The New England Patriots came up short in their playoff run last season which means that they should tweak their roster in order to be better in 2022. They have made some significant moves thus far though it seems like they weren’t as aggressive as they were this time last year.
Currently, the Patriots continue to have holes to address on both sides of the ball. They have room to do so as they still have around $11.6 million in available cap space, per Spotrac. Should they try to be more aggressive from here on then they should also be active in restructuring some of their contracts or releasing cap casualties in the weeks to come.
Certainly enough, the Patriots will have to be quick towards building a more competitive team for next season. With that said, let’s take a look at two moves that New England should make to complete their roster.
2 moves the Patriots should make to complete their roster
2. Acquire a potent wide receiver
One of the glaring weaknesses of last season’s team was the lack of offensive weapons, particularly in the receivers’ room. Only Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers were able to make a good account of themselves while players like N’Keal Harry and Nelson Agholor struggled for the most part of 2021.
Despite being one of their biggest holes in the roster, the Patriots have yet to make a significant move in free agency. Free agents ranging from Chris Godwin and Davante Adams down to Christian Kirk and JuJu Smith-Schuster have all inked new contracts with their respective teams.
Time is slowly running out for the Patriots as the other free-agent wide receivers are expected to find new homes soon. However, they can still beat other teams to the services of players like Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., and Julio Jones, among others.
On another note, their lack of aggressiveness may also point to their plan of potentially using their 21st overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to acquire their new wide receiver. Either way, the Patriots will surely have to address this position group that is still lacking depth. If they fail to do so then their offense will surely have a hard time keeping up with the other teams next season.
1. Find a replacement for J.C. Jackson
The Patriots did a surprising move when they opted not to place the franchise tag on CB1 J.C. Jackson. The 2021 Pro Bowler then walked away for free and agreed to a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
Without a doubt, his departure will leave a huge gap in the cornerback depth of the Patriots next season. As of the moment, New England still has Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, and Joejuan Williams. This group is still young and can be developed but merely having them at the forefront of the group certainly won’t be enough for the Patriots.
They must find ways to land a cornerback who can produce the same level of production that Jackson did for them last season. It will definitely be challenging to find a player of that caliber at this stage in the offseason but they can still make a run at contributors like Joe Haden, Kyle Fuller, and Tavon Young to at least add a bit more depth to their cornerback unit.
The Patriots can also use the draft to acquire a young CB with potential though it might take a while for him to be able to significantly contribute unless he’s a top prospect. At this point, filling in the aforementioned roster needs with quality talent is certainly becoming a tough challenge for the Patriots. However, their ability to do so will be a crucial factor in determining the level of success that they will get to attain next season.
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March 22, 2022 at 12:58AM
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2 moves the Patriots should make to complete their roster - ClutchPoints
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