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New England Patriots: Top 3 players to add in free agency

By Patrick Morgan

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 25: Tight End Jared Cook #87 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a touchdown in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 25: Tight End Jared Cook #87 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a touchdown in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Ndamukong Suh #93 of the Los Angeles Rams enters the field during warmups prior to Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Ndamukong Suh #93 of the Los Angeles Rams enters the field during warmups prior to Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Ndamukong Suh

This might be a bit of a controversial inclusion on this list for a couple of reasons.

For one, Ndamukong Suh isn’t exactly liked around New England by a lot of players, coaches, or fans. The one-time Miami Dolphin has done battle against the Patriots’ O-line numerous times throughout the years, and he’s alternately been labeled a dirty player and/or a lazy one. So from a culture standpoint, he doesn’t exactly scream “Patriot Way.”

Beyond that, he’s still a marquee attraction on the free agent market and around the NFL. Even if his play has declined as he’s gotten older, there aren’t that many household names still out there and available in free agency, and Suh is definitively one of them. There’s a good chance he’s looking for a deal with some defense-needy team that might put him squarely out of the Patriots’ price range.

Despite all that and whatever other red flags he might have following him, Suh could also easily be the latest example of a once-great aging veteran rediscovering himself in Foxborough. How many times through the years have we seen it? Bill Belichick nabs some has-been for peanuts, doesn’t ask too much of him, keeps him fresh throughout the season, and then in the playoffs, the two sides help each other to a ring.

The formula is certainly there; it’s just a matter of whether there’s enough interest from the concerned parties.

If Suh is at that point of his career where winning a championship is more important to him than earning another big payday, he should strongly consider signing with the Patriots. And if New England is looking for a dynamic role player along a defensive line that currently ranks as the weak spot on an otherwise-stacked defensive unit, then they should make Suh an offer.

Especially now that Trey Flowers is gone and Malcom Brown could soon be gone as well, it might make sense for both sides to come together for a trial run this year.

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