Seeing a New England Patriots squad closer to a rebuild than title contention feels like something from the Twilight Zone, but that is the situation in which they find themselves.
Despite all of the holes on the roster, the Patriots managed to finish with seven wins and nine losses. The AFC East is no longer their stomping ground. The team needs to decide whether they will go for a full-on rebuild or attempt to be competitive. The former means they will be putting out a less than ideal product every week in a city that is used to sports excellence, while the latter might send them to a purgatory where they are not good enough for the postseason, but not bad enough to select a game-changer in the draft.
The Patriots have $62,778,756 in cap space, which is one of the highest in the league. However, New England has a reputation for not handing out large contracts in free agency. Also, having Tom Brady playing for team-friendly salaries gave the Patriots a lot of leeways.
Keeping these things in mind, here are the two free agents the Patriots should avoid.
2. WR Will Fuller, Houston Texans
The Patriots probably have the most unimpressive receiver corps in the league. Julian Edelman is not the same tough and reliable target he once was. Worse, he missed several games for health reasons. Former first-round pick N'Keal Harry is not living up to expectations. He has the strength and physicality to excel, but he needs to work on the other facets of the position like getting separation.
The Patriots finished the third-lowest number of total passing yards in the NFL with 3,124. The team had 12 passing touchdowns to 14 interceptions. It was a rough time getting anything going through the air.
Due to the frugality of the team, the top and most expensive wideouts in free agency, such as Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson, probably won't be in consideration. One could make the case that instead of signing one, star receiver it would be wiser to acquire two to three solid options in the market.
Every team could use a speedster like Tyreek Hill and game-breaking speed is something Fuller can provide. Fuller is a notch below Godwin and Robinson, but he can take the top off a defense and burn defensive backs. He had 879 receiving yards and found the end zone eight times. These are impressive numbers and he managed to attain them in just 11 games.
Fuller missed those five games because he was suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs (PED) policy. He will miss another game in the upcoming season. The PED issue may scare away some potential suitors, but if it does not, then Fuller's extensive injury will. He was drafted in 2016 and from then on it seems that he was destined to never have a 16-game season. What's more concerning is that eventually, he might sustain an injury that affects his speed and athleticism, which are essentially his calling cards.
Signing underrated and versatile receivers like Curtis Samuel might be a better idea.
1. QB Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints
The Cam Newton experiment did not turn out as good as expected. Although for his cap hit last season, the Patriots could have done worse. Newton passed for eight scores and 10 picks.
With Newton hitting free agency, New England's quarterback situation is once again uncertain. Head coach Bill Belichick still has clout and playing for him might be some quarterback's cup of tea. Also, despite the Patriots having an anemic offense, the offensive line was not at fault. For the longest time, New England had some of the best lines, which is probably one of the reasons why Brady's career lasted so long.
Winston, similar to the Newton signing is a low-cost, high-upside move. Both signal-callers are athletic and have much arm strength. The similarities end there. Winston spent much of last season on the bench. Moving forward, the team is more comfortable with Taysom Hill playing quarterback even though he is more of a utility player.
In his last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston passed for 33 touchdowns and a league-leading 30 interceptions. This can be attributed to Bruce Arians' high-risk, vertical offense, but interceptions have plagued Winston for most of his career. Even at Florida State, he threw for 25 touchdowns and got picked off 18 times. Turnovers don't seem to be a problem Winston is fixing any time soon.
Perhaps, the Patriots can trade for Marcus Mariota. He is also a reclamation project, but he could be a safer option compared to Winston and the hope is that he could regain his 2016 form where he passed for 26 touchdowns and nine picks.
