5 unpopular free agents the Patriots can still sign
With mandatory minicamp finishing up last week shifting the focus to next month's training camp, there is still a lot for the Patriots to consider when building their roster for the 2024 season.
The new regime led by Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf has done an impressive job (mostly) in handling free agency and the draft, adding players who are immediate upgrades and should be contributors from day one, especially on offense.
However, a few positions remain questionable heading into the summer, like the offensive line, receiving corps, and the secondary, all of which could be improved before preseason begins in August.
If that's the case, the Patriots have plenty of cap space to fill the roster voids. Given how they've navigated in recent weeks, however, they might not be looking to make any blockbuster or beloved moves fans would be excited about.
That leaves unpopular players who might make their way to Foxboro this fall, and there are at least five that wouldn't be too surprising to hear the team take an interest in before that.
5 unpopular free agents the Patriots can still sign
LT David Bakhtiari
When looking at the Patriots' offensive roster, there is a clear opening to add a proper left tackle in one way or another. Having the opportunity to sign a talent like longtime Green Bay Packer David Bakhtiari would typically be too good to pass up.
But because he's coming off a severe knee injury that ended his 2023 season prematurely, forcing the NFC North team to release him after 11 seasons, signing him would be more risky than beneficial.
Not only that, but Bakhtiari has only played in 13 games over the last three seasons, suffering multiple injuries that kept him off the field more than on it. Given his injury history and his turning 33 in the first month of the season, it would be wise for the Patriots to look elsewhere for help at the position.
Unfortunately, few left tackles are available to sign at this point in the offseason, limiting New England's options. The new regime should have prioritized this earlier, but instead, they drafted two linemen in the draft in hopes they would be good enough.
That is typically not far-fetched and isn't unheard of from teams in a similar position. However, Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf look to have put all their eggs in Caedan Wallace's basket, who played right tackle throughout his college career, believing he can successfully make the position change to the left side.
It's still a bit early to know whether the rookie will be what the team needs, which will likely become more clear during training camp next month. Because of that, it might be even worse to sign Bakhtiari, as they would also be hoping he would revert to his previous form before injuries.