New England Patriots Making Moves to Stay One Step Ahead of NFL

For a man who (believe him or not) thinks SnapFace, InstantChat and Yearbook are popular social media sites, Bill Belichick is incredibly innovative.

Every year it seems the New England Patriots are bucking traditional thinking and finding new ways to achieve the ultimate goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The same can already be said about the 2017 season, as the Patriots look to duplicate their 2001-2004 run of three Super Bowl titles in four years.

While the rest of the league is hesitant when it comes to player trades, the Patriots have made them a significant part of their reloading process. Last year alone New England acquired tight end Martellus Bennett, cornerback Eric Rowe and linebacker Kyle Van Noy via trade; three players who made significant contributions for the Super Bowl champions. The team also acquired two draft picks in those deal while trading away just three day-three picks. Those trades turned out well, but it was trades involving the departures of Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins that garnered the most attention at the time.

For better or worse, in the Belichick era, the Patriots have lived by the mantra “it’s better to lose a player one year too early than one year too late.” Even hall-of-fame caliber players such as Randy Moss, Darrelle Revis, and Vince Wilfork aren’t immune to this concept. The trades last season involving Jones and Collins are just the most recent examples. Despite being a Super Bowl favorite, New England sent both defenders packing. The moves saved the team a ton of money as Jones and Collins were in the final year of their deals and signed for a combined $133.5 million with almost $80 million guaranteed this offseason. In return, the Patriots received three draft picks that would result in wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, guard Joe Thuney and a third-round pick that would be used to acquire Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints.

Speaking of Cooks, that brings us back to 2017. In what is being billed as one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory, the Patriots are going against conventional thinking and giving picks away left and right. Or so it seems. In reality, New England acquired almost as many picks as they traded away. The only deal in which the Patriots traded away more than they received was the Cooks deal. The vertical threat which almost certainly spells the end for Michael Floyd and Danny Amendola in New England, cost a first and third-round pick while bringing in a fourth. Cooks is set to make about $1.56 million in 2017 and has an option that can be picked up for 2018.

Much like last year when this man took away New England’s first-round pick, the Patriots are currently sitting out opening night of the 2017 draft. Belichick felt comfortable giving up the team’s second-round pick as well, this time trading back eight spots to acquire defensive end Kony Ealy from the Carolina Panthers. At a bargain price of $800,000, Ealy gives New England a solid pass rusher opposite Trey Flowers and comes much cheaper than Chris Long ($2.3 million last season) and Jabaal Sheard (signed this offseason for an annual average of $8.5 million).

New England Patriots

In the deal that occurred the day before free agency officially kicked off, the Patriots dropped back from pick 137 to 200 to obtain tight end Dwayne Allen. Allen, who become available after the Indianapolis Colts signed Jack Doyle to an extension, has three years left on his contract. While he’s considered one of the better blocking tight ends in the league, don’t think he won’t be utilized in the passing game as a complement to Rob Gronkowski. He caught six touchdown passes last season, three of which came against New England’s AFC East rival New York Jets.

While signing players who perform well against division rivals is nothing new, Bill Belichick is even more famous for picking up players from within the division who excel against the Patriots. Revis, Wes Welker, and Chris Hogan certainly come to mind, and Pats fans hope Stephon Gilmore is the next former rival to thrive in New England. In a stunning move for the typically reserved Patriots, the team made a splash in free agency by signing the former Buffalo Bills cornerback to a five-year, $65 million deal. Not only does the move significantly damage a rival’s secondary, but it also gives New England flexibility.

Do the Patriots continue to run similar coverages as last year? Do they increase the workload of Eric Rowe and return to more of a 2014 look when Revis and Brandon Browner roamed the secondary? Is something new in the works? The other 31 teams will be watching closely to see what the hoodie and the rocket scientist Matt Patricia have in store.

As of now, the Patriots won’t be on the clock in the 2017 NFL Draft until the 72^nd pick. However, the team still has seven picks at their disposal. Even without an early selection, the depth of this year’s class provides New England with the opportunity to come away with a couple of solid contributors. If Belichick and company do fall in love with a top prospect, they still have trade chips in Jimmy Garoppolo and Malcolm Butler.

The top four position groups in the 2017 NFL Draft class are arguably running back, tight end, defensive end, and cornerback. New England had, to a varying degree, needs at each of those positions. Rather than wait until the draft weekend to fill holes at those positions, the Patriots took a different approach. Instead of stockpiling picks and relying on potential, New England went wholesale shopping and acquired proven talent. This wasn’t the annual addition of veterans looking for a ring on a one-year deal either. Allen, Gilmore, Ealy and Cooks are all between the ages of 23-27 and have plenty left in the tank.

The Patriots have been able to reload without breaking the bank. Gilmore may be a high-priced addition at $13 million per year, but considering he’s replacing Logan Ryan who signed with the Tennessee Titans for $10 million per season, New England didn’t overpay. Allen, Ealy, and Cooks are bargains at a combined price tag of just over $8 million this season. With plenty of cap space left over, the team has been able to re-sign fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Alan Branch, and safety Duron Harmon. They also have an agreement in place with former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, who will take over the Akiem Hicks role the Patriots sorely missed last season.

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So what’s the next chip to fall in Foxboro? Bringing Dont’a Hightower back has to be at the top of the list. Garoppolo to Cleveland is still a possibility, even after the Browns acquired Brock Osweiler. Whatever the next move is, it likely won’t send shockwaves throughout the league but will be one that aids New England in their quest for a sixth Super Bowl championship.

After Super Bowl 51, Belichick claimed the Patriots were five weeks behind the rest of the league. Less than a week into free agency, New England has not only caught up, they’re already miles ahead of the competition.