A ranking of the top 5 veteran free agents the New England Patriots have signed so far in the 2020 offseason.
The New England Patriots officially announced the signing of eight veteran free agents earlier this month once the 2020 NFL Draft was over.
While these players weren’t exactly notable names or even players believed to be high impact signings, they are players Bill Belichick typically goes after when it comes to discount value and players he believes can fill certain roles.
Those signings were linebacker Brandon Copeland, defensive back Cody Davis, quarterback Brian Hoyer, wide receivers Damiere Byrd and Marqise Lee, safety Adrian Phillips and fullback Danny Vitale.
Compared to the players the Patriots lost during free agency, including Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, those players don’t exactly excite fans, but they are mostly all players who can play multiple positions, including special teams.
As Belichick and the New England Patriots are strapped against the salary cap, there are still some key free agent signings they can still make, but for now we will rank the top five signings in how they forecast to impact the team in the 2020 NFL season, if there is a season.
Three Patriots signings not in the top 5
Before we get into a ranking of the top 5, three players considered were linebacker Brandon Copeland, defensive back Cody Davis and quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Patriots fans are familiar with Hoyer, whose primary role will be to support the development and progression of second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham. If Hoyer actually ends up starting games, this signing could be even more important, especially if he can keep the team competitive. It would also mean Stidham is not as ready as the team apparently feels he is.
As far as Copeland and Davis, both players will primarily make their contributions in special teams with each player having an opportunity to play into bigger roles.
Brandon Copeland is the player to watch due to his versatility and size as the linebacker position. At 6-foot-3, 263 pounds, he is very capable of filling the void left by Elandon Roberts.
Now onto the top 5 New England Patriots free agent signings as of May.
No. 5 Damiere Byrd – WR
The first player the New England Patriots reached an agreement with during the beginning of the free agency period was Damiere Byrd formerly of the Arizona Cardinals.
At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, the 27-year-old Byrd was nowhere near the name fans were hoping the Patriots went after, but he does fill a couple of needs on the team, particularly on special teams where he has experienced returning punts and kickoffs.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
As a former undrafted rookie free agent who entered the league with the Carolina Panthers in 2015, Damiere Byrd has shown some flashes that he can produce in the offense as well. Most of that production came last season with the Cardinals in which he caught 32 passes for 359 yards and one touchdown.
That production pretty much mirrors that of Phillip Dorsett, who left the Patriots to sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
Again, Damiere Byrd is not a name that will jump out at New England Patriots fans, but his one-year contract with a value of up to $2.5 million tells you he is a player who will have a role on the team, unless he gets beat out by someone else.
What impact will he have on the team in 2020?
I see Byrd as primarily a gimmick type wide receiver in the offense. What I mean by gimmick is his speed will be utilized in multiple ways. Expect jet sweeps, bubble screens and some deep passes if he does indeed pencil himself in as the No. 4 or 5 receiver on the team.
No. 4 Beau Allen – DL
The New England Patriots replaced the loss of interior defensive lineman Danny Shelton with Beau Allen, who will complement Lawrence Guy in the middle of the defensive line.
In fact, the 6-foot-3, 327-pounder will remind Patriots fans of Guy in both attitude and toughness.
Though he is coming off a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which he recorded 0.5 sacks and 10 tackles in 13 games played, Beau Allen has Super Bowl experience as he was on the Philadelphia Eagles team that beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
That experience, along with his personality should bold well for the team and also with fans as he is a bit of a character.
The 28-year-old defensive lineman also has displayed a little versatility as he has played a snap at fullback with the Eagles in 2016. You better believe Bill Belichick knows that little tidbit and it wouldn’t be surprising if Allen lined up at fullback during goal line situations just like Richard Seymour did during his days with the New England Patriots.
Overall, this is certainly an underrated signing that will benefit Belichick in some way. Along with Guy, Beau Allen will help stabilize the middle of the line and help with the growth of younger players like Adam Butler and Byron Cowart.
No. 3 Danny Vitale – FB
The New England Patriots must’ve known something about the sudden James Develin retirement when they signed former Green Bay Packers fullback Danny Vitale in free agency.
A favorite of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Northwestern product will help fans get over the loss of Devlin with his versatility as a fullback who can catch the ball out of the backfield.
That is the perhaps the one area James Develin lacked a bit, although the team did flex him out at tight end from time to time. With Vitale, the Patriots have a player who could also serve as a hybrid fullback/tight end who will catch some passes.
In 15 games with the Packers last season, he started four games with seven receptions for 97 yards.
Just a one-year deal, I see this signing as one that can be most beneficial for a team starting a young quarterback like Jarrett Stidham. Not only will the running game be emphasized to help his development, a short passing game will be the emphasis of the Patriots passing game.
Danny Vitale will help in both of those areas and it wouldn’t be surprising if he has a similar impact to that of James Develin as far as blocking and more of an impact as a pass catcher. I see a lot of the late Kevin Turner in the New England Patriots newest versatile fullback.
No. 2 Marquise Lee -WR
The New England Patriots didn’t upgrade the wide receiver position in the conventional way.
In fact, they didn’t do much at the position at all in free agency or the draft. That means a lot of trust is going into the development of 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry and second-year player Jakobi Meyers.
More from New England Patriots
- Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
- 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
- Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
- New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
- Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots
The hope is those players will develop behind the veteran leadership of both Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu. Thrown in the mix there is both Damiere Byrd and 28-year-old veteran wide receiver Marqise Lee.
Signed to a one-year deal just prior to the 2020 NFL Draft, Lee is one of those low-risk, high-reward signings Bill Belichick is famous for.
The former second-round pick is coming off a couple injury-plagued seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars but did have some productive seasons when health.
In 2016, he caught 63 passes for 851 yards and 3 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2017 with 56 receptions for 702 yards and 3 touchdowns with Blake Bortles as his quarterback. If healthy in 2020, those are numbers he should add to the New England Patriots.
On paper, Marqise Lee is certainly an upgrade over Phillip Dorsett if he returns to the player he was in 2016 and 2017. He could easily turn out to be the top signing of 2020 when all is said and done.
No. 1 Adrian Phillips – DB
The New England Patriots were able to trade Duron Harmon because they signed the 28-year-old Adrian Phillips in free agency.
Another former rookie free agent, Phillips is a solid defensive back who should fit well with Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty at the safety position.
In 64 games with the Los Angeles Chargers, Phillips racked up 220 tackles, five interceptions with 18 passes defensed.
Another player coming off an injury, this signing is the top signing because of the depth he adds at the safety position and his impact on special teams. Oh yes, special teams and we all know how Bill Belichick values these kinds of players.
A Pro Bowler and All Pro selection as a special teams player, Phillips will certainly more than compensate for the loss of Nate Ebner due to his ability to play meaningful snaps on defense.
With both Chung and McCourty aging, I can see Adrian Phillips seeing more time on the field and another veteran who will help with the development of the team’s top draft pick in 2020, Kyle Dugger.
In all, the New England Patriots didn’t make a splash, but they did sign players who can play multiple positions and also players who have built their careers on doing their job.
That is the Patriots motto after all.