Patriots Free Agency Targets: Replacement For Devin McCourty?

A compilation of potential free agency fits has the New England Patriots bulking up on defense if/when several high-profile free agents leave.

At the risk of showcasing spoiled championship hubris, fans of the New England Patriots often aren't using Super Bowl Sunday to peruse the free-agency ledgers.

The times, alas, are a changing.

A challenging, if not fateful offseason begins for the Patriots and their NFL brethren as soon at the Super Bowl LVII clock in Glendale expires. New England sits in a particularly curious spot: while it's commonly accepted that they missed out on the path to the Super Bowl due to offensive shortcomings, the lauded defense is faced with the prospect of several departures through free agency.

Cornerback Jonathan Jones is perhaps the primary name to keep an eye on while long-time Patriot Devin McCourty could finally put an end to the monopoly his family has had on the New England secondary. 

To that end, a list of free agency fits posted on PatriotsWire is packed with defensive assistance, primarily from the secondary. Among the candidates offered are Jessie Bates III (Cincinnati), Byron Murphy Jr. (Arizona), Sean Murphy-Bunting (Tampa Bay), Marcus Peters (Baltimore), and Greedy Williams (Cleveland).

The most renowned name on the list is by far Bates III, a major contributor to the Bengals' postseason prosperity over the last two seasons, endeavors that yielded a Super Bowl trip last season. Cam Garrity notes that Bates could get lost in the team's quest to lock up some of its high-profile offensive talents.

Writes PatriotsWire:

If Devin McCourty retires, Jessie Bates III is a very nice replacement. At 26 years old, Bates could attempt to fill the shoes of one of the best safeties of the past decade in McCourty. Bates could sneak free in Cincinnati as the Bengals have a few players they need to think about extensions for, like Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, and Tee Higgins. The Bengals also selected Dax Hill with the goal of replacing Bates next season anyway.

The accomplished Peters, on the other hand, would be a short-term replacement for Jones' departure while Murphy, Murphy-Bunting, and Williams would be more developmental types since each is 25 years old and looking for more primary opportunities upon testing the market for the first time.

Also among the compilation is a trio of linebackers (Devin Bush, Rashaan Evans, and Leighton Vander Esch), an offensive lineman in San Francisco's Mike McGlinchey (described as "one of the top tackles on the market" who could flourish in "upgraded coaching") and even a punter in Atlanta's Bradley Pinion. 

As it stands, New England will have just under $34 million in cap space entering the offseason. That's good for the sixth-best rate in the league and could increase if they release players like Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, and DeVante Parker (over a combined $20 million in savings upon their releases). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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