As free agency begins to creep up, many Patriots players should be at the top of the list to re-sign. With so many questions surrounding the team's direction under Jerod Mayo's new leadership, retaining some of the most productive players slated to explore the free agent market is critical, especially on offense.
Locking down these players will also benefit them heading into the upcoming draft, giving them a better picture of the direction they should go with each selection.
Kendrick Bourne
Although some may want to avoid a guy coming off an ACL tear a season before, re-signing Kendrick Bourne feels like a must for the Patriots this offseason.
Besides his infectious positive attitude being a selling point, he has had the most success since arriving in New England during the 2021 spending spree and was on pace to have the best season of his career before suffering an injury against the Dolphins in Week 8.
Bourne has proven he can adapt to any quarterback and immediately become their most trusted target, which will be even more helpful in the next few seasons with many questions surrounding the position. On top of that, the receivers currently signed for the 2024 season aren't exactly exciting or boosting the offense in the way they need to help.
Building the receiving corps around Bourne and Demario Douglas would make them a real threat, especially heading into a jam-packed free agency and draft with a great class of pass catchers readily available for them to choose from.
To make the idea even better, Bourne won't be an expensive option compared to some of his free-agent peers. He has also already voiced his desire to return to the team, even after Bill Belichick's departure, which is a positive sign that he's open to negotiation.
Mike Onwenu
As another critical piece of the offense, Mike Onwenu is a player who should not be allowed to leave Foxboro for any reason. Because the offensive line has been such an inconsistent group over the last few years and will need to be prioritized in free agency and the draft, ensuring the best player stays with the team long-term must be one of Jerod Mayo's first pieces of business as soon as free agency begins.
This will be the first time the young tackle enters free agency, and because of his rise to stardom over the last four years, he is already being touted as the best of the group. Because of that, retaining him won't come cheap for the Patriots, but given his versatility, reliability, and consistent production, there's no reason to let him walk.
Unfortunately, reports have suggested the team has already prepared for Onwenu to sign with another team, mainly due to the contract he will likely receive elsewhere. However, because we're now entering the Jerod Mayo era in New England, assuming he won't pay to keep players of Owenu's caliber is not how a situation like this should be approached.
If Bill Belichick were still in charge, watching Onwenu walk would almost be a guarantee, as he has a history of not wanting to give the going rate for top-name players. The former head coach had also formed a pattern of not re-signing players during their first time in free agency in recent years, indicating we'd be saying goodbye to Onwenu.
But since Mayo has already declared he wants to spend the estimated $70 million in cap space for next season while also emphasizing his desire not to be another Belichick, it seems like nothing is off the table regarding Onwenu returning.
Hunter Henry
Like Kendrick Bourne and the wide receivers, the Patriots have zero tight ends signed for the 2024 season, meaning re-signing Hunter Henry is an absolute must.
Finding the right pair of tight ends has proven to be more of a task for New England than anticipated, but they did find the right guy to be the TE1 in Henry. He is considered the top player available at the position this offseason, and because he has been consistently productive since signing with the team three years ago, it would not be very smart to let him go.
Even though it's a position of need that should be addressed in the upcoming draft, it's unlikely Mayo will even look for a tight end until the fourth round at the earliest, as a quarterback, tackle, and wide receiver will almost definitely be the top picks. That only strengthens the need to keep Henry around, a proven red zone weapon and a sufficient blocker when the offense needs it.
Now that the concern about him following Bill Belichick to his new team appears out of the question, since the former Patriots head coach will not be on any sideline in 2024, Henry should be more available than initially presumed.
Maybe his contract isn't the most desirable, but that can be reworked to his benefit and the team's, which is even more crucial since the rest of the free agent tight ends don't appear to be an upgrade over Henry at all.
Kyle Dugger
Kyle Dugger, the Swiss army knife of the secondary, is at the top of the list of defensive free agents who must stay with the Patriots. The likelihood of his re-signing was a bit more iffy when Belichick was still running the show, but things feel a bit different now with Mayo.
From the moment Dugger was drafted, there was a lot of skepticism about how he would fare in the NFL. He came from a DII school and was older than most rookies, causing many to doubt he would ever become much of anything in the league. Fortunately, with good coaching and determination, Dugger has more than proven himself through four years and has become a player even his teammates are advocating to re-sign.
Over the years, he's become more of a juggernaut of the defense, becoming the go-to guy to cover opposing tight ends while demonstrating his incredible versatility by being successful no matter his assignment.
That's not easy to come by with players, but Dugger has consistently produced on the field. Now that the secondary has thinned out with Devin McCourty's retirement and a handful of others heading to free agency as well, re-signing Dugger should be a priority.
The Patriots' defense has become the better side of the team again, and Dugger has been a significant contributor to that. If Mayo hopes to keep continuity with the defense and build upon it, then extending the best players is the way to go, Dugger included.