With the salary cap now set for 2023, the Patriots can look to some of their in-house free agents if they want to work on extensions before free agency opens in March.
New England has 10 players slated to hit free agency on the offensive side of the ball, including some homegrown staples like Jakobi Meyers and Damien Harris. So who will be in Foxborough back next season?
Here are predictions for what free agency will hold for each player on offense (and a bonus longsnapper):
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Jakobi Meyers, 27 next season
2022 cap hit: $3,986,000
The undrafted free agent has been New England’s leading receiver for the past three seasons, and the Patriots would certainly like to bring him back. Whether with Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Mac Jones, or Bailey Zappe, Meyers has produced. However, Meyers is entering a scarcely populated wide receiver market and is in a position to cash in — the rest of the league knows he’s good too. The top of the market is really just Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Ask Christian Kirk how that can play out.
Prediction: Meyers gets too pricey for the Patriots and signs elsewhere.
Nelson Agholor, 30
2022 cap hit: $14,882,345
Agholor didn’t come close to living up to his big-money deal during his two-season run in New England. Despite a top-of-the-market contract in 2021, Agholor never hit 40 catches or 500 receiving yards in either year with the Patriots. It’s hard to imagine them bringing him back.
Prediction: Agholor signs elsewhere.
Damien Harris, 26
2022 cap hit: $1,186,534
Bill Belichick loves the running back’s intangibles and the Patriots clearly need a second player to spell Rhamondre Stevenson, but Harris hasn’t made big money yet and is only a year removed from just missing the NFL’s Top 100. He finished at No. 103. With the shelf-lives of running backs being so short, the guess here that a team in free agency overlooks Harris’ durability issues and he goes to the highest bidder.
Prediction: Harris signs elsewhere.
Matthew Slater, 38
2022 cap hit: $1,272,500
He’s technically listed as a wide receiver, so Slater lands in this breakdown! As the season wound down, all signs seemed to be pointing to a retirement for the special teams ace, but he’s reportedly been showing up to the Gillette Stadium facility since the season ended. Still, it feels like the best bet is that Slater hangs them up and presents Canton with a very compelling Hall of Fame case.
Prediction: Slater retires.
Isaiah Wynn, 27
2022 cap hit: $10,413,000
It was Murphy’s-Law-type year for Wynn, where everything that could go wrong seemed to. After skipping OTAs, the Patriots had the left tackle flip to the right side and he never picked it up. Terse for much of the season, Wynn finished the year on injured reserve and it’d be stunning to see him back.
Prediction: Wynn signs elsewhere.
Conor McDermott, 30
2022 cap hit: $348,054
“Thank God we have him.”
That was the endorsement that Bill Belichick gave the ex-Jets practice squad member in December. With Wynn on the shelf and a myriad of other injuries plaguing the offensive line, McDermott was tossed into the fire and performed admirably. He’s earned an invite to training camp to battle for a swing tackle spot at the very least.
Prediction: McDermott re-signs with Patriots.
Yodny Cajuste, 27
2022 cap hit: $1,030,545
One of the reasons McDermott was a necessary addition in late November, Cajuste was leapfrogged quickly on the depth chart and rode the bench the rest of the way. The Patriots could bring him back to add depth, but at this point, a change of scenery might be best for both sides.
Prediction: Cajuste signs elsewhere.
Marcus Cannon, 35
2022 cap hit: $751,111
For a player that didn’t go to training camp and came off the street in September, Cannon performed admirably before his season was ended by a concussion. The veteran seemed halfway out the door last summer, so the guess is that he walks all the way through it this offseason.
Prediction: Cannon retires.
James Ferentz, 34
2022 cap hit: $895,000
A consummate professional, Ferentz is a reserve lineman that’s always ready when his number is called. It’s what’s kept him with the Patriots organization since 2017. There’s a good chance that continues, at least through training camp.
Prediction: Ferentz re-signs with Patriots.
WR Kristian Wilkerson, 26 (ERFA)
2022 cap hit: $465,000
An exclusive rights free agent, Wilkerson will be back if the Patriots want to send him a one-year qualifying offer for the league minimum salary. With wide receiver depth thin and Meyers and Agholor hitting free agency, that would appear to be a wise move.
Prediction: Wilkerson re-signs with Patriots.
Bonus: Joe Cardona, 31
2022 cap hit: $1,330,000
Hey, technically punting is an offensive play, so Cardona is also getting lumped into this breakdown. The longsnapper’s 140-game ironman streak was finally snapped in December due to a torn ligament in his foot. Cardona has been a staple on the Patriots special teams units since 2015, but it’ll be interesting to see what he thinks his value is in free agency. Either way, the bet here is that the two sides find some common ground eventually.
Prediction: Cardona re-signs with Patriots.
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