11 free agents Patriots need to circle back to after the NFL Draft
The height of free agency is over, and most teams probably feel satisfied with where their rosters stand after the NFL Draft. However, the Patriots still have a few holes they could easily address by bringing in some readily available talent.
Although they managed to upgrade the most crucial parts of the team through the draft, specifically on offense, a few positions remain vulnerable. The left side of the offensive line is at the top of the list, along with a few spots on the defense, which Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf only dealt with by adding a defensive back in the draft.
Fortunately, New England still holds around $50 million in cap space for the 2024 season, leaving plenty of money to sign their draft class and add more depth to the roster.
There are at least 11 players they should consider signing, as they remain free agents and could likely be brought in on cheaper contracts but be a tremendous help for the season ahead.
Free agents Patriots need to circle back to after NFL Draft
CB Stephon Gilmore
By far, the most desirable free agent that Patriots fans want to see sign with the team ahead of the season is cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
He is one of the few players over the years that they have collectively decided was one that never should've left the team, so now that he's available to return, it seems more than fitting for it to happen now.
Other than Gilmore still playing like a top corner making him a good fit, the Patriots lost most of their depth at the position with the departures of Myles Bryant, J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills, creating a perfect opportunity for the former Defensive Player of the Year to return.
He would be a solid addition to a cornerback room led by Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones. Having the ability to rotate Gilmore into the mix could give the Patriots one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and who wouldn't want to see that?
Because he remains unsigned this late in free agency despite the rumors that the Cowboys wanted to have him return for next season, it would be silly for Mayo and Wolf not to pursue him. On top of that, Gilmore made it clear he wanted to return to Foxboro to end his career, so a deal should be happening already, right?