Five most important questions for the Patriots in the offseason
A franchise-altering offseason is already under way for the Patriots.
While offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels changed his mind at the last second and will stay, the Patriots are still dealing with the loss of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Lions.
There’s a good chance it won’t end there, either, so what else should the Patriots expect to happen in the coming months? Here are the five most important questions that hang overhead.
1. WHO’S LEFT?
Bill Belichick has said he “absolutely” intends to return in 2018, and it appears owner Robert Kraft has persuaded McDaniels to stick around. Tom Brady also said he'll be back. Rob Gronkowski will spend a few weeks determining whether or not he'll retire, which is far and away the greatest concern at the moment. And from there, how many more coaches will depart? Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia was noncommittal about his future, and it's fair to wonder about 63-yearold running backs coach Ivan Fears. The coaching depth is a concern, but as long as Belichick, Brady and Gronk do indeed return, the Patriots will be contenders in 2018.
2. MALCOLM, GO:
Stephon Gilmore was outstanding in the postseason, but he'll need a partner in crime next season because Malcolm Butler isn't coming back. Butler's in-house replacements include Eric Rowe, Jon Jones and Cyrus Jones, so the Patriots will likely look for another corner in the draft or free agency. Given Belichick's recent affinity for veterans, will he go after Aqib Talib or Richard Sherman, who are both under contract but could be traded or released? Talib loved his time with the Patriots, and Sherman was excited last offseason when the Pats called the Seahawks about his services. Related, Butler turns 28 before free agency and owes it to himself to find the most money he can get, but if it's close, will he stay in the AFC to try to stick it to Belichick? This soap opera isn't over.
3. QUARTERBACK QUANDARY:
As a quick refresher, Jimmy Garoppolo is gone and Brady will turn 41 in August. Now that we're caught up, the Patriots will likely spend an early draft pick on a quarterback. Their first four picks are at No. 31, Nos. 41 or 43 (decided by the 49ersRaiders coin flip), No. 63 and No. 95. And as unlikely as it sounds, the Pats might want to trade up in the first round to get a quality player who will also have a fifth-year team option on their contract. Top prospects include Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Mason Rudolph and Lamar Jackson. Three or four of them should be gone in the top half of the first round, so the Patriots have to figure out their plan of attack.
4. CAP IT OFF:
Aside from Butler, the Patriots' biggest free agents include left tackle Nate Solder, slot receiver Danny Amendola, running backs Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead, special teamers Matthew Slater, Nate Ebner and Johnson Bademosi and tackles LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming. If the salary cap hits $178 million, the Patriots would currently have about $14 million in cap space, which isn't much. The Patriots can save almost $17 million if they release tight ends Martellus Bennett and Dwayne Allen, defensive tackle Alan Branch and linebacker David Harris. (They'd also save $6.9 million in cap space if Gronk retires.) They can free up an additional $6 million if they unload linebacker Shea McClellin, running back Mike Gillislee and wide receiver Kenny Britt. And they could probably extend Brady to trim about $2 million in cap space. So the Pats have the means to create an extra $25 million in space, and they'll need it to keep Solder, who could theoretically accept something similar to the two-year, $20 million extension that he just played out. The Pats won't assume rookie Tony Garcia can start next season, as he still needs to gain another 40 pounds after battling an illness. Plus, they'll have to account for reinforcements in their front seven, a replacement for Butler and a couple running backs, among other areas.
5. SECOND GUESSING:
Belichick's players are angry that Butler was deleted from the Super Bowl game plan, according to team sources, so will there be any carryover? The Patriots have some tremendous veteran leadership, but they're humans who were distraught to see a well-respected performer like Butler get embarrassed with tears his in eyes Sunday night. More than likely, the Patriots will be just fine when they report for work in April, just like they were in 2016 despite being livid over the Jamie Collins trade. But it's a fact the players in that locker room believe Belichick didn't field his best team against the Eagles. Look at the previous three Super Bowl losers. The Seahawks questioned Pete Carroll's late-game play-calling. The Panthers questioned Cam Newton's leadership when he wouldn't dive for his fumble. And the Falcons raised a collective eyebrow at the coaching staff amid a flurry of errors when they blew a 28-3 lead. None have been remotely as good since those losses. Again, this isn't an assumption that the same thing will happen to the Patriots, but it's something to monitor when they return in the spring.