10 free agents Patriots should target to begin massive rebuild

National Football League

Published Mar. 4, 2024 4:51 p.m. ET

The New England Patriots are headed into free agency with more salary cap space than any other team in the NFL. They have cash to burn, and they will, no doubt, spend big money to bring in talent.

New England is, after all, in a place it hasn’t been in more than two decades. The Patriots are at the bottom of the NFL with a massive rebuild ahead of them. There’s a whole generation of New England fans who have never seen a situation like this, where the team will likely need years of talent acquisition and roster-building to get back into playoff contention.

But the good news is that the Patriots can attack the top of the market at positions where they feel they need the most help. From my vantage, they need help at every single position on offense except center. (Though I think they should draft David Andrews‘ eventual replacement.) And then on defense, they could use an explosive playmaker in the front-seven.

With those thoughts in mind, here are some potential targets for the Patriots when the free-agency signing period opens on March 13.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Jaguars

The Patriots have a rare combination of the following: 1) zero trustworthy receivers on the roster and 2) a boatload of cash.

“In terms of physical skills, we need to weaponize the offense,” said Eliot Wolf, the team’s de-facto general manager and director of scouting.

Ridley is likely to be the most dangerous pass-catcher on the market.

The other teams at the top of the market (the Titans, Commanders, Bears, Texans and Colts) have a WR1. So New England will likely have to fight with the teams that have better offenses but don’t have quite as much money — including Ridley’s current team in Jacksonville.

Ridley can help change New England’s offense. He has the ability to attack the deep and intermediate parts of the field while also delivering yards after the catch on shorter targets. What’s more, he provides yards that don’t appear on his stat line, with seven defensive penalties drawn for 129 yards — both NFL highs, according to nflpenalties.com.

The other compelling options on the market include Tyler Boyd, a possession-type receiver who could help a rookie QB. If the Patriots get desperate, they could overpay Darnell Mooney, who seems like a poor man’s Ridley.

The truth is that receiver is one of the most sought-after positions in the NFL. New England had one of the worst offenses in 2023. The acquisition process could be extremely difficult. Overpaying is inevitable.

Christian Wilkins, DT, Dolphins

The Patriots would have to show Wilkins the money. But his film shows it would be well worth it. New England wants to get faster and more explosive on defense, according to Wolf. Wilkins doesn’t exactly fit the bill in the traditional sense. But a player like Wilkins takes on enough defensive attention to help speed up the other 10 players on the defense. He is truly one of the best players at his position, and so it’s rare for a player of his caliber to hit the open market.

A player like Chris Jones, who is the best player at his position, makes sense, too. And then there is an edge player like Josh Allen, who would be an absolute nightmare opposite Matthew Judon.

The reason I went with Wilkins over those guys? Wilkins is the right blend of price, talent and positional value. It helps, too, that New England would steal a player from their division rival in Miami — which has long been the Bill Belichick special.

Noah Fant, TE, Seahawks

I could see the Patriots pairing Fant, a pass-catching tight end, with a tight end like Austin Hooper, an in-line player who is a willing blocker. And if New England wants to go for broke at the position, it could pair Fant with Dalton Schultz, who will be the top free agent at the position.

But New England must hit this position hard with multiple signings. Why? The Patriots have zero tight ends under contract for the upcoming season.

Fant has never quite reached his potential as a first-round draft choice. But I think that’s partially because of his tertiary role in every offense he’s been a part of in Seattle and Denver. The Patriots might see him as a player they could feature with 100 targets in the offense, particularly with a rookie starting at QB. And that’s why I think he might want to go to New England: money and a role promotion.

You might notice that Hunter Henry isn’t on this list. He was a captain in 2023 and was a valuable member of the organization. He makes plenty of sense to return, too. I just wonder if his cost and age (29) might not line up with New England’s goals of looking at a long-term rebuild. Hooper will come at a cheaper price.

Gardner Minshew, QB, Colts

It’s a tricky proposition when adding a quarterback in free agency. New England will doubtlessly draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall. That rookie will compete to start. But that rookie might not win the job right away — nor should he, necessarily. Wolf comes from Green Bay, where the Packers have had enormous success developing their quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers waited behind Brett Favre. Jordan Love waited behind Rodgers.

