The New England Patriots might have one of the best salary cap situations in the NFL this offseason, but this roster still has some players on the books that don’t necessarily need to be hanging around in 2021. Whether it’s because they can no longer contribute, they cost too much, or there’s a surplus at that position, Bill Belichick has room to trim some fat.
Unfortunately, we know Pats fans might not be thrilled with all of these, but this is arguably the most pivotal offseason of Belichick’s career, and he can’t be charitable when he needs to get this team back on track as quickly as possible.
Giving the front office more spending power, no matter how little, will go a long way, especially if Belichick opts to unload considerable draft capital for a quarterback (though we have no idea who that would be). And that means these current Patriots might be looking for a new home in the coming weeks/months.
These potential cap casualties could increase the Patriots’ spending power.
3. Brandon Bolden
The running back opted out of 2020, and now the Patriots might cut ties.
Though Rex Burkhead and James White will be hitting free agency, leaving the Patriots with Damien Harris, Sony Michel and Brandon Bolden in the backfield, we highly doubt Belichick is going to let White walk. Burkhead likely won’t be retained given he suffered a torn ACL midway through the season.
That being said, Harris, Michel, White and JJ Taylor will be more than enough to get by in 2021. There’s no need for the Patriots to pay Bolden, who opted out of 2020 and had only 68 rushing yards in 2019, his nearly $2 million salary, especially when just $500K is dead money. The Pats can save just about $1.5 million by releasing him.
When you look at the backfield, too, the roles are set. Harris is the starter, Michel, assuming he can stay healthy, will be a tremendous option to give carries to/use as a blocker, and White is the Swiss Army knife third-down back who can help bail out the QB by catching balls when he leaks out of the pocket. Plus, White is pretty much a Patriots legend at this point. There’s no reason for him to go anywhere.
Belichick is always cost-cutting at the running back position, so there’s no reason for him not to this time around, especially when the decision comes down to Bolden, who hasn’t contributed more than 91 rushing yards in a single season since 2015.
2. Matt LaCosse
The Patriots will likely add a starting caliber TE, which hurts Matt LaCosse.
When we look at another position of surplus, the tight ends room is nowhere close to the level of talent as the RBs, but there’s no chance the Patriots will carry four lackluster TEs heading into 2021. Yes, part of this is Belichick’s fault for drafting two in the third round last year (Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene), but they won’t be given up on so easily. Ryan Izzo also isn’t great, but he’s only making $800K.
Considering the Patriots will likely make an addition of the starting-caliber variety in this department, it might be Matt LaCosse who will be on the outside looking in. Another 2020 opt out, LaCosse is set to make nearly $1.5 million in 2021, but has a dead cap number of just $150K. The Pats can save $1.3 million by cutting him loose, especially since the 28-year-old only spent 2019 with the team.
In Tom Brady’s final year, he hauled in 13 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown. That’s not going to convince Belichick to keep him around regardless of how bad this unit was with Cam Newton in 2020. Either give the younger guys a shot or spend money on a starter, but don’t pay four clear backup/third-string options.
If LaCosse had played last year, we might be having a different conversation, but now the Patriots are in a precarious situation with zero time to waste.
1. Julian Edelman
Whether Julian Edelman retires or is cut, he’ll save the Pats a good chunk of $.
Don’t say it! We can’t have this! Not Julian Edelman! But everything’s been downhill for the veteran wideout after he was arrested for vandalism during a drunken moment in Los Angeles.
Despite a career year in 2019, Edelman had injuries hold him back significantly in 2020, and even when he was on the field (aside from one game), he was downright ineffective. The knee issue he endured that eventually required surgery is certainly a valid excuse for his performance, but are the Patriots ready to invest $6.1 million to see if he’s better and ready to return to his former self?
We’re just not so sure. Whether it’s a cut, a trade, or Edelman announcing his retirement, Patriots fans better brace for him to not be on the 2021 roster. If the Patriots cut or trade him, that will free up nearly $3.5 million in cap space. That’s a considerable amount when you factor in the additional $1.3 million from LaCosse and $1.5 million from Bolden. That’s an extra $7.3 million.
We’re not saying by any means that Edelman won’t be able to return and produce close to the capacity he was once capable of, it’s just clear that the Patriots might not be able to afford to bank on that given their current situation, the fact that Edelman’s been banged up for years, and because he’s about to be 35 years old.
Just think about it … another $7.3 million could get the Pats another impact player and they need plenty of those after what we just witnessed in 2020.
Patriots: 3 free agents that will be a total waste of money for New England
The Patriots can't be too cavalier about how they choose to spend this offseason, as going after three free agents wouldn't be the wisest move.