New England Patriots incumbent free agent predictions

Kyle Van Noy

Whereas Devin McCourty seems like a lock to return to the Patriots in 2020, Kyle Van Noy’s situation feels on the surface at least a lot more tenuous.

Van Noy recently opened up to the media about his free agent status, and he sounded a lot like a guy who’s ready to cash in and take whatever new opportunity comes his way. Like McCourty, Van Noy seems to be one of the most vocal supporters of “the Patriot Way,” and he really does fit the mold of the prototypical Bill Belichick disciple on defense.

Unlike McCourty though, Van Noy is still just 28 years old (McCourty is 32). That might not seem like a big gap in regular-person years, but in the NFL, it may as well be a chasm.

Granted, Van Noy knows firsthand what it’s like to play for a loser. Similar to Jamie Collins and Cleveland, Van Noy spent a chunk of his career with the Detroit Lions, where he didn’t do much as a player and his team didn’t do much in the standings.

Van Noy clearly enjoys winning and contending for Super Bowls every year (who wouldn’t?), but he’s also got a family to think about. He’s a smart player who knows that his career could end on any freak play at any time, and he’s the type of guys who recognizes that this is probably going to be his best possible chance at securing a massive payday in free agency.

His next deal will probably be something like the veteran’s minimum somewhere — perhaps even with the Patriots down the line — where he’ll be a useful rotational player and locker room leader. But now is the time to cash in and secure the money bag while he’s still on the right side of 30 and riding the wave of a career season … as much as it may pain Patriots fans to see him go.

Prediction: Goes