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Did you know that the NFL independent agency does not officially start until tomorrow? Given the number of moves announced in recent hours, you would not know that we are still in the so-called legal forgery period when teams can start negotiations with players but do not sign them yet. But such is the life in the NFL of 2019, which means that the market is already starting to dry up a bit the day before it's actually open.
The New England Patriots have already been affected by this situation: the club initially lost left striker Trent Brown in the face of an unprecedented offer from the Oakland Raiders, before seeing the Unparalleled defensive line Trey Flowers make an agreement with the Detroit Lions. The reigning world champions, meanwhile, remained inactive and took their first decisions only Tuesday morning, when two free restricted agents were auctioned.
In the end, the Patriots will enter the action and the following players could still be available in the current state of things. Let's start with Pats Pulpit's own list, published before the start of the legal change period yesterday. As can be seen, nine of the eleven names listed have still not been signed:
DT Henry Anderson: The 27-year-old led the New Yor Jets with 7 sacks of 7 in 2018 and was tied for 12th in his position with a combined pressure of 48 quarter. Anderson would be perfectly suited to a group of New England defensive tackers currently composed only of Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler. The former third round choice would help the club's internal rotation to remain intact while adding quality in the fast pass service.
DT Allen Bailey: Playing 72.1% of the club's defensive catch, the veteran recorded 6 sacks of 6 points. As the New England Inland Line is facing many changes, with Malcom Brown and Danny Shelton about to move to an independent agency, Bailey could be an inexperienced and inexpensive alternative.
OF Christian Covington: The former sixth-round pick had a four-year spate with Bill O'Brien's team and finished 2018 with 13 games played and 3.5 sacks, but may well be changing.
YOU Darren Fells: Aged 32, the 32-year-old is one of the best blockers of his post and is still capable of winning passes from time to time: in 2018, the Cleveland Brown quarterbacks have targeted the Fells 12 times and completed 11 of his passes for 117 yards and three tight ends. He may well be Dwayne Allen's former role in New England.
OF Eli Harold: Playing for 23.1% of Detroit's defensive catch, the 79th selection of the 2015 draft finished the season with 4.0 sacks and 5 hits. Even though he does not bring the same sporting potential to the table as fellow Lets Ezekiel Ansah's free agent, Harold could be an inexpensive turning option for the Patriots.
DT Mike Pennel: At 6'4, 330 lbs, he's an imposing presence in the heart of the defensive line, able to take two teams and control the point of attack in the two-hole pattern executed by New England. While it's not really the fastest option to rush, the 27-year-old could help the Patriots replace Malcom Brown and Danny Shelton.
DT Darius Philon: Former sixth-round pick, the 6-yard defensive tackle, 300 lbs could help the Patriots to occupy the positions previously occupied by said Brown and Shelton – while offering more potential as a runner.
OF Cameron Wake: Aged 37, he is still able to play at a high level in the NFL, both against the pass and against the race. In 2018, he was second on the Miami Dolphins with 6 sacks of 6.0 while playing 47.8% of the club's defensive shots. An experienced player who could accept a discount to pursue a Super Bowl at the twilight of his career
WR Kevin White: The former first round pick looks like a classic Patriots recovery project: he has had injuries during his four-year tenure with the Chicago Bears and is hitting the free-kick with unparalleled value. The Patriots could choose to bring back the 26-year-old as an inexpensive but promising option.
Christian D'Andrea of SBNation has also kept a list of the best free agents this season, and the following options are still available to meet the Patriots' basic needs:
Defensive edge: Ezekiel Ansah, Justin Houston, Alex Okafor, Irvin Bruce, Michael Johnson, Shane Ray
Defensive interior: Ndamukong Suh, Sheldon Richardson, Earl Mitchell, Muhammad Wilkerson, Stephen Shamar, Corey Liuget
Wide receiver: Golden Tate, Randall Cobb, Cole Beasley and Tyrell Williams
Close end: Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert
*Mike Pennel, Cameron Wake, Allen Bailey also mentioned
If all the options listed do not make sense for the Patriots, it's no surprise to see the targeted team of players like the former Detroit Lions striker, Ezekiel Ansah or the former Kansas City chief, Justin Houston, both depending on the asking price. . The same must be said for players like wide receivers, Golden Tate, Cole Beasley or Tyrell Williams. All three would work well in the New England offensive, but one wonders if they are doing the same thing in the team's records.
Nevertheless, the Patriots still have many external actors at their disposal if they wish.
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