6 prospective free agents on the Chiefs and Eagles for Patriots fans to watch in Super Bowl LVII
A handful of expected free agents playing in Sunday's game would help the Patriots in a few areas of need.
If you’re a Patriots fan, you likely don’t have much of a strong connection to either team playing in Super Bowl LVII.
The only notable former Patriots player set to play in the game is Chiefs guard Joe Thuney while Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is the only one with notable local ties.
One thing Patriots fans can keep an eye out for is players who are set to become free agents this offseason. The Chiefs and Eagles each have a few contributors that would make sense for New England to sign this offseason, in which it has multiple needs on both sides of the ball.
Here are six prospective free agents for Patriots fans to watch in Super Bowl LVII.
Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr.
It’s no secret that the Patriots need an offensive tackle this offseason. Likely the best offensive tackle that could hit free agency this offseason is Orlando Brown Jr.
The five-year pro has arguably been one of the best tackles in football since he was drafted in 2018 by the Ravens, earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of the last four seasons. However, Brown struggled a bit to start the 2022 season, giving up 30 pressures and two sacks in the first eight games. Brown rebounded though in the second half of the season, allowing 26 pressures and two sacks over the Chiefs’ last 11 games, all per Pro Football Focus. Brown didn’t grade out too well in the AFC Championship Game, giving up seven pressures in the Chiefs’ win over the Bengals.
Sunday will be Brown’s last game to prove he might be worth all the money that’s likely coming his way this offseason. Kansas City franchise tagged Brown last offseason, so the cost to franchise tag him is 25 percent higher than it normally would be. So, it might be tough for Kansas City to keep him considering it’s projected to have just $7 million in cap space entering the offseason.
Eagles S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
If tackle is the Patriots’ biggest need on the offensive side of the ball, then either corner or free safety is their biggest need on the defensive side.
Gardner-Johnson has played both over his four-year career, but moved from slot corner to safety when he was traded from the Saints to the Eagles prior to the start of the season. Gardner-Johnson has played well in his first full season at safety, recording 56 tackles, a sack, and a league-high six interceptions.
Gardner-Johnson played a bit at both safety spots as PFF credited Gardner-Johnson for playing 393 snaps at free safety this season despite listing him as the Eagles’ strong safety for five games this season. He had a fine season in pass coverage, too. In addition to the six interceptions, opposing quarterbacks completed 31 of 42 passes for 275 yards with four touchdowns, giving them an 87.6 passer rating when targeting Gardner-Johnson, per PFF.
With Gardner-Johnson showing strong versatility, the Patriots could be convinced to sign him to succeed Devin McCourty at free safety if he retires this offseason. Remember, the Patriots signed Jalen Mills a couple of offseasons ago after he played multiple spots on defense for the Eagles over five seasons.
Chiefs WR Juju Smith-Schuster
Many experts believe the free-agent wide receiver class this offseason is mostly unimpressive with Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers and Smith-Schuster being viewed as the top two receivers set to hit the open market.
If the Patriots opt not to re-sign Meyers or if they would rather allocate the money he gets to a different player, Smith-Schuster could be an option for them. Smith-Schuster has been reliable throughout his six-year career, recording at least 800 receiving yards in four seasons (he played just five games in one of the seasons he didn’t reach that mark). He was a security blanket for Ben Roethlisberger, too, when he entered the league in 2017, recording 79 receptions as a rookie and 111 receptions for 1,426 yards in 2018.
Smith-Schuster had another solid season in his first year with the Chiefs, recording 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns. The possible downside for signing Smith-Schuster is that he plays more as a slot or a “Z” receiver and not on the outside, which many view as the Patriots’ biggest weakness at the position.
Eagles CB James Bradberry
The Patriots lacked a top-end corner in 2022 and possibly their most experienced corner in Jonathan Jones could depart this offseason via free agency.
If that’s the case, Bradberry could be a candidate to replace him. Or the Patriots could opt to pay Bradberry over Jones.
Bradberry had a bit of a breakout season in 2022, his seventh in the league. He had three interceptions as opposing quarterbacks completed just 40 of 87 passes for 429 yards with two touchdowns when they targeted Bradberry, giving those quarterbacks a 54.2 passer rating when they threw in Bradberry’s direction. The 46 percent completion percentage Bradberry allowed was the fourth-best among all corners and he ranked second in forced incompletions (19), per PFF.
Bradberry having a career year at age 29 while lining up opposite Darius Slay and going up against what many viewed as a weaker schedule of quarterbacks could be a cause for concern when signing him this offseason. But if he has a solid performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing attack, it might validate the strong season he had, which earned him second-team All-Pro honors.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon
Running back might be the least of the Patriots’ concerns entering the offseason because of how well Rhamondre Stevenson performed in 2022.
But the Patriots will still need depth at that spot. Damien Harris is a free agent and outside of Stevenson, they lack much experience at running back. New England’s lack of depth at the position in 2022 might have hurt the team as well considering Stevenson’s workload throughout the year.
Signing someone like McKinnon could help spell Stevenson. The 30-year-old was utilized more in the passing game than the running game with the Chiefs, catching 56 passes for 512 yards for a career-high nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 291 yards on 72 carries with a score.
McKinnon hasn’t played as well in the playoffs so far, catching just two passes while Isiah Pacheco emerged to the scene. McKinnon’s lack of production could also be tied to Mahomes’ ankle injury, potentially making it tougher for the quarterback to throw off his back foot to make the shorter throws to a running back necessary.
Chiefs S Juan Thornhill
Both teams have good quality starting safeties set to become free agents this offseason that New England should at least ponder signing.
Unlike Gardner-Johnson, Thornhill has primarily played free safety in his four-year career. He arguably had a career year in 2022, recording career-bests in combined tackles (71) and tackles for loss (four). Thornhill also had three interceptions as opposing quarterbacks completed 24 of 38 passes for 244 yards with four touchdowns when targeting him in coverage, giving them an 83.7 passer rating when targeting Thornhill.
Thornhill could play a big role in the Chiefs’ chances of winning on Sunday as he’ll likely be tasked with giving extra help to stop A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith.
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