COMMENT
The Patriots received unexpected good news last week, receiving a salary cap credit of $ 6.55 million following the settlement of pending compensation grievances with ex-Patriot Antonio Brown and the late estate Aaron Hernandez.
For the cash-strapped Patriots, such an announcement was a fortuitous opportunity, given the salary gymnastics they should have done to create more wiggle room under the hat for the 2020 season. Now, according to the expert in Patriots caps Miguel Benzan, the team has $ 7,794,739 of overhead space to work on.
For a team that had to wait for Cam Newton to drastically lower their asking price before they could afford to bring him on board, having nearly $ 8 million in ceiling space now gives the Patriots the opportunity to sign a veteran free agent or make a trade for. a player who could help the team in 2020. Alternatively, they could decide to stand and do nothing.
Here are some ideas on how New England can take advantage of their new financial flexibility to improve their squad for 2020.
Jadeveon Clowney sign
The last time New England pushed all their chips to the middle of the table to move all-in for a season was in 2014, when they signed cornerback Darrelle Revis on a one-year contract of $ 12 million with an option for a second year at $ 20 million. It worked pretty well, to put it mildly, as Revis helped elevate the Patriots’ defense to an elite level and was a key part of the Super Bowl winning team in 2014.
With every day that passes with free agent edge defender Jadeveon Clowney in the open market, the possibility for Clowney to strike a year-long ‘prove it’ deal with a competitor to restore market value becomes. more and more likely.
The Patriots don’t have a real threat around the edges of their defense at the moment from a passing rush perspective. Chase Winovich, who has shown promise as a rookie, and veteran edge defenseman John Simon are likely starters, and are certainly no slouch as passers, but the Patriots’ defense hasn’t really changed. gives it on its defensive line. While the New England high school is still one of the best in the league, the defensive line could use a boost.
Adding Clowney for a year would likely still require ceiling maneuvers, but with $ 7.9 million to work on now, the Patriots can offer the former Seattle Seahawk the chance to learn under Bill Belichick for a year, and be put in the best position to succeed. in the field, at a modest salary level for a player of his caliber. A productive 2020 could help reset the Clowney market and put it in a better position to cash in 2021.
Clowney is the kind of hybrid rusher who would wreak havoc on New England’s defensive plan, similar to what Chandler Jones did when he was with the Patriots. With his combination of length and power, Clowney is a force against the run as well as the pass, and could be used as a chess piece by Belichick, lining up several positions on the defensive line as the Patriot.
Clowney’s presence would allow Winovich to return as a situational pass passer, the role he played well in as a rookie, and provide a much needed boost on the New England D-line.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, however, such a move is seen as unlikely, because in Rapoport’s words, “I think Clowney would just like to make a lot of money. […] I don’t think he would take just a small and small case from the Patriots.
Sign Tim Jernigan
The Patriots are still skinny on defensive tackles heading into 2020. Lawrence Guy is still one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, but after that the team has Beau Allen, who was signed to replace Danny. Shelton, Adam Butler, an undersized player. for his position, and a collection of unproven players behind them.
Jernigan, 27, had a deal with the Texans earlier this offseason, having spent the past three seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. While he’s also on the smaller side for his position, like Butler, at 6-2, 295 pounds, Jernigan has some versatility and would improve the team’s depth on defensive tackle.
As a member of the 2017 Eagles team that won the Super Bowl, Jernigan started 15 games, registering 34 tackles, 18 quarterback presses and 2.5 sacks in 492 shots. He suffered a broken foot in 2019, causing him to miss six games, which resulted in a drop in production, making just 10 tackles and two sacks.
Houston initially signed Jernigan for a year at $ 3.75 million this offseason. With Jernigan still unsigned at the end of the offseason, New England could look to sign him for even less to bolster their defensive line.
Trade for David Njoku
Yes, the Patriots picked two tight ends in this year’s NFL Draft, but Belichick has a knack for negotiating for talented players when their value is at a low point, and Njoku certainly fits that category, after playing. only 99 offensive shots in four games in 2019 due to an injured wrist.
For a team that lacks red zone targets for anyone starting at the quarterback, Njoku would help greatly in this area. Still barely 24 years old, the 6-foot-4, 247-pound tight end works well for his size and has good hands. He would immediately become the top option on the depth chart at the tight final position for New England, and his presence would help tight rookies Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi develop and learn at a more reasonable pace in 2020.
Not moving
The most likely scenario, and the most fiscally prudent option, is to stand firm and do nothing with their new cash flow.
Each NFL season brings uncertainty in many forms. Players could show signs of decline or get injured, and team flaws that weren’t apparent in training camp may need to be corrected during the season.
While it is the least entertaining of the options available to the team, the smartest thing to do, especially with the league’s finances appearing fragile due to the economic effects of the coronavirus, is to postpone the cap. in the season.
If the team is in contention in the middle of the season, it might make sense to trade for an offensive weapon to help at the end. If so, any upgrade probably wouldn’t be cheap, and the team would have to maintain a financial buffer to allow themselves some flexibility should such a need arise.
Uncertainty as to the severity of the impact of the league’s revenue from the coronavirus will force many teams to make tough financial decisions in 2020 and beyond. While the Patriots will be flush with cap space heading into 2021 (though the exact amount will depend on how the cap is affected by declining earnings during the 2020 season), there is luckily the cap for 2020 could still be affected, if reports from Friday that the NFL proposed a $ 40 million cut to the 2020 salary cap, that’s true. This gives even more reason to stand up and do nothing to prepare for the economic successes that the league and its teams will soon face.
