NFL free agent season about to open up

[PLamb]

Pats draft needs

1 - OLB
2 - DE
3 - OL
4 - TE
5 - RB

Pats free agents/trade needs

1 - TE
2 - WR
3 - RB
4 - CB
5 - OL

[Cman]

Pats free agents/trade needs

1 - TE
2 - WR
3 - RB
4 - CB
5 - OL

The Pats really have a mixed bag when it comes to trades in the last year (Burgess: 3rd and 5th rounder, I think; Smith: 4th or 5th rounder; letting go D. Thomas for a 7th rounder). Of course, if you go back far enough the trades for Moss and Welker were great.

But in terms of addressing the TE and WR positions, it makes me wonder how useful free agency and trades will be.  Boldin would have been nice, but that is water under the bridge now, I guess.  Is Josh Reed the guy?  That doesn't sound too intimidating: Moss, Edelman, Reed...  perhaps Brandon Tate is the wild card, but I think Tate and Edelman will need a year or two more...

[Cman]

Browns just signed TE Watson.

I was actually hoping that the Patriots bring him back.
Brady is much more comfortable when surrounded by veterans and players he knows.  There might be better tight ends out there, but there is no guarantee that other TEs and Brady will get on the same page (witness the failure in that department last year).  At this point, Brady has Moss, and.... Edelman.

WR and TE have got to be the top priorities at this point.

I have heard buzzes here and there about Deion Branch, and I think that would be a very wise move, depending what it takes to get him here on a trade (3rd round pick?  I know Pats don't have one as of yet, just thinking out loud about the value).

[celts55]

Browns just signed TE Watson.

I was actually hoping that the Patriots bring him back.
Brady is much more comfortable when surrounded by veterans and players he knows.  There might be better tight ends out there, but there is no guarantee that other TEs and Brady will get on the same page (witness the failure in that department last year).  At this point, Brady has Moss, and.... Edelman.

WR and TE have got to be the top priorities at this point.

I have heard buzzes here and there about Deion Branch, and I think that would be a very wise move, depending what it takes to get him here on a trade (3rd round pick?  I know Pats don't have one as of yet, just thinking out loud about the value).

I'd like to see Branch back, but I don't think it would take a 3rd round pick (which they don't have anyway). He getting paid way too much for what he's producing for the Seahawks. I'm pretty sure he'll be cut before the season starts. If the Pats want to make sure they get him I bet a 5th or 6th would get it done, but Branch would have to agree to redo his contract.

[Evantime34]

People are freaking out too much about the Pats so early in the offseason. They have retained all the essential players from their 10-6 team.

They have a slew of good players going into their second year who will improve. They have a bunch of early picks to improve the team.

By the time Wes Welker is back we will be ready to make our championship run.

[Cman]

By the time Wes Welker is back we will be ready to make our championship run.

This is the issue, though, is that Welker won't be back until very late in the season.  Plus there is zero guarantee that he will ever again be the player he was. 

The safest bet would be to assume that Welker will not be back, and then think about the team as currently constructed.  The team struggled from lack of a viable 3rd receiver last season.  It still doesn't have a viable 3rd receiver, and now it doesn't have a viable 2nd receiver either. Perhaps Edelman can fill one of those roles, but there is a huge gap on offense, at this point.

[PLamb]

Browns just signed TE Watson.

I was actually hoping that the Patriots bring him back.
Brady is much more comfortable when surrounded by veterans and players he knows.  There might be better tight ends out there, but there is no guarantee that other TEs and Brady will get on the same page (witness the failure in that department last year).  At this point, Brady has Moss, and.... Edelman.

WR and TE have got to be the top priorities at this point.

I have heard buzzes here and there about Deion Branch, and I think that would be a very wise move, depending what it takes to get him here on a trade (3rd round pick?  I know Pats don't have one as of yet, just thinking out loud about the value).

I'd like to see Branch back, but I don't think it would take a 3rd round pick (which they don't have anyway). He getting paid way too much for what he's producing for the Seahawks. I'm pretty sure he'll be cut before the season starts. If the Pats want to make sure they get him I bet a 5th or 6th would get it done, but Branch would have to agree to redo his contract.

Have to agree with this

I'll freak out over the free agency signings after I see what happens in the draft

Until then, I'm not concerned

[Cman]

Jets just signed LT.
They certainly made some high profile moves in the offseason.  Can't wait for them to fail to meet expectations...

[Rondo2287]

There was a really good point in the globe last week. 

the three teams that "Won" The offseason in the NFL last year all spent the January watching the playoffs on their couch. 

The Giants, Redskins and Bears. 

[Chris]

Jets just signed LT.
They certainly made some high profile moves in the offseason.  Can't wait for them to fail to meet expectations...

It will be interesting.  Everything lies on the shoulders of Sanchez.  If he turns into a good QB, they could be scary, if not, they may be turning into the new Redskins/Raiders.  Get the big names, just after they are washed up or damaged goods. 

[Rondo2287]

Jets just signed LT.
They certainly made some high profile moves in the offseason.  Can't wait for them to fail to meet expectations...

It will be interesting.  Everything lies on the shoulders of Sanchez.  If he turns into a good QB, they could be scary, if not, they may be turning into the new Redskins/Raiders.  Get the big names, just after they are washed up or damaged goods. 

It would actually be fitting if this was the case.  My best friend is a huge Mets and Jets Fan.  And he usually refers to the Mets as the place where pitchers go to die.  I think it would be fitting if the jets were the same way.  My friend needs consistency in his life. 

[Eja117]

So I guess the Pats signed David Patten.  I hope this reduces the need to draft two WRs in the early part of the draft. Now maybe they can just take one.

Apparently Patten is eager to work with Brady again. Who can blame him?

I wonder if Brady will be like "Hey Dave. Meet Julian. Now get to the back of the line"

The last time Patten was good was like 2004 or something. Might as well be a century ago.

We'll see.

[Cman]

So I guess the Pats signed David Patten.  I hope this reduces the need to draft two WRs in the early part of the draft. Now maybe they can just take one.

Apparently Patten is eager to work with Brady again. Who can blame him?

I wonder if Brady will be like "Hey Dave. Meet Julian. Now get to the back of the line"

The last time Patten was good was like 2004 or something. Might as well be a century ago.

We'll see.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's cut before the season starts.  At the least, he should be a good locker room guy.