One under-the-radar free agent for Patriots to target at each position
Even if the Patriots land their top targets, they still need to fill out their roster in a big way after finishing 4-13 for a second straight season.
The Patriots will be armed with the most cap space in the league when NFL free agency opens on Monday, holding nearly $130 million in cap room. It also appears that they plan to target some of those names available on the open market.
But having the most money available doesn’t necessarily mean New England will automatically land its top targets. It learned that again on Saturday, when Baltimore was able to re-sign offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Even if the Patriots land their top targets, they still need to fill out their roster in a big way after finishing 4-13 for a second straight season. So, let’s take a look at a secondary option or an under the radar player at each position that would make sense for the Patriots to go after in free agency.
QB: Broncos’ Jarrett Stidham
The Patriots could determine that Joe Milton’s Week 18 performance was enough to give him the full-time backup job in 2024. If they want some veteran competition for Milton, though, a familiar face could serve as a solid option.
Stidham had some decent moments as a fill-in quarterback over the last couple of seasons. Playing under Josh McDaniels with the Raiders in 2022, he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in a game against the 49ers. He threw for over 200 yards in both starts he made with the Broncos in 2023, going 1-1 in those outings.
RB: Broncos’ Javonte Williams
Similar to quarterback, running back isn’t a need for the Patriots. But it couldn’t hurt to add another player to the group after Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumble struggles in 2024.
If the Patriots want to make a small investment at the position, Williams could be a decent buy-low option. He showed some dual-threat ability with the Broncos last season, recording 52 receptions for 346 yards. He hasn’t regained the burst he once had prior to his ACL tear in 2022, though, rushing for 513 yards on 3.7 yards per carry and four touchdowns last season. But Williams is only 24, so it isn’t unreasonable to think he could still be an efficient runner, especially in a lesser role.
WR: Bears’ Keenan Allen
If the Patriots aren’t able to land Chris Godwin, Allen would be a solid backup plan. While he might not have elevated Caleb Williams’s play, Allen had a pretty productive 2024 season considering the circumstances. He finished 2024 with 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns, hitting the 700-yard mark in all but one season of his 12-year career.
TE: Patriots’ Austin Hooper
Sometimes, the best signings you can make are the ones to retain your own players. If the Patriots want to add a tight end in free agency, bringing back Hooper would make a lot of sense. He was the first player to catch multiple touchdown passes from Drake Maye as he put respectable numbers for a TE2 (45 receptions for 476 yards and five touchdowns).
OL: Ravens’ Patrick Mekari
The offensive tackle market is relatively thin following Ronnie Stanley’s decision to re-sign with the Ravens on Saturday. Vikings offensive tackle Cam Robinson and Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore are the only offensive tackles of note who are set to hit the open market on Monday.
But one of Stanley’s Ravens teammates could be a solid option for the Patriots. Mekari has played all over the offensive line for the Ravens, recording over 200 snaps at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle over the last two years. He’s best suited to play guard, giving up just one sack at the position in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. His versatility, though, would be incredibly valuable to a Patriots team that’s had to shuffle their offensive line on numerous occasions over the last couple of seasons.
DT: Lions’ Levi Onwuzurike
The Patriots are in the market for some interior defensive line help with Davon Godchaux seeking a trade and Christian Barmore’s future in question given his issues with blood clots.
Signing Milton Williams would be the best way to address, but Onwuzurike wouldn’t be a bad Plan B. He had 28 total tackles and 1.5 sacks with the Lions last season, with his 45 pressures ranking 15th among all defensive tackles, per PFF.
Onwuzurike also has familiarity with new Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who was the Lions’ defensive line coach and run game coordinator in 2024.
EDGE: Saints’ Chase Young
Young had a better year with the Saints than the raw numbers suggest. He recorded 31 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, but he was among the best edge rushers in the league in generating pressure. He had 66 pressures (tied for seventh) and a 13.7 pass rush win rate (25th among edge rushers who played at least 50 percent of their team’s snaps), per PFF.
As Young turns 26 in April, his best football could still be ahead of him. He’s also played 16-plus regular-season games in the last two years, so maybe his injury woes of that past are behind him, too.
LB: Raiders’ Robert Spillane
The Patriots struggled to stop the run following Ja’Whaun Bentley’s season-ending injury in Week 2, with things getting so bad that Jerod Mayo called them “soft” at one point.
One way to fix those struggles would be to sign a tackling machine like Spillane. He finished third in the league in total tackles last season with 158, marking the second straight year he’s recorded at least 140 total tackles. He also graded out as PFF’s eighth-best linebacker in run defense in 2024, adding two sacks, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Spillane has a couple of connections to key members of the Patriots’ organization as well. He played under Vrabel with the Titans as a rookie in 2018 and McDaniels’s Raiders squad gave him a two-year deal in 2023.
CB: Saints’ Paulson Adebo
It appears the Patriots are in the market for a corner, being linked to Charvarius Ward of the 49ers and DJ Reed of the Jets ahead of free agency.
While Ward and Reed are proven vets, Adebo could help form a solid cornerback tandem with Christian Gonzalez for the foreseeable future. The 25-year-old Adebo has recorded seven interceptions over the last two seasons, but he suffered a season-ending broken femur injury in October. Still, he’s only allowed two touchdowns in pass coverage over the last two years.
S: 49ers’ Talanoa Hufanga
The Patriots haven’t had a true free safety since Devin McCourty announced his retirement in 2023, largely playing safeties who are more of the inside-the-box mold.
If Vrabel wants to adjust the Patriots’ defense, Hufanga played both safety spots for the 49ers, logging most of his snaps at free safety. The 25-year-old was a first-team All-Pro in 2022, recording four interceptions, 97 total tackles, and two forced fumbles that year. He’s only played 17 games over the last two years, though, tearing his ACL late in the 2023 season.
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