Patriots: 4 free agents NE can sign to replace Dont’a Hightower and Marcus Cannon

1. Nigel Bradham

Nigel Bradham, come get fitted for your Patriots uniform.

The Philadelphia Eagles declined Nigel Bradham’s option for 2020, which made him a free agent at the start of the new league year on March 18. Surprisingly enough, the 30-year-old linebacker has yet to find a new home, and New England should absolutely reach out to him.

Though his production tailed off a bit in 2019, he’s incredibly durable for an eight-year veteran, as he played 58 of a possible 64 games for Philadelphia over the last four years, which included playing 71% of the defensive snaps in 2019. During that span, he posted 348 tackles, 22 passes defended, two interceptions, five sacks, three forced fumbles and 11 quarterback hits. The Patriots love versatility at the linebacker position, and the Florida State product is more than comfortable dropping back in coverage.

New England has the cap space to make a bigger splash, but they’ll undoubtedly need to make a string of signings to overcome these losses. This makes Bradham, who will surely come at a discount, a perfect signing for the franchise.