With the recent news of the Patriots 2020 opt-outs agreeing to come back, I was curious will this have an effect on available spending money? I know the Patriots were well set on cap space and I was wondering if these contracts were already accounted for in relation to this year's cap or if our free agent funds just took a hit? Thanks! Charlie Taylor
For the benefit of readers who might not have heard, Charlie is referring to this past weekend's media reports indicating that the eight Patriots players who opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 reasons are expected to return to action in 2021. The three most notable names on that list are linebacker Dont'a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, and right tackle Marcus Cannon. The other five are running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny Vitale, tight end Matt LaCosse, wide receiver Marqise Lee, and offensive lineman Najee Toran.
When those eight men elected last summer to sit out the 2020 season, their contracts tolled – a fancy way of saying they carried over into 2021. You may recall at that time, New England's available salary cap space roughly tripled when those players opted out. It's my understanding that the 2021 cap space calculations you're likely alluding to already took into account the eight opt-out players' contracts. So, short answer, no, they're reported returns shouldn't have an impact on the cap space figures you've seen. Erik Scalavino
On this current roster which needs major improvements all over, would you rather draft someone who is an offensive playmaker or a defensive force? Johnny Tran
Very simple, Johnny. Whoever is the most talented player on the board at the time. As you correctly point out, the current Patriots roster is begging for impact playmakers across the board. If New England stays put at its current 15th overall spot in the first round, I'd be happy with the team selecting whoever it thinks is the most gifted player, regardless of which side of the ball his position might be. Erik Scalavino
What do you think about the Patriots re-signing Cam [Newton] and then trading up into the top five of the draft to take someone like Justin Fields or Trey Lance? Billy Schmidt
I'm all about the second part of your question, Billy. Every year, I hope the Patriots package picks to move up in the first round, because that gives you access to a greater pool of the most talented players. Of the two specific rookies you cited, I tend to gravitate more toward Lance, but it would be exciting to see New England move up that high to get a quarterback, no matter who it is.
As far as the Newton element goes, I'm less enthusiastic, given what we already know about him and his capabilities in this offense. I also believe Newton believes he's a bona fide starting quarterback in this league. Which means re-signing him would come with the expectation (at least on his end) that he's going to start. Drafting a QB in the top five would immediately force a legitimate competition, and I'm not sure the veteran would be amenable to that. Besides, when a QB is drafted that high, most people would rather see that player under center.
So, in my estimation, only one of these options could come to pass (no pun intended), and the likelihood of both seems minimal. Erik Scalavino
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