Last Saturday, The New England Patriots received $6.25 million in settlements from grievances involving Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez. Antonio Brown’s grievance was a result of the signing bonus that the Patriots failed to fully pay after they released him. The Patriots lucked out with the Brown grievance as they are only required to pay 5 of the 9 million that was originally owed and they were given a free $4 million. The Aaron Hernandez grievance is a result of the large contract that he signed before he became a murderer. The Patriots were fortunate to receive money from the Hernandez grievance as they were given $2.55 million for a player who is no longer living. The settlements ultimately move the Patriots to $7 million in cap space which gives the team options on how they want to use it. I think the Patriots should sign a veteran to fill a hole on the roster.
The Patriots have some holes on their roster as they lost key players in the offseason. A position of need is tight end as the Patriots are still facing the challenges of losing Rob Gronkowski. Although the Patriots drafted Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi in the third round this year, I think the Patriots still need to address the position because you don’t know how they will perform in their rookie year. A perfect move for the Patriots would be to trade for Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku. Njoku would be a perfect fit for the Patriots offense as he is a decent blocker and has had strong seasons when healthy. Njoku put up two strong seasons in Cleveland playing all 16 games in both seasons. In his rookie season he caught 32 passes and four touchdowns and in his second season he was dominant as he caught 56 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Njoku did this while playing with a rookie quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Njoku’s blocking could also help the Patriots as according to Pro Football Focus Njoku was their 11th rated run blocking tight end. Although Njoku had a poor 2019 where he missed 12 games, the upside with Njoku is there as in the Patriots offense he would put up big numbers. The Patriots can afford Njoku this season as his cap hit is projected to be just over $3 million in 2020. If the Patriots offer a third round pick they will be able to steal a player who has a high ceiling.
The Patriots could also look to improve their receiving core with their cap space as Taylor Gabriel is currently a free agent. This is the direction I would go in if I were the Patriots because I think adding a deep threat would help fit Cam Newton’s style as he is more of a deep ball thrower. Taylor Gabriel has been a solid player in his career as he contributed to the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl run and put up good numbers in Chicago with the Bears. Gabriel is currently 29 years old and in the prime of his career. Gabriel is a speedster as he can stretch the field vertically and blow past defensive backs. Patriots fans can remember Gabriel as in the 2016 Super Bowl he blew past Malcolm Butler while breaking his ankles for a big gain. Gabriel has been a durable receiver as he has played 13 or more games in five of his six seasons. Gabriel has also had some big seasons as in 2016 he caught 35 passes for 579 yards and six touchdowns and in 2018 he caught 67 passes for 688 yards and 2 touchdowns. Gabriel is a player the Patriots desperately need as they missed having a deep threat last season. Without Josh Gordon the Patriots struggled on offense because they didn’t have a receiver who could stretch the field. This is why I would sign Taylor Gabriel because he can take the top off the defense which would open up the middle of the field for guys like Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu. This move should be a no brainer as the Patriots have the money to get it done and it would help fit Cam Newton’s style.
Additionally, the Patriots could look to improve their defensive line which is their weakest position on defense. The Patriots could look to sign Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen who are defensive ends that would make this Patriots defense the best in the NFL. Both players have been elite in the last couple seasons as they can rush the passer at will. The Patriots are in desperate need of a dominant edge rusher as they haven’t had one since Trey Flowers left for the Detroit Lions. In the last three seasons Clowney has stayed healthy and recorded 21.5 sacks to go along with 44 tackles for loss. Clowney has also made the Pro Bowl in two of those three seasons. Griffen has also stayed healthy and been dominant in the last three seasons as he recorded 26.5 sacks to go along with 28 tackles for loss. Griffen also made the Pro Bowl in two of those seasons. Normally Clowney and Griffen would command big contracts but this offseason has been different as teams have mostly stayed away from them. This gives the Patriots a great opportunity to sign one of them as their market has gone down. I think one of them would take a small deal to play for the Patriots because they would put their defense over the top. If the Patriots were to sign one of these two, their defense could potentially be better than last year.
Overall, I understand the argument that the Patriots should save the money for later but I think that the Patriots have too many holes that need to be filled. I think that signing a wide receiver like Taylor Gabriel would be best because it improves the chances that Cam Newton will be successful. I think that the Patriots have nothing to lose this season so why not sign someone that will improve your chances to win this year. The Patriots will have a large amount of free agents next year and over $100 million in cap space so why not go for it this year. I think that the best move for the Patriots would be to roll the dice and sign a veteran.
Thompson's Takes 