At this point in the 2024 offseason, the main focus is the upcoming draft, which happens to be one of the more critical and franchise-altering drafts for the Patriots in recent memory. Because they didn't make a lot of moves in free agency, they will need to hit the ball out of the park with their selections even more than they did before, putting a lot of pressure on the new regime in Foxboro.
They have plenty of cash to spend to bring in more players if they choose, but there are other options they should explore, like extending some of their most talented and valued players with new contracts.
Maybe looking ahead to next year's free agency isn't appropriate, given the importance of this year's draft. However, there are far too many players set to hit the free agent market in 2025 that would be devastating for the Patriots to lose, so locking them down now eliminates any stress of that potentially happening.
These are the top five they should offer extensions to before or after the upcoming draft.
5 Patriots players who should receive contract extensions in 2024
Matthew Judon
Is there anyone more important to the success of the Patriots' defense over the last three seasons than Matthew Judon?
The answer is no, as he has consistently been the leading pass rusher.
He was signed during the Bill Belichick spending spree during the 2021 offseason and has since become one of the best free-agent additions in several years. There were questions about the cost of his contract, mostly due to his age. But he's performed better than expected and actually put together back-to-back seasons that were the best of his career.
The 2023 season began well for Judon, who recorded four sacks, 13 combined tackles, nine quarterback hits, and a safety through just over three games. It was looking like he was well on his way to having another standout year, but he suffered what would be a season-ending injury in Week 4 against the Cowboys.
If his value wasn't already apparent at that point, seeing the pass rush completely fall off in his absence proved it beyond a reasonable doubt. It was the ultimate display of how critical Judon has become to the defense and why he needs to remain on the team for many more years.
He's entering the final year of his contract in 2024 and has done everything he can to show why he deserves an extension. In addition to his own production, he's been a mentor in the locker room, especially to young linebackers, and his help has been demonstrated on the field, as seen by Josh Uche in 2022.
On top of it all, Judon has said multiple times he hopes to retire in New England. So why not ensure that happens by keeping him in Foxboro even longer?
5 Patriots players who should receive contract extensions in 2024
Rhamondre Stevenson
The idea of paying a running back the big bucks in today's NFL has become a controversial topic, no matter how critical they have become to a team's offensive success.
Sure, you can find good players at that position in nearly every new draft, but when you find a solid performer who is well-rounded and wants to be the team's go-to guy, why wouldn't you want to keep him around?
That's the situation the Patriots are in with Rhamondre Stevenson, who will enter the final year of his rookie contract this fall. The 26-year-old has become the dual-threat the team has historically loved, earning the starting role in his second season, resulting in Damien Harris moving down the depth chart.
With his improvement in the backfield coupled with his determination (and accomplishment) to become a threat in the passing game, Stevenson has earned his spot as New England's top running back for years. He has consistently been one of the most reliable weapons on the team, no matter who was in at quarterback, and he aims to take on an even bigger role during the 2024 season.
It's assumed he will continue on the path of being among the running backs in the top half of the league, remaining as the RB1 with Antonio Gibson as his #2.
Because he's projected to have a bounce-back season after suffering an injury last year, Jerod Mayo and Co. would be best to get an extension done now before his value skyrockets, creating more intrigue from teams around the league ahead of next year's free agency.
5 Patriots players who should receive contract extensions in 2024
Christian Barmore
Defensive tackles ran all the way to the bank this offseason by signing massive contracts with new teams in free agency, making it an even bigger mistake that the Patriots didn't prioritize getting a new deal done with Christian Barmore sooner.
He had a slower start to his career, displaying flashes of greatness during the first two years only to have a breakout season in 2023. It wasn't only a breakout season; it was the best of his career, recording 64 combined tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 16 quarterback hits, 8.5 sacks, and six passes defended.
Barmore shined bright within a defense that played impressively every week. The latter half of the year was almost unfathomably good, helping the team add a few more wins to a disappointing season.
Under the assumption he will only build upon what he accomplished last year, it would be wise for Mayo and Co. to get an extension done as soon as possible, as Barmore will demand even more money if he puts together another incredible season.
If they really want to keep their young talent and build the team around them, then keeping a guy like Barmore is an excellent start to get that going.
5 Patriots players who should receive contract extensions in 2024
Jabrill Peppers
Along with Matthew Judon's great signing, Jabrill Peppers, who signed with New England in 2022, was added. He earned an extension to keep him on the team through the 2024 season, and thus far, he's done everything they've asked of him and more, earning another new contract.
Over the last two years, Peppers has become a voice of the defense and learned from one of the best at the position, Devin McCourty. He has since taken on a more prominent role in the secondary, which prompted him to be a starter for every game he played last year, and he is expected to continue climbing the ladder this fall.
With the departures of Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips, he and Kyle Dugger are the only remaining safeties on the team with distinguished roles.
Peppers' energetic and physical play will become even more important, and keeping him should be near the top of the list of priorities when discussing all contract extensions. He was a standout during the 2023 season on a defense that significantly outperformed the other units, continuously creating more opportunities for the team to get back in the game with his replay-worthy plays almost every single week.
He's also made it known that he would like to remain with the team, making it an even bigger no-brainer to get a deal done.
5 Patriots players who should receive contract extensions in 2024
David Andrews
Perhaps one of the more underrated and undervalued players on the Patriots, David Andrews has been as dependable as they come on the offense line during his tenure. As the only true constant on the line, he's become the most integral piece in protecting the quarterbacks, and it doesn't appear that should end any time soon.
It looked like Belichick had drafted his replacement last year by selecting Jake Andrews in the fourth round. But he didn't play much, if at all, as a rookie, and we have no indication that he will eventually replace David next season or in the future.
So, if that's the case, extending the veteran to maintain some consistency with one of the more problematic units on the team seems like a good idea.
The lifelong Patriot has discussed possibly retiring, even as soon as this offseason, which certainly wouldn't be good for the team. But with that decision still up in the air, offering an extension could help make the choice for him.
His presence will be even more critical this upcoming season with so many changes coming to the offense, especially with the presumed rookie quarterback who will eventually get playing time. Keeping Andrews along with Mike Onwenu will set them up for more success than if they needed to add finding a center to their list of priorities.