The New England Patriots entered last offseason with two clear priorities: Find Drake Maye a true WR1 and improve his protection. They did so by drafting Will Campbell at No. 4 and signing Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million deal.
Fast forward to today, and there are still major doubts in both of those aspects. Campbell struggled mightily, especially in the playoffs, and Diggs closed out the season with a disappearing act and some worrisome reports of his behavior off the field. The sad part is that he was supposed to be the go-to guy, along with a veteran like Hunter Henry.
Of course, the Patriots are pretty much stuck with Campbell for a while longer. As for the passing game, Henry was one of many Patriots pass catchers who left plenty to be desired this season. Considering that, let's take a look at the realistic options they have with his contract.
The Patriots Have Several Options with Hunter Henry's Contract
As things stand now, the Patriots are $41.01 million under the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. That means any decision to move on from Henry would likely stem from his age and lack of production, not solely because of money.
That said, they would save money by doing anything other than keeping him around. Cutting him would clear $9.25 million. Restructuring his contract won't help the team in any way, so that sounds unlikely. That leaves the Patriots with another option: trade him. This would also save the team $9.25 million.
Even so, no matter his talent and pedigree in the league, it's hard to believe any team would be willing to sacrifice assets to acquire him. He's on the back end of his prime, and even if that weren't the case, he's an ideal cut candidate, so teams interested in his services could make a run at him in free agency instead.
Henry finished the season with 60 receptions on 87 targets for 768 yards and seven touchdowns. He was a reliable option in the end zone and posted decent numbers. However, at 31 years old and with the Patriots set to face a much tougher schedule as divisional champions next season, it's hard to believe he'll be able to replicate that type of production. Maye needs weapons, and the Pats have to put every penny they can towards that.