Will Patriots spend up or bargain down at linebacker?

Regardless of how the rest of their offseason unfolds, Dont’a Hightower returning is among the best news the

Patriots could have hoped for in 2021.

He’s the heart of their defense. He’s versatile and productive. He’s a longtime captain and culture-driver, respected by all in the building.

Hightower will also turn 31 on Friday after taking a year off from football.

The Pats cannot reasonably expect him to perform at an elite level for multiple years moving forward. Who replaces Hightower in the middle longterm is anyone’s guess. It’s possible the team believes the answers are already in-house.

Last season, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings played both on and off the ball as rookies. Where the Pats project them long-term will affect their pursuit of linebackers in free agency. Beyond that there are only two safe assumptions about how the Patriots will approach the market.

One: they will not sign a top-flight edge rusher. Since 2012, they’ve ranked 25th in edge-defender spending on average. The Pats do not view pursuing the NFL’s sack leaders as good business.

Two: traditional inside linebackers won’t see a big bag, either. These players have a niche role in the Pats’ system, where base defense is often played with one inside linebacker and a safety at the second level. Typically, that linebacker can also play on the edge, a la Hightower.

Those are the players the Patriots prefer: intelligent and multi-talented, especially when they come at a bargain.