It’s almost time for impending NFL free agents to hit the open market and see what kind of deals come their way.
While many eyes likely will be on where Le’Veon Bell lands, others will look to the New England Patriots coming off their Super Bowl LIII victory. Will New England try to secure Tom Brady’s successor and/or replace Rob Gronkowski if the tight end calls it quits?
The Patriots have draft picks to work with as well, which could open the door for a potential trade. But just how aggressive will they be when the new league year gets underway March 13? ESPN’s Mike Reiss shared his reasoning why he believes New England will be “active” but won’t break the bank.
“Think of the Patriots’ approach last year, and how they lost more free agents than they signed, yet they still wound up winning the Super Bowl,” Reiss writes. “Why change what works for them? The approach also helped them add four compensatory draft picks for 2019 — two third-rounders, a sixth-rounder and a seventh-rounder. The expectation is more of the same, with the club exploring options in the trade market while also taking a closer look at those released by teams who wouldn’t count against the compensatory draft pick formula.”
Makes sense.
The Patriots will look to make it back-to-back Lombardi Trophies in the upcoming campaign, but next season’s roster likely will look much different than last’s.
