Top 3 New England Patriots free agents that need to be re-signed

The New England Patriots have some work to do this offseason. They accomplished a lot in the 2021 NFL season, but after getting thrashed by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, it’s clear that the gap between the Patriots and the top of the league still is pretty large.

Unfortunately, it will be easier said than done for New England to drastically improve over the offseason. Their salary cap situation isn’t the greatest due to their spending spree from free agency last year, but there are some different avenues the front office could take when it comes to freeing up cap space.

In the draft, the Pats will find themselves with the 21st pick in the first round, giving them a chance to bring in a high level playmaker on either side of the ball. For a defense that looked slow and lethargic for much of the final stretch of the season, and an offense that lacked a true top tier playmaker, the ability to add NFL level talent for cheap can never be overlooked.

But before we get into the fun part of the offseason, the Patriots have to decide what they are going to do with their own free agents. New England has 20 of their own players set to hit the open market, and it’s safe to assume that all 20 of them will not be returning to the team next season. The front office has to figure out who to keep, and who to let go, so let’s take a look at the top three free agents the Pats should look to re-sign.