2023 free agent targets for New England Patriots at bye week
There are some clear areas where the Patriots could upgrade in free agency this coming offseason. Which players could they try and target? To me, free agency is one of the most fun times of the year. Teams can set their rosters up for a Super Bowl run while others may not make a notable move at all.
Two offseasons ago, the Patriots went heavy into free agency. As we slowly but surely head into the 2023 offseason, the team will have quite a bit of cap space to work with if they want to dabble heavily into free agency again.
Bill Belichick may try and make one final push before his tenure has head coach of the Patriots ends. Who could he and his staff target this coming offseason?
Very early 2023 targets for Patriots at the bye week
The first free agent helps shore up a unit that has been up and down this season. Elgton Jenkins of the Green Bay Packers is an extremely talented lineman who can play inside and out. He’s played tackle and guard and I see no reason why he wouldn’t be able to play and excel at right tackle, which is an unknown spot for the team going forward with Isaiah Wynn likely not being retained.
The team may also want to look to the free agency market to improve their wide receiving core. Both Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers are free agents, and I do think Meyers signs an extension with the team. How about DJ Chark? The former Jaguar and current Lion has a 1,000 yard receiver under his belt and is a true X receiver.
He’s 6’4″ and has insane wheels. He’d be a perfect fit for the team and would pair up nicely with Jakobi Meyers, given he’s re-signed. We’ll see if Detroit re-signs him, but he’s only played in three games and the Lions’ offense looks rather solid.
The last free agent is someone that can help boost the secondary bit which lost a huge playmaker in JC Jackson last offseason. Marcus Peters is a similar player. He’s a true ballhawk and CB1. Perhaps he isn’t the same as he was back in 2017, but Peters has a knack for the ball and would provide some backend help for the defense.
If the Patriots were to come away with Elgton Jenkins, DJ Chark, and Marcus Peters as their primary free agency gets, I think the team would be in a much better position heading into 2023. Obviously, the 2022 season is only half over, so all three of these men could be re-signed before they hit the market.
I personally think that both Chark and Peters will be hitting the open market in 2023. Jenkins could too, but he plays an extremely valuable position and I think Green Bay would like to keep him around.