Patriots Named Potential Landing Spot for All-Pro Safety

The New England Patriots finished their 2021 NFL season during the wild-card weekend. Head coach Bill Belichick and his players lost the game to the Buffalo Bills. Many believe that the legendary head coach plans to reshape his roster and bring fresh blood to New England. Recent reports reveal that the Patriots may be the perfect landing spot for an All-Pro safety.

Patriots may be the best landing spot for the safety

Dallas Robinson from Pro Football Network reported that Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro safety Jessie Bates is a good option for the Patriots.

“While the Colts may not dip their toe in the free-agent waters very often, you can’t say the same for the Patriots,” says Robinson. “Even before their 2021 spending spree, New England was known for targeted signings, especially in the secondary. Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Stephon Gilmore were two of their most notable additions in recent years, but the Patriots could be staring at an opening at safety this offseason.

“Devin McCourty is scheduled to hit the open market in March. While it seems incredibly unlikely that he’ll sign with another team, there is a real chance that he’ll retire. McCourty has flirted with hanging up his cleats in each of the last three offseasons. At 34 years old and on an expiring contract, could he call it quits?

“McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, and Jalen Mills (who also plays CB) have each played at least two-thirds of New England’s defensive snaps this year. For a team that loves to deploy multiple-safety looks, the loss of McCourty and his 95% snap share would sting. Bates would lock down the back end for the Patriots and allow Phillips and Dugger to work in the box.”

New England has good defensive backfield. Belichick will probably boost the defense given the fact that his team missed the chance to make the Super Bowl this season.

Devin McCourty may soon call it career, and his retirement will leave a huge gap on the Patriots roster. Belichick has to work on his Plan B. Gaps lead to losses.

Mac Jones is a good building block for Belichick, and the head coach will start from there.