The New England Patriots will lose some key players once free agency begins. One of those players could be free agent Martellus Bennett.
Martellus Bennett is a Super Bowl champion and teams overpay for Super Bowl champions. Those were the words uttered out of the mouth of the 29-year-old tight end following the New England Patriots Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite injuries throughout most of the season, Bennett was an integral part of the Patriots’ offense last season. When Rob Gronkowski was healthy, the two tight ends made an unstoppable duo. When Gronkowski was not on the field, Bennett was able to step up in both the passing game and played more of a blue-collar role by becoming more of a blocking tight end.
In all, Martellus Bennett became the ultimate Patriot on the field. His 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdown receptions was more than serviceable and contributed to the team’s interest in bringing him back.
Though Bennett has expressed interest in returning to a place he loves playing, the fact that he turned down a $7 million per year offer from the Patriots during the season means he will not take a hometown discount. That could mean Bennett is a goner, especially with two other AFC teams expressing interest and with some money to throw around.
2 nuggets as I head home from the Combine: Pats remain interested in bringing back Marty Bennett, though Jags & Raiders are interested, too
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) March 4, 2017
Overall, I think there could be three other teams would be a fit for Martellus Bennett and possibly a couple more. And as far as bidding goes, there is always some unexpected team that comes out of nowhere to sign a player. The Denver Broncos did it twice with Wes Welker and Aqib Talib. Could they do it to the Patriots again?
Jacksonville Jaguars
If Martellus Bennett is all about the money, Jacksonville may be his destination. The Jaguars will likely be the team that overspends for the services of a tight end with talent and Super Bowl experience.
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New Jaguars executive V.P. of football operations Tom Coughlin is out to instill a winning attitude in Jacksonville and instilling as many former New York Giants and Patriots players as possible could be his angle.
Bennett did play under Coughlin while he was with the Giants for one year, so there is some familiarity between the two. Bennett may also look to become a No. 1 tight end option once again like he was in Chicago.
Jacksonville is looking for a tight end after trading away Julius Thomas. In Bennett, they would add a reliable tight end who could help Blake Bortles progress. The team has a ton of cap space and will have no problem showing Bennett the big bucks. Will he be blinded by the money or will the taste of winning lead him back to the Patriots or this next team?
Oakland Raiders
The most intriguing fit for Martellus Bennett will be the team that was close to making their home in Las Vegas. If any team is willing to gamble on a soon-to-be-30-year-old tight end, it is the Oakland Raiders.
Last season, the Raiders became a playoff team and if not for a season-ending injury to Derek Carr, would’ve probably played in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. With downfield options like Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, adding a reliable tight end target like Bennett would make the Raiders’ offense more explosive.
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Like Jacksonville, Oakland has some money to spend and haven’t been shy the past couple free agency periods. With the tight end experiment with Clive Walford pretty much a failure, Oakland will address their need at tight end in some form. They can do it in the draft or go out and get Bennett.
The benefit of Martellus Bennett is that he knows the Patriots system and if Oakland is the AFC contender they were before the Derek Carr injury, they will have to ultimately go through New England. With Bennett, they gain more than talent, they also gain the experience he picked up by winning with the Patriots.
Green Bay Packers
While the Patriots, Raiders and Jaguars are the teams publicly showing interest for Martellus Bennett, another place he would be a fit is Green Bay. With tight end Jared Cook also hitting free agency, the Packers could set their sights on Bennett.
In joining Green Bay, Bennett would go from playing with Tom Brady to catching the ball from Aaron Rodgers. A return to the NFC Central would also be intriguing for Bennett since he would get to go up against his old team, the Chicago Bears, twice a year.
With Bennett’s projected value at $6 million and with him reportedly turning down $7 million from the Patriots, he may have to come down a bit to play for winning teams like the Patriots, Packers and Raiders. If he is looking for that team that will overpay, then Jacksonville will be his landing spot.
Overall, I think if Bennett doesn’t sign right away, the Patriots will have a real shot at re-signing the Texas A&M alum. As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t be surprised if a team like Denver came swooping in or even another NFC contender like the Atlanta Falcons.
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Prediction: Martellus Bennett will end up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.