Patriots: 3 Moves Bill Belichick Should Make With New Cap Space

1. Sign Jadeveon Clowney and Larry Warford, Trade Joe Thuney

Jadeveon Clowney wants to sign with a contender, so now’s his chance.

This one’s a stretch, but we can’t put any potential magic past Belichick. At this juncture, it’s clear the Patriots are having trouble inking star guard Joe Thuney to a long-term extension. The solution? Lower the asking price on the trade market (maybe a second-round pick?), move Thuney and his $14.78 million salary, and sign Larry Warford and Jadeveon Clowney.

It’s not likely, but it’s also not crazy. Warford was cut by the Saints, who were looking to solve cap issues of their own. Maybe signing Warford to a multi-year deal and backloading it to avoid any potential cap issues in the immediate future could be the best option.

As for Clowney, he’s clearly not going to get his lucrative long-term deal at this point, and somewhat recent reports suggested he wanted to join either the Saints or Cowboys. Given those teams’ cap issues, that’s for sure not happening. But if the Pats can add $14.78 million in space to the existing $7.79 they have right now, getting Clowney on board for a year is possible.

This trio of moves keeps the O-line just as strong, bolsters the pass rush beyond belief, and makes competing with the Chiefs that much more viable. Talk about turning the offseason upside down, right?