The New England Patriots organization has received criticism in recent years for not spending enough money to improve the roster. As the 2024 NFL offseason begins and with owner Robert Kraft aware of the critiques, it appears things could change this year.
New England currently holds just $176 million in cap liabilities for the 2024 season with less than $110 million in combined salary commitments from 2025-’26. Thanks to skyrocketing NFL revenue, the salary cap is rising by nearly $20 million every year and that puts the Patriots in an interesting spot.
- New England Patriots cap space 2024: $66 million
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Kraft already made the first big change this offseason by parting ways with Bill Belichick. While New England hasn’t hired a new general manager, executive Eliot Wolf is believed to be the one most responsible for constructing the roster in 2024. As he starts getting to work, it appears he’ll have a lot of money at his disposal and it needs to be spent.
In a mailbag for the Boston Herald, Patriots’ reporter Doug Kyed explained why New England will likely ‘have to be active’ in NFL free agency and needs to spend heavily this offseason to satisfy NFL cap rules.
“They pretty much have to be active in free agency. Not to get too into the nitty gritty, but the Patriots need to spend 90% of the salary cap in cash over the next three seasons. They’re only set to spend $216.2 million in cash over that span. The 2024 salary cap is projected to be $240 million. Even if the cap didn’t rise in 2025 and 2026 (it will), the Patriots are only set to spend 30% of the cap in cash from 2024 to 2026.
New England Patriots reporter Doug Kyed on the team’s need to spend money this offseason
Identifying potential Patriots offseason moves
With minimal financial commitments after the 2024 season, the New England Patriots have a lot of financial flexibility. Not only can the organization spend heavily this offseason, it can also structure contracts to take advantage of its situation, distributing various cap hits across multiple seasons to maximize how much talent it can add.
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While a big splash in NFL free agency is unlikely, there are a few Patriots offseason moves that could be made that would significantly improve the roster.
- Retain Kyle Dugger and Mike Onwenu: As Kyed points out, retaining both Dugger and Onwenu is critical for New England. Dugger played an integral role in the success of the Patriots run defense, while Onwenu is incredibly valuable because of his versatility on the offensive line. The expectation is that New England will franchise tag Dugger and then explore a long-term deal with Onwenu.
- Trade for Tee Higgins: It seems unlikely that Tee Higgins will hit NFL free agency, with the Cincinnati Bengals prepared to franchise tag him. So, what New England can do instead is pursue a tag-and-trade then immediately sign Higgins to a contract extension. While it would cost the Patriots premium draft capital, Higgins is a viable No. 1 receiver who just turned 25 in January. Plus, New England can recoup some of the lost draft picks by moving down from the No. 3 overall pick.
- Sign Dalton Schultz: With the Cleveland Browns, Alex Van Pelt demonstrated that his scheme relies heavily on tight ends. Dalton Schult is the best, proven option in NFL free agency and he likely wouldn’t command anything more than a three-year deal. Adding Schultz and Higgins to the offense would make this a far better situation for a quarterback, like free agent Jacoby Brissett, to play in.
