Six Deals Patriots Might Regret Not Making During NFL Free Agency
There were moves to be made.
And not the type of moves that would tie the New England Patriots up for the long term. There were savvy ways to improve the 2024 team while still maintaining flexibility and build for the future. The Patriots opted to pass on many of them.
Instead, the Patriots re-signed many of their own like Mike Onwenu, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche, etc. Their deals with Onwenu and Henry, specifically, needed to be done. They were good moves. And many of the other re-signings were on team-friendly deals — like Uche, who reportedly will earn $3 million on his one-year contract. The Patriots also signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to fill a need, veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn to add depth and others. Those helped, too.
But it felt like there were a handful of others the Patriots could have made — maybe even should have — and didn’t.
Here are six of those New England might look back and regret:
Tyron Smith
The New York Jets signed Smith to a one-year deal with $6.5 guaranteed. Smith said it came down to the Dallas Cowboys, his team for the past 13 seasons, or the Jets and he quickly knew it would be Gang Green. The incentive-heavy agreement is a great deal for the Jets and would have been a great deal for an offensive tackle-needy team like the Patriots. Instead, the Patriots opted not to pursue arguably the best tackle available and now have a key hole to fill entering the NFL draft.
Jonah Williams
Another one of the top tackles to hit the open market this offseason, Williams was viewed as a potential fit for the Patriots. He landed with the Arizona Cardinals and agreed to a reported two-year deal worth $30 million with $19 million guaranteed. This isn’t to say $15 million AAV is any small sum. It’s not. But it’s also not like the Cardinals are paying Williams franchise-left tackle money. Williams, a 2019 first-round pick who started 59 games these last four seasons, could have been a reasonable short-term solution for New England.
Keenan Allen
No, this isn’t the same as a signing in free agency. The Los Angeles Chargers traded Allen to the Chicago Bears last week. But Chicago acquired the 31-year-old wideout for a modest fourth-round pick. Those against the decision quickly point to the fact Allen will carry a $34 million cap hit in 2024. That’s true. But the Patriots are in a position where they can absorb that next season. Acquiring Allen, a Pro Bowler in six of the last seven seasons, who’s averaged 1,130 yards and 98 receptions over the last seven campaigns, would have been a major benefit to a young quarterback.
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Kendall Fuller
The Patriots might be able to benefit from a veteran cornerback opposite second-year Christian Gonzalez. Fuller was one of the top players available at the position after Jaylon Johnson (re-signed with the Bears) and L’Jarius Sneed, who’s involved in trade speculation. He agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $16.5 million with the Miami Dolphins, who released Xavien Howard earlier this offseason.
Calvin Ridley
New England’s interest in Ridley is well-documented. The Patriots reportedly were narrowly outbid for the veteran wideout, who signed a massive four-year, $92 million contract with the Tennessee Titans ($23 million AAV). The Patriots reportedly offered $22 million AAV. It’s a steep contract and could prove to be an overpay. But it’s also one the Patriots might look back on with regret if Ridley puts together four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Tennessee.
Austin Ekeler
The Patriots added a versatile pass-catching back in Antonio Gibson, who agreed to a three-year deal with a base value of $11.25 million and maximum value of $17.25 million. The 25-year-old Gibson played the previous four seasons with the Washington Commanders, who then proceeded to sign Ekeler to a two-year deal worth $8.4 million. Many experts have pegged Ekeler as an upgrade to Gibson in Washington. And should that prove to be the case, New England might wish is signed the 28-year-old who averaged 1,400 yards of offense the last three seasons.