It’s going to take more than money for the New England Patriots to persuade Tom Brady into re-signing during free agency.
The New England Patriots and Tom Brady are just one week away from potentially parting ways for the first time in 20 years when the start of free agency begins on March 18th. There is still no real clarification or direction on where the greatest quarterback of all time is going to be playing next season.
One of Brady’s biggest issues with last season was the lack of weaponry and offensive talent that the Patriots failed to surround him with. So at this point for Brady to even want to stay in New England, the Patriots are going to have to prove to him that they are willing to go all out for his final ride and put some talent around him.
For the Patriots to get some immediate offensive talent on their team, and impress Brady along the way, it’s primarily going to be worked through free agency and the trade market. Although the Pats have more than a handful of draft selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, the only selection that is really going to be important and valuable to the team right now is their first-round draft pick (23rd overall).
After being awarded four compensatory picks (league high), the New England Patriots have a total of 16 draft picks in this year’s draft: One first-round (23 overall), Five third-round picks, One fourth-round pick, Six sixth-round picks, Three seventh-round picks.
Let’s take a look at a scenario that could prove to be appealing to Brady, and persuade him to finish out his career in New England.
Draft a tight end in the first-round
In an ideal situation, it is possible for the Patriots to upgrade their team by using their first-round draft pick on one of the many elite level wide receivers and tight ends that will be available to them in the bottom end of the first round of the draft.
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But considering the Patriots are coming off a season with far less than minimal production from the tight end position, it would prove to be best for the Pats to use their first-round draft pick on a young and talented tight end to equip Brady’s arsenal for next season.
A few of those tight ends that will be available include, Brycen Hopkins, Jared Pinkney, and Jacob Breeland.
Since the draft is after the start of free agency, the Patriots could show Brady that they’re all in on upgrading the tight end position by proving their plans in drafting one of these tight ends.
This type of “sign of trust” will immediately boost the Patriots’ potential to persuade Tom Brady into re-signing and finishing his career with their franchise.
Even if the Patriots draft a tight end in the first round, they should still consider bringing in another tight end with experience, either through the trade market or in free agency.
The Pats had little to no production last year from their tight ends, which is Brady’s favorite target to throw to. They have a chance to change that this season. Some of those tight ends will include Austin Hooper, OJ Howard, and Hayden Hurst.
Although it’s a great start, drafting a tight end is not going to be enough to lure Brady back in; there needs to be more additions, and that’s where the plethora of mid-round draft picks comes in handy. Remember, experience is a word that Brady mentioned a lot last season.
Trade for a wide receiver
If the New England Patriots do commit to drafting a tight end, then they could use all of their mid-round draft picks (and future assets) as leverage in a potential trade package for a wide receiver.
The Pats could make a combination of their bundle of third and fourth-round draft picks because they’re going to be much “sexier” and appealing to other teams than sixth-round and seventh-round picks.
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The Patriots offense is aging and is designed around both Brady and Julian Edelman, who are both nearing the end of their careers. The Pats desperately need to give not only Brady another weapon to throw to, but also someone to take some of the load off of Edelman’s shoulders.
The Patriots tried to do that when they traded away a second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons last season in exchange for Mohamed Sanu. Sanu logged in a few good games with Brady early on but tried to play through an ankle injury that has then led to offseason surgery.
Although N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers showed promising signs during their rookie season, Brady has expressed that he values experience and wants to play with more established veterans.
But with a full injury-free offseason ahead of him, Harry could prove to be worthy of carving a true role for himself in this dynamic offense.
Some of the wide receivers around the league who are looking for a new team to play for next season include Stefon Diggs, Marquise Goodwin, Emmanuel Sanders, Dante Pettis, and even Odell Beckham Jr.
To furthermore persuade Brady into finishing his career in a New England Patriots uniform, the Pats could be able to miraculously pull off a trade that would bring in a top wide receiver talent into the mix. It would show Brady that his franchise is willing to go all out and try and win one more Super Bowl together.
The offensive line
What’s important to put into realization is whether Tom Brady is here or not next season, the New England Patriots still need to prepare and start thinking of the overall future of their franchise. The team will still need a quality offensive line no matter who is playing quarterback next season.
The Patriots are hoping to finally get a full season out of Isaiah Wynn. The 2018 first-round pick out of Georgia has only played in eight games since entering the NFL two years ago. The team is expecting Wynn to finally step up and prove his worth next season.
The return of David Andrews will definitely help tighten things up on the interior of the line, as well as to help set the tone and get things moving. Andrews’ status remains up in the air after he did not play last season due to a blood clot found in his lung.
A major blow to Pats’ offensive line next season is going to be the loss of Joe Thuney, the NFL’s top offensive guard, as he is in line for a huge payday in the open market through free agency.
Although Thuney is worth the money, it’s hard to see the Patriots wanting to invest more stock into the offensive line after paying Shaq Mason last year and also selecting lineman during the last three years of the draft.
It’s worth mentioning that the New England Patriots drafted high-quality offensive linemen in last year’s draft, Yodny Cajuste (tackle) and Hjalte Froholdt (guard). It’s hard to believe the team will use more valuable draft picks towards the position this year, especially seeing as both Cajuste and Froholdt are expected to play a huge part for the team moving forward.