Five points of business for Patriots
INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots’ offseason is officially under way this week as the NFL engulfs Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine. Because the combine is a week later than usual this year, it serves as an appetizer for the March 9 dawn of free agency.
But don’t be fooled. The combine is hardly just about a few hundred draft prospects running around in sponsored underwear. The real stuff happens behind the scenes where team executives get a feel for free agency by meeting with agents, who are all required to be in town for their annual meeting.
The Patriots have four of the top 103 picks in next month’s draft and a projected $65 million in cap space for 2017, which is the fourth most in the league and $19 million more than any playoff team. So they’ll be busy. Here are their five most important business matters this week in Indy.
1. Franchise-caliber dilemma
The Patriots have informed linebacker Dont'a Hightower's team that they will not place the franchise tag on him by today's deadline. So the Patriots must have some fruitful conversations with Hightower's agent, Pat Dye, this week to show they intend to offer him a salary that indicates he is one of the top linebackers in the league. Short of that, Dye will have the opportunity to shop his client to other suitors who may be more committed to winning a bidding war. A fair estimation for a baseline of Hightower's contract could be $60 million over five years, including $30 million guaranteed. The Patriots are ruthless negotiators — and their tactics are usually validated — but if they truly want to keep an integral locker room leader and big-game performer, it would be wise to get it done this week.
2. The rich get richer
The Patriots already employ the oneand-only Tom Brady, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo should be the most coveted quarterback on the market this offseason. While the Patriots don't have to trade Garoppolo, they'll certainly listen to interested teams, and the word is they better call with a first- and second-round pick at the ready. The Pats will be within their right to hold on to Garoppolo if no one meets their asking price, considering Tom Brady will be 40 years old in his next game, but they have a chance to add some serious draft collateral in the coming days. If they want to trade him, it'd be wise to do it before any teams talk themselves into falling in love with a mediocre draft class.
3. Tight ends in focus
Even if the Patriots keep Martellus Bennett, which is no sure thing, they've got to pay close attention on the tight ends in this class. It's shaping up to be the best group of tight ends in years. The Patriots should do their homework on the cream of the crop — like Alabama's O.J. Howard and Miami's David Njoku in case they get a top-15 pick in exchange for Garoppolo — as well as the talent that should still remain in the third and fourth rounds. Rob Gronkowski is under contract for an affordable $24 million over the next three years, but the Patriots need to solidify the depth chart behind him for two reasons. They don't want to end up in another situation where the Tim Wrights and Scott Chandlers of the world don't pan out, and they'd be wise to groom a high-end successor in case Gronk succumbs to another serious injury.
4. Secondary studies
The Pats have to start in-house in the defensive backfield as they negotiate with cornerbacks Malcolm Butler (restricted free agent) and Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon. It'd take a Herculean effort for an opponent to steal Butler, but there's a real possibility Ryan and Harmon will get better deals elsewhere. Conveniently for the Pats, there's a great collection of corners and safeties in the draft. They've got to sort out which prospects are worth a first-round pick and which ones might be better off as a Friday selection. The cornerback group still appears to be jumbled at the top while safeties Jamal Adams, Malik Hooker and Jabrill Peppers are the best of that position. Another intriguing name is UConn's Obi Melifonwu, who is 6-foot4, 219 pounds and a hybrid, matchup-type of defender. While the Patriots shouldn't need to spend a firstround pick on a safety, with Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung under contract, Melifonwu could be a guy to work with if his skill matches his size and athleticism.
5. Rush hour
Trey Flowers could be a premier defensive end next season, and Rob Ninkovich also returns. From there, it'd make sense to retain Chris Long on another shortmoney deal, let Jabaal Sheard get paid by someone else and spend one or two picks in the first four rounds on a defensive end. The pass rushers are the strength of the draft, so the Patriots could get an immediate starter in the first round and a solid rotational player in the third or fourth rounds who could grow into a legitimate performer in the future. The Patriots are in a transition phase with their edge rushers, and this is the perfect time to load up on draft prospects so they've got to define the hierarchy of the position this week at the combine.