Patriots: 3 players fighting for long-term contracts in 2021

The New England Patriots essentially facelifted their roster this offseason, spending significantly north of $200 million in free agency after they finished with their worst record since Bill Belichick first took over head coaching duties in 2000.

While the Patriots’ high-profile additions — like edge rusher Matt Judon and tight end tandem Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith — nabbed headlines, what caught our attention was the emphasis they placed on re-signing some of their homegrown talent.

These moves got lost in the shuffle during free agency, but it speaks volumes that the Patriots re-signed center David Andrews, defensive linemen Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr., and running back James White.

Each of those players looked poised to leave New England before their deals were confirmed, which proves Belichick and Co. will be aggressive to retain key foundational pieces moving forward into next offseason.

That got us thinking about which current Patriots will be fighting for long-term deals this upcoming season. Believe it or not, there’s a laundry list of players whose contracts are expiring, but we managed to narrow it down to a top three.

These three Patriots will be playing for a contract extension in 2021.

3. Sony Michel

If we’re being honest, Isaiah Wynn was our preferred choice for the No. 3 spot, but the Patriots picking up his fifth-year option made that impossible. That was a fairly surprising move given Wynn’s injury history, but we’ll happily opt for Sony Michel instead.

Michel unfortunately didn’t receive the same good fortune as Wynn, as the Pats opted against exercising the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. That wasn’t shocking given the emergence of Damien Harris and following the selection of Rhamondre Stevenson back in April.

Despite that, however, Michel could salvage his future in New England with a resurgent fourth season. That’s obviously easier said than done, but all the 2019 first-round pick has to do is pick up where he left off last season.

Could the Patriots re-sign Sony Michel if he has a breakout year?

Though injuries limited him to nine games, Michel took 79 carries for 449 yards and a touchdown. The former Georgia star’s 5.7 yards per carry was easily the best of his career, and he genuinely looked like a remade running back after returning from injury, showcasing an explosiveness between the tackles that fans hadn’t seen in his first two seasons.

It remains to be seen if Michel can rediscover that burst, or if he can stay healthy, but he at least deserves to have a prominent role next season.

The Patriots are notoriously reluctant when it comes to giving running backs long-term contracts, but a performance similar to what we saw last campaign could definitely see Michel break that trend and ink a multi-year contract next offseason.