The New England Patriots currently have $20.18 million in cap space lying around, which is good for the sixth-most of any team in the NFL. That seems impossible given how much money they’ve already spent this offseason, but who are we to question their methods?
It remains to be seen if the Patriots are planning to use some of their remaining money or if they want to have some of it carry over into next season, when the salary cap will skyrocket and they can potentially go on another spending spree.
What is abundantly clear, however, is that the Foxborough faithful have very little to complain about in terms of how the roster is presently constructed.
The Pats have high-end talent at each level of the field and seem poised to return to the playoffs if they handle their business.
However, while impact players like Stephon Gilmore, Cam Newton and Matt Judon will garner most of the headlines leading up to next season, the unsung heroes of New England’s roster deserve equal recognition.
After all, without them there’s no way to know where the Patriots would’ve finished in recent seasons.
These three Patriots players deserve more respect entering 2021.
3. Lawrence Guy
The Patriots welcomed a plethora of new defensive linemen to their front seven this offseason, but by no means is that an indictment against Lawrence Guy, whose consistency over the last handful of seasons was rewarded with a new four-year, $11.5 million contract.
Could the 31-year-old vet have signed for more money elsewhere? Without a doubt, and him choosing to re-sign with the Patriots proves he’s a team-first player. If that didn’t convince you, maybe the fact that Guy can play anywhere along the Pats’ defensive front will do the trick.
There’s a reason Bill Belichick raves about Guy at every possible opportunity. Though the nine-year pro doesn’t pad the stat sheet, he eats up a ton of real estate in the trenches, which only generates more holes for his teammates to bullrush opposing quarterbacks.
Lawrence Guy is essential to what the Patriots do defensively.
In 2019, Guy finished with 61 tackles, which ranked third among New England defenders, if you can believe it, three sacks, five QB hits, and an interception. He followed that up by recording 57 tackles (four for loss), two sacks, seven QB hits and 11 pressures last campaign.
Like so many interior lineman around the league, Guy won’t get the same recognition as a lockdown cornerback or proven edge rusher, but he’s just as important to the Pats. Not many players last very long in Foxborough and the fact that Guy already has three years under his belt and is now signed through 2024 proves he’s deserving of more respect.
2. Jonathan Jones
While the Patriots likely could’ve gotten away without tinkering their secondary this offseason, their succulent cap situation, coupled with the uncertain futures of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Patrick Chung, who has since retired, really left them no other choice.
The Jalen Mills signing figures to be a strong one given that he’s capable of playing the CB and safety positions at a high level. We just hope it doesn’t cut into Jonathan Jones’ playing time, as he’s been one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the entire NFL over the last two years.
Jones should enter training camp as the No. 3 CB on the Pats roster, and nothing (unless he forgets how to play the position) should change that. After all, he played 72% of the defensive snaps last year and earned a stellar 80.8 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.
It’s time to give Jonathan Jones his flowers, Patriots fans.
It’d be easy to give Gilmore and JC Jackson all the plaudits while discussing New England’s secondary, but Jones has been just as effective. Before his breakout campaign last year, Jones allowed just a 60.8% completion percentage in 2019 and forced incompletions at the fifth-highest rate among CBs on passes thrown between the numbers.
While Jones isn’t a gifted pass rusher, he’s as good as they come at the cornerback position in terms of man-to-man coverage and rushing defense. The five-year pro has been underrated for far too long and we are here to officially put an end to that narrative.
1. David Andrews
Much to the surprise of fans, the Patriots overhauled their offensive line this offseason. It started by trading for Trent Brown, then shipping Marcus Cannon to the Texans, welcoming Shaq Mason back after he opted out last season, and re-signing David Andrews.
Speaking of Andrews, he clearly deserves consideration as one of the best centers in the league, but only Patriots fans recognize him as such. Nothing about that is fair, and that’s exactly why he qualified for the top spot on this list.
If you put aside the 2019 season, which Andrews missed in its entirety after he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, the former undrafted talent has appeared in 72 of a possible 80 games since his rookie year in 2015.
David Andrews is hands down one of the best centers in the NFL.
Much like former guard Joe Thuney, who signed with Kansas City as a free agent earlier this offseason after New England opted against extending him, Andrews’ contributions to the Patriots’ last two championships have been grossly overlooked.
Over his first five seasons (4,694 snaps), Andrews is responsible for allowing just eight sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. During that span, he conceded 18 penalties and earned a 71.3 grade from PFF, culminating with an 84.7 mark in 2017.
Make no mistake about it, folks; with Thuney now with the Chiefs, Andrews is now the de facto most important member of the Patriots offensive line. If that doesn’t prove it’s time to put respect on his name, then nothing does.
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