ESPN announced their top 50 free agents for the 2024 offseason. Of those 50 names, four are the New England Patriots.
You wouldn’t expect a team that is traditionally 4-13 to have this good of a product on its roster. However, this is not surprising considering that the Patriots defense has been very strong all year.
How does this affect the Patriots as two quarterbacks and two running backs find their names on this list as they prepare for a fresh start in 2024?The Patriots have four players ranked in ESPN’s top 50 free agents.The Patriots are going through a complete rebuild this offseason and have a lot of work to do in both free agency and the draft. Part of that conversation will be determining which players with expiring contracts have done enough to stay. The presence of four Patriots players on this top 50 free agent list highlights some of the most important decisions facing the team. It is important to balance retention and acquisition during rebuilding.
Kyle DuggerTop 50:
25Kyle Dugger came to New England with high expectations as the 37th overall pick in the draft. He started seven games his rookie season and took a big leap forward in his second year. Dugger developed into a defensive role on the roster each year, becoming a very versatile player.
In 2023, he saw an increase in tackles and quarterback pressures, reaching career highs in both. He showed how effective he can be, not just in coverage.
SpoTrac estimates Dugger’s market value at $16.5 million per year, which is higher in the safety category. With Jabrill Peppers coming back next year and having a safe draft class (the draft is very important in the later rounds), they probably won’t want to spend that much money to keep him. Dugger has excelled in this defensive scheme and his skills have benefited from being a part of this organization. In theory, that could lead to the person wanting a cheaper price.
Michael OnwenuTop 50 Ranking:
26th place Michael Onwenu has come out of nowhere for Patriots fans this season. He was initially thrust into the starting lineup at guard when the offensive line began to struggle. He was quick to tackle and immediately improved his skills. Onvenu was rated as a top-10 tackle by Pro Football Focus from Week 9 through the end of the season. Given his outstanding performance at the position this year and the possible departure of Trent Brown in free agency, Onwenu is the Patriots’ biggest need on this roster.
Overall, Onvenu’s $13.6 million market value seems unreasonable if that’s what it takes to keep him around. This makes him the 27th highest paid player in the NFL.
Trent BrownTop 50 Ranking:
41st placeThe Patriots and Trent Brown seem to be on completely different pages right now. The game was inactive for the last few games of the season and there were very negative comments about the organization after the season ended. Under the former rule there would have been no doubt. I’m sending Brown to another team.
You wouldn’t be offered a contract after talking about the organization with a stranger. The Patriots are now in the Jerod Mayo era, and we’re trying to figure out what will be different as he continues to build. This team is in his vision.
One thing we know for sure is that Mayo is a ‘players coach’. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said as much at the manager’s introductory press conference. With that in mind, Mayo will be actively working to resolve the situation and convince Brown to stay with the team beyond 2024. At this point, it seems highly unlikely.
Josh UcheTop 50:
47Josh Uche surprised many by staying with the team after last season’s trade deadline. The Patriots are not an expensive organization. In fact, they are quite the opposite.
As savvy business entrepreneurs, the Patriots are rarely fooled by exaggerated statistics. Uche had 11.5 sacks in 2022. He played good football, but much of the Boston press wondered if he could replicate that type of play. So far, they seem to be right. After playing that many snaps in 2023, he lost a sack, a pressure and a total tackle.
Now that the Patriots have a strong core of linebackers through 2024, it’s hard to imagine them hitting his projected $8.3 million annual salary to keep him.The only team with more free agents on ESPN’s Top 50 free agents list was the Cincinnati Bengals, who had five free agents. It really highlights the interesting situation the Patriots find themselves in.
They will look to reshape their roster in the offseason as key players expire. As the offseason progresses, we’ll learn more about Jerod Mayo’s vision for this team. The players he chooses to keep and the ones he chooses to go will say a lot about the vision and direction of the franchise. With a large draft cap and the third-most projected cap space, the Patriots will make some noise before the 2024 season.
