Patriots must sign this offensive and defensive free agent pair this winter

The Patriots should sign these two free agents in the offseason.

All is not right with the New England Patriots right now. Not only will they miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008 — while also forfeiting their division title streak, which dates back to that year — but they also clinched their first losing record in 20 years following their loss to Buffalo.

Speaking of that lopsided defeat, it might ultimately prove to be a blessing in disguise, as it could serve as a humbling (and hopefully final) reminder of just how far off the pace their roster is compared to some of the NFL’s heavyweights.

Luckily for the Patriots, this offseason will provide them with the perfect opportunity to start to fix the flaws of their roster. They’ll have approximately $72 million in salary cap space to work with, which will allow them to trade for or sign a handful of players.

Nobody really knows what GM Bill Belichick is planning to do with all that money, but signing these two big-named free agents will go a long way in helping the cause. For the sake of balance, we decided to pick one player from each side of the ball.

We’ll start with wide receiver Allen Robinson, who seemed to be on the verge of inking an extension with Chicago at the start of the year before negotiations broke down. The Patriots desperately need an injection of talent on the perimeter and Robinson would change the entire dynamic of their one-dimensional offense.

While working with pedestrian quarterback play, the 27-year-old stud currently ranks fifth in the league in receptions (100) and ninth in receiving yards (1,213). He also has a respectable six touchdown catches and was one of two wideouts to have at least 100 targets and zero drops.

If the Patriots don’t aggressively pursue Robinson, fans have every reason to form an angry mob outside of Gillette Stadium. He might not get mentioned as one of the best receivers in the league, but he undoubtedly belongs in that discussion, and he’d be a perfect fit in New England.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1337955910229127168

On the defensive side of the ball, we simply must see Yannick Ngakoue in a Patriots uniform next season. A former second-round pick out of Maryland that’s been traded twice this season, Ngakoue is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the NFL.

This campaign marked the fifth straight year that he compiled at least eight sacks. He also has four forced fumbles, which ranks fourth among all defensive ends, and 10 quarterback hits. That production has seen him earn an elite 76.1 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus. To put it simply, he’s the definition of consistency in terms of getting after the quarterback and we all know how much the Patriots have struggled in that department in 2020.

There should be more cap space left over after these two signings for the Patriots to make further upgrades, but landing Robinson and Ngakoue in free agency would be a great start to their voyage to return to contender status in what has become a loaded AFC.

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