That’s why I think the Patriots are going to get a QB who is a starter. Minshew was at his best running the Eagles offense, which has been a good spot for basically every QB not named Carson Wentz in recent years. (And even Wentz did OK for a while.) But Minshew also excelled in less-than-stellar spots like Jacksonville and Indy.

He’s no stranger to leading teams in flux.

Gardner Minshew: “Any time I get to play football is heaven for me”

If the Patriots want to spend less and commit more to a rookie starter, then maybe they nab Jacoby Brissett or Joe Flacco. Both worked with New OC Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland, and the Patriots drafted Brissett.

Mekhi Becton, OT, Jets

Becton might need to take a one-year deal to prove himself. The Patriots have so many needs along the offensive line that they might take a risk on Becton at left tackle. He’s a good player with a massive list of injuries. But he could really thrive in Van Pelt’s system. It might be the right match for New England to protect their quarterback’s blindside while they draft and develop a left tackle of the future — potentially a guy they find in the second round this year. And, again, the Jets have as many needs as New England on the offensive line. It helps the Patriots to take Becton off the table as an option for New York.

Michael Onwenu, OT/OG, Patriots

Bill Belichick had the reputation of drafting, developing and then, often, ditching players like Onwenu. It can’t be like that anymore. That kind of sentiment works for winning teams, where all those victories wash away the bad taste that comes with poor treatment of players. New England is losing. It might keep losing for another year (or two or … longer). Things have to change.

The Patriots can afford to take care of their best players, and that’s what Onwenu is — an elite offensive lineman who is likely to make the most or second-most among players at his position. Pay Onwenu and put him at right tackle. It solves big issues and it’s not a risky signing, given the Patriots know that he works in New England.

Kyle Dugger, S, Patriots

Here’s another player who’s among the top at his position. It’s tough to stomach paying big for a safety like Dugger, who is versatile — but not a pure coverage ballhawk. That’s why Dugger might be the kind of player the Patriots let test the market and try to match his deal. The truth is that he’s likely going to be at his best in a defense like the one they run in New England. While it might be a humbling message to Dugger, it might go down smoothly with a substantial financial offer. And everyone is happy with Dugger back in New England.

Because new head coach Jerod Mayo knows as well as anybody that Dugger is one of the most underappreciated players league-wide.

Frankie Luvu, LB, Panthers

Luvu is sort of like Dugger, but Luvu’s versatility will end up making him a lot of money. He has found a way to rack up both tackles and sacks. He had 111 tackles and seven sacks in 15 games in 2022 and 125 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2023.

That production is sure to pique the interest of Mayo, a former inside linebacker. How badly do you think Mayo wants to pair Luvu with future Patriots Hall of Famer Dont’a Hightower, who is now the team’s linebackers coach and was a similar player to Luvu.

Luvu will cost a lot for a linebacker. But he’s also the kind of big expense that Wolf could talk himself into, because Luvu is prolific beyond the traditional mold of the inside linebacker. And he’s the type of player whose potential Mayo can maximize.

Noah Brown, WR, Texans

Here’s an idea for a guy who’s not going to be outrageously expensive. Brown has had good seasons but has yet to enjoy a great one. New England might be one of the few places where he could get a WR2 position. If he likes the idea of becoming a focal point — rather than coasting as a WR3 in high-flying offenses — then maybe he’ll take a risk on a team like New England. The Patriots could sign him to a one-year, incentive-laden deal that has a base value of $5 million. And maybe he climbs the depth chart into a prominent role.

Kyle Van Noy, edge, Ravens

Van Noy is just the kind of steady, heady veteran who will bring a massively influential role to a locker room that was destabilized and split under Belichick. Van Noy played under Mayo in 2019 and in 2021. They surely have rapport. And as KVN proved in Baltimore in 2023, he’s still got it. If Van Noy would take a one-year deal to be a starter and a leader in New England, I’d bet Mayo would welcome the opportunity.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.