Pats Posits: The Cold, Dead Offseason

 

We’re now two weeks removed from the Patriots’ Super Bowl 51 victory and the reality of the offseason is starting to sink in. The other thing that is sinking in? How much that Super Bowl 51 victory meant and its place in Patriots history.

From here on out with Belichick and Brady, it’s all icing on the cake. You know that they’ll take at least a couple more major swings at number six, and maybe the team will stay healthy enough to get it. But they got number five, in uber dramatic fashion, and there’s simply no denying the greatness of this run, no matter how hard anyone wants to bang the ‘Gates drum.

As we slip into offseason mode there’s a certain calm that comes after winning a legacy-cementing Super Bowl. Yeah there are a bunch of free agents and a bunch of cap space, but at this point, it’s like whatever, BB’s got this.

All we know for sure is that it will be interesting, maybe more so than usual.

More on the coming offseason and the rest of the Super Bowl fallout in the Posits.

— Mike Reiss reported the Transition Tag is possible for Dont’a Hightower while the the Franchise Tag (what I was thinking) is probably out of the question. Hightower is the top storyline of the offseason and there’s plenty to weigh with him. The Transition tag comes in at about $11 million, while then Franchise Tag will be up around $14.5, and gives the Pats simply the right of first refusal should another team sign Hightower to a contract. But one thing you have to love is the lack of major success by Patriots free agents with other teams. Projecting a player without the genius of Bill Belichick’s coaching and scheming is near impossible.

— What’s undeniable is despite some injury issues, Hightower made two plays that the Pats don’t have two more Super Bowls without. The linebacker corps outside of Zeus isn’t all that exciting, hearkening back to the early 2010s, when it was Jerod Mayo and a whole bunch of stop gaps. Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy can play while Jonathan Freeny provides depth (the coaching staff seems to like him a lot more than me). There’s little question linebacker will be a top draft need no matter what happens with Hightower. But in a perfect world, Hightower gets a four-year deal and the centerpiece is in place.

— The lessons of 2010 and 2011 are what weigh on my mind with regard to this offseason’s defensive free agents. Yes, those squads still earned the top seed in the AFC but the defenses were pretty brutal. The biggest takeaway — playmakers are hard to find. You can plug in the Gary Guytons, the Tully Banta-Cains and the Jonathan Wilhites, but the margin for error on the way to the Super Bowl is razor thin with players of that level. Nothing more than multi-year deals for Hightower and Malcolm Butler would make this offseason a success.

— More and more reports are coming up that the Patriots will be fine to keep Jimmy Garoppolo. That’s been my feeling since early last season when he was tearing it up. A QB you like and trust is a rare find and one that’s hard to put a price on. Still, I think the only thing that would move me would be a top-15 pick. That Browns’ 12th overall selection? That’d do the trick and make it worth the risk to move on from Garoppolo, especially since Jacoby Brissett seems like he could take the backup job this season.

— Top-15 picks are rare under Belichick and between Richard Seymour, Jerod Mayo and even Nate Solder (top-20) he’s made them all count. The best talent is always at the top of the draft and the Patriots have rarely gotten any shot at those kinds of players. That makes the dynasty even more impressive. After not having a first-round pick last season they could really use a top pick to build around.

— I liked Cyrus Jones coming out with this:

“What I did this year was not me,” he said. “I don’t care how anybody tries to sugarcoat it. Yes, I was a rookie. But I feel I should always be one of the best players on the field, no matter where I am. But honestly, it was hell for me,” he said. “That’s the only way I can describe it. I didn’t feel I deserved to be part of anything that was happening with the team. I felt embarrassed that these people probably thought they wasted a pick on me.”

The Pats are going to need Jones next season, especially if Logan Ryan and Danny Amendola depart. That leaves a void in the secondary and at punt returner. No one needs an offseason reset more than Jones, but his talent is undeniable. It would be far too soon to write him off, especially after this quote makes it clear that Jones knows he has something to prove.

— My early looks at free agency haven’t overwhelmed me, which is probably a good thing. There are some guys who fit really well, it’s just a matter of who’s willing to play ball with the Pats for a chance to get in with Brady and Belichick for the last couple runs. It’s kind of now or never if you’re a vet like Calais Campbell who could re-invent the defense somewhat. But I don’t see any perfect potential Hightower replacements. Now I must scour the bargain bin and restricted free agents, places the Pats always seem to target the most extensively.

— The biggest thing with the Patriots is they never stay pat. They’re always looking to re-define themselves and keep the opposition guessing. We saw it last year with Martellus Bennett, or in 2014 with the re-build of the secondary with Revis and Browner. What will this offseason’s twist be? With all that cap space they’re going to have plenty of money for some fun, especially on the defensive side of the ball.