cooks, who seemingly had a clean shot at securing the ball for a game-tying touchdown in the end zone.

It was not to be, however. McCourty proved himself a worthy addition to Belichick’s defense by not giving up on the play, tangling and wrestling with Cooks until the ball was eventually wrested free and fell to the ground. The end result was an incompletion, and not long thereafter, patriotic-colored confetti was falling at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

McCourty just finished playing out a two-year, $6 million contract he signed with the Cleveland Browns after being released in 2017 by the Tennessee Titans, the team that originally drafted him. At 31, he’s not necessarily past his peak athletically, but he’s also not a “spring chicken” either.

The Patriots were wise to kick the tires on the veteran out of Rutgers and to pair him with his twin brother in a strong New England secondary. They’d be even wiser to try and get him to re-sign for another year or two while they’re at it.