The New England Patriots are coming off of a Super Bowl championship and now the goal is to try and keep the team together, as players like Darrelle Revis, Devin McCourty, Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley all potentially could hit the market, while Brandon Browner and other veterans could be on the chopping block to free up salary cap space.
NFL free agency starts on March 10 and the team has a major decision to make regarding Revis, as he is due over $20 million next year on his team option. According to ESPN Boston, the Patriots are interested in keeping Revis, but likely not at the $25 million cap hit for 2015. Revis is currently under contract and there is a chance the two sides could work out a long-term deal before it's time for his team option to kick in.
Pro Football Talk writes that the team will have a hard time keeping Revis, Browner and McCourty without spending a high amount of money and that could sacrifice depth in other areas. Revis will have $12 million due to him on March 9 and the team will likely try and work out a new deal with him before that. Browner is on a $5.5 million salary for next year and $2 million of that will be guaranteed in a roster bonus. McCourty is a free agent and he has the chance to return, as Pro Football Talk reports that he likely would sign the franchise tender if he is tagged.
The charge for McCourty would be at $9.6 million if he is tagged and signs the tender and according to Pro Football Talk, the team could end up spending over $35 million on the secondary without a new deal for Revis. The Patriots have both Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley hitting the free agent market and there is a chance that they could end up elsewhere in 2015. The team has LeGarrette Blount after picking him up and that could lead the team to give James White more of a role along with Jonas Gray over signing the free agents.
Vereen is the more likely of the two players to return because of how great he fits in with what the Patriots do, but there a chance that he could price out of New England. According to NFL.com, Vereen is looking to get around $5 million per season and that could be too much for the Patriots on their cap. Vereen is coming off of a strong season with 52 catches for 447 yards and he also rushed for a career best 391 yards.
Ridley is likely to go after falling out of favor with Bill Belichick last season and also dealing with an injury, as he is coming off of ACL surgery. Ridley rushed for a career best 1263 yards in 2012, but he had a down season in 2013 and played in just six games last year before getting injured. Vereen could be a potential target for the Giants, while Ridley likely will end up with a one year deal somewhere after his surgery.
The Patriots won the AFC East with a 12-4 record last season and they ranked ninth in the league in passing yards per game. The team was 18th in rushing yards per game and if they let Ridley and Vereen go, it means that Blount and Jonas Gray will get more action next year. The team also could look at the draft for a running back, as the position has depth with names like Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley, TJ Yeldon and Ameer Abdullah coming out.
