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Patriots miss out on potential free agent targets again

By Sara Marshall

Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III (30) celebrates after intercepting a pass from Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals improved to 9-4 with a 23-10 win over the Browns.Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14
Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III (30) celebrates after intercepting a pass from Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals improved to 9-4 with a 23-10 win over the Browns.Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14 /
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Although free agency in the NFL doesn’t officially start until Wednesday, the legal tampering period began at noon on Monday. The day was filled with breaking news about players around the league receiving massive contracts, but in typical fashion, the Patriots were not one of them.

We did see the trade of Jonnu Smith to the Falcons to start the day, and shortly after that, the news about Jonathan Jones signing a two-year contract to remain in New England was released.  Despite not being the news that most Patriots fans were hoping to hear, Jones’ re-signing, in particular, was a priority this offseason, and it was good Bill Belichick got the deal done quickly.

The rest of the day, the Patriots appeared to be watching from the sidelines as blockbuster deals for top-quality talent kept the internet abuzz all afternoon. And unfortunately, a handful of potential targets wound up with other teams, making many question the motives of the Patriots for this offseason yet again.

Jessie Bates – After Devin McCourty’s retirement, Bates became a top target for the Patriots to fill the safety void on the team. Whether or not they were ever in on him legitimately is unknown, but regardless of that answer, Bates signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Falcons.

Jamel Dean – Fortunately, the Patriots managed to keep Jonathan Jones in town for at least two more years, ensuring they will have some stability in their secondary next season. Jamel Dean became an interesting target as he became a free agent for the first time this offseason. However, not long after the legal tampering period began, it was announced Dean re-signed with the Bucs on a four-year, $52 million deal.

Tremaine Edmunds -With the desire to get faster on defense overall, but especially at the linebacker position, former Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds appeared like he could be an excellent fit to be just that. The 24-year-old became a prominent piece of Buffalo’s defense and was set to be heavily sought after as soon as he hit free agency. As one of the teams making the biggest splashes on day one on Monday, the Bears signed Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million deal, which seemed way out of what the Patriots would’ve likely offered.

Mike McGlinchey – One of the most vital positions needing an overhaul has clearly been offensive tackles, especially with Isaiah Wynn heading to free agency and Trent Brown’s future up in the air. Mike McGlinchey rose to the top of the wish list for the Patriots to land but was viewed that way by most teams around the league as he was one of the top tackles to hit free agency this year. But the Broncos swooped in first, spending over $200 million in signings on Monday, and got McGlinchey on a five-year, $87.5 million deal.

Andre Dillard – One of the better pieces of news to come out of New England on Monday was their expressed interest in tackle Andre Dillard. Despite signing with the Titans and the Patriots losing out on another player, it was revealed by ESPN’s Diana Russini that the team was in talks with Dillard before him choosing to sign with Tennessee. It’s good news because it shows the Patriots are active during this legal tampering period, yet it’s also bad news since they couldn’t manage to get the deal done.

A fair number of talented free agents are still available for the Patriots to sign as free agency officially begins on Wednesday. Will they become more aggressive as the days go on this week? We can only hope so.

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