The Patriots Need a Splash This Week to Compete in the AFC East

The Patriots are falling behind in the AFC East, fast.

Both the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins are expected to make major moves this week once the NFL’s league year starts that will set themselves up to catapult into the cream of the crop in the division.

As for New England? They’re currently the longest shot on the board to win the AFC East according to CLNS Media’s exclusive wagering partner, FanDuel Sportsbook. Here are the odds:

Odds to Win the AFC East

Buffalo Bills                          EVEN

New York Jets                       +250

Miami Dolphins                     +430

New England Patriots          +700

There’s still time to make a move, of course, as free agency doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday at 4pm and legal tampering on Monday at noon. However, they’re already behind the eight ball.

The Jets look to have a deal in place to bring 4x MVP Aaron Rodgers to New York as their quarterback, and the Dolphins agreed to a deal for 3x All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Now we wait for the Patriots to get in on the action.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote on Sunday that Bengals safety Jessie Bates III could be a “Belichick-type fit” for the Patriots in free agency. Longtime captain and safety Devin McCourty announced his retirement last week, so it would be a realistic match. Here’s the full excerpt from Reiss:

In 2017, Belichick surprised at the start of free agency by signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a top-of-the-market deal. If Belichick takes a similar approach this year — targeting a player with high-end traits in his prime years for a big contract — there is one who stands out most as a Belichick-type fit: Bengals safety Jessie Bates III. Belichick has said that McCourty’s presence allows the Patriots to play defense the way they want, and a pass-the-torch type of situation with the 26-year-old Bates could solidify the Patriots’ secondary for years to come as they try to keep up with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen & Co. in the high-powered AFC.

Some other potential targets in free agency include tackle Mike McGlinchey, cornerback James Bradberry, and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. According to A to Z Sports’ Doug Kyed, the Patriots were one of several teams to attend Beckham’s post-ACL tear workout/showcase in Arizona last week.

To read my full list of targets for New England, click here.

They could also make a move via trade. There’s a rumor circulating that they’ve done their homework on a potential trade for DeAndre Hopkins. It’s been reported that the Cardinals are looking for a second-round pick and either a late-round pick or a player in exchange for the veteran pass-catcher.

Hopkins would give New England a true number-one target to build their offense around and would give Mac Jones a security blanket with the inevitable departure of Jakobi Meyers.

There’s also a chance that they hold off everywhere and wait for the NFL Draft to fill their needs. Players like wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, tackle Broderick Jones, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. could all potentially be available for the Patriots to take at pick 14 in April’s draft.

Regardless of how they go about it, it would be irresponsible for Bill Belichick and the front office to not make several serious moves in the coming weeks to improve their team. They have just over $30 million in salary cap space heading into 2023 according to @PatsCap, and should be eager to spend heading into a crucial year three for quarterback Mac Jones.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!

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