NFL Notebook: What will the Patriots do with their new-found cap space?

In a curious bit of timing, the cap-strapped Patriots suddenly found themselves with a bit of space under the salary cap on Saturday as the team settled two grievances — Antonio Brown ($4 million) and Aaron Hernandez ($2.55 million) — league sources confirmed.

The moves, which were first reported by Field Yates of ESPN, is tacked on to the $1.632 million the team had remaining, to give themselves about $8 million in cap space as training camp grows closer.

The question now remains, what will the Patriots do (if anything), with that cap space?

A look at the options and some of the players available:

DON'T DO ANYTHING ... YET (60%)

The Patriots usually need about $5-$8 million in cap space just to operate during the course of the season, given they have to pay incentives and the cost of replacing players after they go on injured reserve, and other associated and normal expenses.

Plus, the Patriots like to give themselves options because you never know what the personnel needs could be around the trading deadline. If the Patriots didn't have the cap room, Brown wouldn't have been an option last season ... ok, maybe they could have spent wiser with, say, a tight end. Still, you never know when an underpriced asset may become available. It could be now in the list below, or it could be a team looking to dump a troublesome player. Plus, this is a season unlike any other so the Patriots could need help at several positions should a player(s) get sick during the season.

Also, so much is unknown about the financial situation in 2021, the Patriots might be better off rolling over all they can onto next year's cap when they have several roster openings and may have a warchest better than 90 percent of teams.

 

SIGN A STREET FREE AGENT AT A NEEDY POSITION (30%)

Here's the first problem with this with some of these players: Newton just signed with the team for the league minimum, likely because the Patriots cried poor to him, saying they had no cap space. Suddenly now, after signing Newton, the Patriots have a few million to kick around?

I have a hard time seeing them give more than the minimum to any player because they run the risk of ticking off Newton. You may think this is not a factor, and feel that Newton just wants to win, that it's not about the money — money is always, always a factor. It's one thing for Newton to take the minimum. It's another for him to do that and watch someone else, who is less accomplished, get more. That's just insulting.

These are the best available players at positions the Patriots could use some help with (mostly on the edge of the defense), and some vets might flat-out refuse to play for the minimum given the injury and Covid risk:

Edge Jadeveon Clowney (Big $): We already went over the case for and against this, and out of any player, Clowney's the No. 1 person who wouldn't even consider playing for under $10 million, let alone $1 million.

Edge Everson Griffin: More of a 4-3 end, but given his issues in the past, he may be cheap and he's versatile enough to fit.

DT Damon Harrison: This would be my No. 1 target if I were the Patriots, who basically have only Lawrence Guy and Beau Allen as known quantities as run-stuffers. "Snacks" is one of the league's best and would fit perfectly here and given the Patriots a dynamite 3-4 defensive line against running teams. Not sure what he wants in money, but he may take the minimum at the end of the day.

DT Marcell Dareus: Only played six games last year for the Jaguars so health is paramount, but when he's healthy and on, he's one of the best tackles in the league and would upgrade New England's line. Plus, he was tough on the Patriots and New England showed a lot of respect in how they double-teamed him often.

Edge Cameron Wake (Medium $): Killed the Patriots for years with the Dolphins. Maybe be getting old, but he knows how to get after the pass rusher when healthy. Could he take the minimum for a ring and playing with Cam Newton? It's possible.

TE Delanie Walker (Medium $): Coming off a major injury and his past his prime, but he could be the perfect veteran TE to come in here and stabilize a very young and inexperienced TE room.

Edge Jabaal Sheard: The former Patriot knows the scheme and would give them an immediate starter-level player on the edge for a group that is low on experience and talent.

Edge Ezekial Ansah: The Patriots already made one ex-Lion edge player a ton of money (Kyle Van Noy), why not try with the more talented player?

Edge Clay Matthews (Medium $): Way past his prime but was nearly drafted by the Patriots and you know Belichick would love to coach the son of a former player. Plus, he fits their scheme perfectly. But Matthews doesn't strike me a league-minimum guy. I think he'd rather retire or wait for an injury.

DT Mike Daniels: Not exactly a great fit for the Patriots' scheme, but he's a very good player when healthy and would probably take a one-year deal to make more later.

CB Logan Ryan: The former Patriot has already gotten paid and might be willing to give it one last go with New England and his former teammates, even at short money. I'm shocked the Lions and Dolphins haven't signed him yet. Do the Patriots need him? No, but Belichick is not afraid to stockpile aging vets he likes, even if they never play (David Harris).

Edge Markus Golden ($4.125 million): The former Cardinals and Giants player will revert back to New York if no one offers him more than his one-year tender. There's basically zero chance the Patriots would do that.

TRADE FOR TE DAVID NJOKU (10%)

The Browns' 2017 first-round pick, through new agent Drew Rosenhaus, let it be known that he would like a trade out of Cleveland, after it signed Austin Hooper in free agency and drafted Harrison Bryant.

The Browns already announced their intention to pick up Njoku's fifth-year option for about $6 million in 2021, and the team has let it be known it would like to retain Njoku (they won't nearly get the return on their investment). He should stay put because new coach Kevin Stefanski loves to use multiple tight ends.

Njoku (6-4, 250 pounds, 4.64 in the 40) is talented (56 catches for 639 yards and 4 TDs in '18 before injuries limited him last season) and would make a lot of sense in New England. But the Patriots just used a lot of draft capital to take Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

NICKEL PACKAGE

1. The bark from the NFL players and their union is always worse than their bite. They always talk a great game when it comes to CBA negotiations and items like commissioner power, but they hardly ever do anything. With that backdrop, he's very difficult to take any of their posturings on return-to-play protocols and schedule very seriously even though it's a very serious issue. I'm all for the players in most circumstances, but especially this one. And if they can't grow a collective backbone and demand what's in the best interest of their players and their families (the NFL and NFLPA are due to meet on Monday), then the group is hopeless and will always be pushed around by the owners.

2. Another reason to loathe NFL owners, this comment via Albert Breer:

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/1282035505727787012

An interest-free loan, for players literally risking their lives to make the owners more money than they can give to their family members (they do try)? What a joke.

3. PFT made some waves this week when it reported via a league source that Josh McDaniels had a secret Tim Tebow offense to feature the athletic quarterback in Denver. According to my league sources, this is false. There's no separate athletic QB scheme with McDaniels' offense — it's all part of the same playbook and structure that is just dressed up differently.

4. Amazing the Patriots didn't have one top 10 or honorable mention player at any of the offensive skill position players in ESPN's poll of NFL execs — and we still talk about them being an AFC Super Bowl contender. Julian Edelman didn't even get mentioned. I did notice, however, that at least three players the Patriots could have drafted but didn't — Browns RB Nick Chubb (Sony Michel), Lions WR Kenny Golladay (Derek Rivers, Antonio Garcia), Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (Michel), Ravens TE Mark Andrews (Duke Dawson) — all landed on the list.

5. He's only been a Patriot for less than two weeks and I'm already sick of the Cam Newton's viral videos. We get it, you've thrown with some guys and you feel disrespected by the league. Camp can't get here soon enough. Let's just play some football and wait for Newton's play to speak for itself.