The New England Patriots preseason has wrapped up following an eye-opening 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The game highlighted the Patriots lackluster defensive depth that could bite them in the regular season.
With Week 1 slowly approaching, here are two things New England should do to prepare for the season.
In the Patriots’ preseason game against the Browns, their secondary was surprisingly shredded by Dillon Gabriel and Cleveland’s backups. Gabriel threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns, completing 80% of his passes. The Browns also scored on each of their first five drives during the first half.
New England’s defensive struggles have been on full display this preseason, but the secondary hasn’t been dominated this badly until now. Though this is a poor performance to end the preseason, it may be the nudge needed to get the Patriots to finalize a contract with Christian Gonzalez.
Contract talks have been ongoing between New England and Gonzalez, as the former second-team All-Pro cornerback is eligible for a contract extension. While both parties have been publicly pushing to get the contract settled, they may not be close enough to get the deal done.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots and Gonzalez aren’t nearing a deal, as New England is unwilling to offer a Devon Witherspoon-like contract. Recently, the Seattle Seahawks made Witherspoon the highest-paid CB in the league, agreeing to a 4-year, $132 million contract.
With a deal not in place yet, Gonzalez has expressed his displeasure with the lack of an extension. Though without a contract agreement, the star CB was a participant during training camp and seems upset that the contract hasn’t been finalized by now.
“It’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season,” said Gonzalez. “I’m focused on Week 1 at this point. I mean, it’s been all offseason, so like the line of today is, ‘It is what it is,'”.
Following the loss against the Browns, Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel chimed in on the issue. Vrabel mentioned that Gonzalez was welcome to express his frustration and that he hoped the deal would eventually work out.
Our players are always free to feel how they want to feel,” said Vrabel. “Just have to stay patient and hope that we can continue to work to some sort of agreement”.
Since New England’s preseason is done, they need to prioritize a contract extension with Gonzalez. He has proven to be an elite CB worthy of being one of the highest paid at his position. The Patriots have shown in the preseason that they would lack sustainability in their secondary without him. Therefore, they need to get this contract agreement out of the way and secure their lockdown corner for the foreseeable future.
The Patriots have made a trade to improve their defensive depth by sending Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for Jaylen Reed. After yet another game of unfulfilling defensive effort, however, the trade appears not to have been enough to completely address the issue.
In their final preseason game against the Browns, New England continued its inability to stop the run and complete tackles. This is largely due to their off-ball linebackers being pushed by opposing teams’ offensive linemen and beaten by their ball carriers. With this issue persisting throughout the preseason, the Patriots should address it by signing a linebacker.
There are several veteran LBs available in free agency; New England has already been tied to one of them. The Patriots hosted Shaq Thompson for a visit earlier this month, and he would be a good fit to improve the defense.
Thompson is an 11-year veteran in the NFL and was most recently a member of the Buffalo Bills. Last season, throughout 12 games, he recorded 56 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and a sack. Though his visit with New England didn’t result in an immediate signing, the Patriots should look into getting him, as he could add proven tackling to the LB group.
If New England doesn’t land Thompson, Bobby Wagner, Matt Milano, or Bobby Okereke would be good options. Wagner struggled last season, but he was still able to compile 162 total tackles. Though he isn’t the same sideline-to-sideline player that he once was, Wagner could help the Patriots’ tackling problem.
Milano gathered 67 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in 12 games last season. Also, Okereke racked up 143 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and six pass deflections last year.
Regardless of who New England goes with, they have to sign a linebacker before the start of the regular season. The Patriots’ top LB, Robert Spillane, missed key time last year with an ankle injury. By adding another veteran LB, New England would improve their depth behind Spillane and have better backup options if he goes down again.
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Now that the Patriots’ preseason is over, they need to look towards Week 1 and make adjustments to their roster. Their performance during the preseason showcased both Gonzalez’s importance on the secondary and their need for LB depth, which is why they should be addressed first.
The Gonzalez contract extension should be completed before the season so that both parties can focus on the regular season. A veteran LB should be signed to boost the defensive depth and offer some insurance in case of injury.
New England has already started to make roster moves, but these two could help them compete in the AFC this season and the years to come.
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