Mailbag: If the Patriots trade for A.J. Brown, what moves might offset the added salary?
Welcome back to the mailbag. Lots of good post-draft questions, as well as some thoughts about roster depth at a couple of key positions, and more. Let’s get to it.
With the expected post-June 1 trade for A.J. Brown, can we expect any other moves to offset the added salary? Or may we assume that Robert Kraft is breaking with his traditional “three-year cap balance” formula?
— Keith Gentes, Mount Laurel, N.J.
Some contracts will be tweaked — money moved around for some of the players at the high end of the pay scale to keep as much financial flexibility as possible. And there’s the looming deals for Christian Gonzalez and Drake Maye to consider. But barring a surprise (which could include a trade opportunity), I don’t think we’ll see any sizable moves specifically to offset Brown’s additional salary.
Will we see any mid- to high-level free agents coming aboard before camp? Specifically linebacker, safety, and guard, which were all seen as mild needs before the draft (and unaddressed, save for Namdi Obiazor and the UDFAs). Obviously, the pool grows after August cuts, but curious about players who’ll actually get to participate in camp, too.
— Jack Abbott, Andover
There are a few intriguing free agents left, including linebacker Matt Milano, pass rushers Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney, and offensive linemen Kevin Zeitler and Taylor Decker. Situations can always change because of injuries or other things, but I’d be hard-pressed to look at the available free agents and match them with the Patriots.
What are they doing regarding running back? They have one good one, but another who’s older and fumble-prone. TreVeyon Henderson has shown poor vision and the ability to fall over when barely touched. His average is 3.1 yards per carry if you exclude four anomalous long runs. Could they bring in Nick Chubb for a year?
— Mike, Charlotte, N.C.
I’d take issue with some of this. Henderson played almost 40 games in 18 months dating to his Ohio State days. He was clearly out of gas by the end of the season. And I think given the way his season ended, it’s unfair to call Rhamondre Stevenson fumble-prone.
But they do need to build depth in the backfield. I think they’d be happy if a reliable third running back emerges from a group currently on the roster: Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings (who impressed Mike Vrabel in a reserve role last year) or seventh-round pick Jam Miller (who had 613 scrimmage yards with Alabama last year). If no one in that group distinguishes himself, you’d have to try to add depth with a signing such as Chubb, a trade, or picking up a roster-cut casualty.
Wondering why there’s little to no info on the undrafted free agents. The Globe had a brief piece on them, then nothing.
— Ken Korch, Massachusetts
I did have a thumbnail sketch on each one in the wake of the draft. I will say that I’d expect more on them in the coming week, as rookie minicamp convenes this weekend in Foxborough, and we’ll get a chance to talk to a few of them on Saturday.
Two UDFAs who have generated some buzz are wide receiver Kyle Dixon and offensive lineman Jacob Rizy. Dixon, out of Culver-Stockton College, signed a contract with a whopping $252,500 in guaranteed money. While that won’t necessarily ensure a spot on the team, it certainly improves his chances.
Rizy, a Connecticut native, started his college career at Harvard before transferring to Florida State. He played in 12 games and started at two positions for the Seminoles. That’s the sort of intriguing résumé that gets attention from NFL teams.
Are you shocked as to what the Patriots haven’t done in free agency and the draft at linebacker? Who will cover tight ends, last year’s biggest weakness? If Robert Spillane gets hurt, what’s their strategy?
— Steve Beatty, Florida
I was an advocate for Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez in the second round, but that never materialized. That being said, they do have depth in new faces such as free agent K.J. Britt and sixth-round pick Obiazor joining Spillane, Christian Elliss, and others. I think they would love to see Obiazor emerge as that sort of coverage linebacker. The rookie, who has experience as a safety, certainly has the skill set and body type (6 feet 3 inches, 229 pounds) to be a coverage linebacker (He had three interceptions in his last two years in college.)
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Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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