Patriots Offseason: 5 Best Moves?
FOXBORO — With the 2023 NFL Draft drawing closer on the horizon, the New England Patriots continue to do their due diligence in building their roster.
The Pats remain committed to making the moves which they feel to be in the best interest of their football team, including the retention of some key internal free agents. New England has also brought in some new talent from outside the organization.
As the Patriots continue their march through the offseason, here is the latest look at the team’s top five personnel moves, ranking them by their potential impact on the upcoming 2022 season.
5. Signing ST Chris Board
Perhaps best known by Patriots fans as the player to which Bill Belichick once referred as “the best special teams player we’ll play against,” Board has been a special teams standout since he began his pro career in 2018. The former Detroit Lion logged 1721 snaps within various coverage units. He is also a capable reserve linebacker, earning 115 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in four years with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Lions.
Board possesses a unique blend of size, speed and technique, which make him a difficult coverage matchup in the game’s third phrase. He should be expected to bolster a unit which uncharacteristically struggled in 2022. New England's special teams' unit was ranked No. 32 in the league last season by Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. At the very least, Board’s addition should keep the Patriots from surrendering multiple kick returns-for-touchdowns, as they did during their season-finale against the Buffalo Bills.
4. Signing TE Mike Gesicki
In the wake of trading the talented, but ill-fitted tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons, the Pats found themselves in need of a proper complement to incumbent starter Hunter Henry.
Having signed an incentive-laden one-year contract worth up to $9 million, Gesicki not only provides great value, but also the type of scouring threat they lacked with Smith.
Gesicki has hauled in 18 touchdowns since 2019.By comparison, Patriots tight ends have found the end zone just 15 times over the past four seasons, with Hunter Henry responsible for nine of them in 2021.
Gesicki’s ability to power his way into contested-catch situations will be particularly useful in the red zone. The Pats new tight end finished second among all tight ends in contested catches in both 2020 and 2021, earning 61 in both seasons combined. New England ranked last in the NFL in red zone productivity in 2022. His presence will almost certainly allow the Patriots to improve upon that showing this season.
3. Re-Signing CB Jonathan Jones
Since joining the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Auburn in 2016, Jones has become of the team’s most versatile defensive backs. For his first five seasons in New England, he was considered among the top slot corners in the NFL. Following the departure of ex-alpha cornerback J. C. Jackson via free agency in 2022, Jones made the switch to the perimeter. The 29-year-old compiled 69 total tackles, 11 passes-defensed, four interceptions (one of which went for a touchdown) and three forced fumbles in 16 games.
In coverage, Jones performed adequately, surrendering 47 catches on 87 targets for 547 yards and six touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. He was the Pats most reliable contributor in a game day rotation consisting of veteran Jalen Mills, slot corner Myles Bryant and rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones. With Mills expected to make the move to safety, Jones will factor as the Patriots top veteran at the position in 2023.
2. Signing WR JuJu Smith Schuster
Following the departure of top wideout Jakobi Meyers, who signed a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, New England may have found a replacement who is even better-suited for its offense. Smith-Schuster arrives in New England on a relatively team-friendly $25.5 million, with $16 million in guarantees over three years. He finished his 2022 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs with 78 receptions for 933 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. In Kansas City's 38-35 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards.
Still, Smith-Schuster’s greatest value to the Patriots is his ability to routinely gain yards after the catch. In fact, NFL Next Gen Stats credits Smith-Schuster with earning 141 yards above expectation last season — the fifth-highest number in the league.
By comparison, the entire Patriots’ receiving corps combined gained just 33 yards after the catch in 2022.
When compared with Meyers on average, Smith-Schuster easily won the ‘YAC’ battle. He ranked ninth in the league with an average of 5.8 yards-after-catch per reception. Conversely, Meyers ranked just 46th with 3.6.
In short, Smith-Schuster should provide the Pats with greater opportunity to find the end zone.
1. Hiring Bill O’Brien as Offensive Coordinator
After finishing either at or near the bottom of the NFL in several offensive categories in 2022, it should come as no surprise that the Patriots’ most-impactful move has been hiring O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator. For all of the discussion surrounding the team’s need to change their passing game, O’Brien is expected to reimplement a timing-based scheme, predicated on vertical routes and completions from quick, accurate throws. While the Matt Patricia-led regime attempted to incorporate more zone reads into their repertoire, the quick-game (or, using the run to facilitate play-action passes) still seems to be where O’Brien and quarterback Mac Jones are at their best.
With a strong supporting cast of playmakers around him, O’Brien should put Jones in a position to create plays by leading his receivers under the defense, releasing the ball quickly and delivering it accurately. This should give his playmakers the space they needed to catch and run with the football. Not only is it likely to put points on the board, it should also help to keep Jones ahead of the blitz and out of duress.
If O’Brien’s coaching can successfully place Jones back on track, his hiring will provide the Patriots with an optimal return on investment.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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