New England Patriots dream free agent targets in 2023
It’s never too early to look towards the future into next year’s free agency period. Who could be some dream free agents for the Patriots to target? One massive advantage that New England will have next offseason in all likelihood is the massive cap space.
They’ll have around $50 million in cap to spend, which is plenty enough to sign several quality starters if they wanted to. Spending big in free agency yet again would be an uncharacteristic event, but the team did do it last offseason.
The Patriots’ roster doesn’t have a ton of holes, and does have some decent depth, but there are still a few players to target in 2023 that would essentially be pipedreams.
Dream free agent targets for the Patriots in 2023
Elgton Jenkins, OL
Elgton Jenkins has proven to be one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL, and someone who can play multiple positions along the line. Right now, it looks like Jenkins will be the Green Bay Packers’ starting right tackle.
He was originally drafted and begin his career as an interior player, and it excelled at that quite a bit. The Patriots could have a somewhat significant need along the offensive line if the team does trade Isaiah Wynn, but the team would likely do that because they don’t want to fork over a contract extension, and the team isn’t really paying much of their salary cap to this unit, so it might be unlikely that they would spent big at this position.
However, Jenkins is an incredibly talented player who is going to have a ton of suitors if Green Bay allows him to hit the open market.
DJ Chark, WR
Chark, who will be 26 next offseason, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s 6’4″ and ran a 4.34 40 yard dash. The dude is an absolute specimen, and he could be the true difference maker that New England would be looking for.
He signed with the Lions this offseason for $10 million, and a breakout season in Detroit could prompt him to seek a much larger contract next year. Chark does have a 1,000 yard season to his name in 2019, but he’s never played a full season and did deal with some iffy quarterback play in Jacksonville during his career.
DJ Chark would very well top 1,000 yards again in 2022. He’s got all the talent in the world, and could become much more of a household name if he plays well. Chark could form a very nice duo with Jakobi Meyers in New England in 2023 and beyond.
Marcus Peters, CB
Marcus Peters will be 30 years old next offseason, but that might be young enough for one more large payday. Peters is one of the best ballhawks of this generation, winning defensive rookie of the year in 2015 while intercepting eight passes.
He missed all of 2021 with a knee injury, but has still managed 31 interceptions during his career which averages out to be five per season in the years he was healthy. Marcus Peters would bring a bit of a spark to the New England secondary that is likely to be lost with the departure of JC Jackson to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The cornerback market next offseason lacks that top-end talent, but it does have quite a few solid players. Marcus Peters would be the best player from this bunch with the highest ceiling, and if the Patriots’ secondary suffers a bit in 2022, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team spend here next year.