Three offseason moves the Patriots must make

Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books, teams are in the process of rounding out their rosters in preparation for training camp.

The New England Patriots have already undergone significant changes this offseason, from the coaching staff to the quarterback position, though there's still much to be done to ensure their rebuild begins on the right foot. With that in mind, here are three more moves New England should make this offseason.

Sign offensive tackle David Bakhtiari

Although the Patriots signed Chukwuma Okorafor in free agency and drafted Caedan Wallace, the team would be wise to continue bolstering the offensive line. Some believe Bakhtiari's relationship with Aaron Rodgers will lead to him becoming the next former Packer to join the New York Jets, but the three-time Pro Bowler also has a noteworthy connection in New England.

Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf served as the director of pro personnel for the Packers when they selected Bakhtiari in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Even so, while the history between Wolf and Bakhtiari could be a factor that results in a deal, it's impossible to dismiss the tackle's extensive injury history. The 32-year-old has played just 13 games over the last three seasons due to multiple left knee issues resulting in five surgeries since 2020. 

In all likelihood, Bakhtiari won't return to All-Pro or even Pro Bowl form, but the Patriots don't have much to lose by bringing him on board. After all, FanDuel Sportsbook set their 2024 win total at 5.5 games, the lowest in the NFL, and it's not like the Patriots have a true answer at left tackle. Regardless of his on-field performance, Bakhtiari's experience and leadership would be valuable for New England. 

Part ways with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster

Rather than extending Jakobi Meyers for essentially the same price, the Patriots inked Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal last offseason, which has quickly become one of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history.

The Super Bowl LVII champion was plagued by injuries in 2023, entering the year with a lingering knee issue before suffering a concussion and, later, a season-ending ankle injury. When he was healthy, Smith-Schuster was virtually nonexistent, catching 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. It's also worth noting that 90 of those yards came in New England's Week 14 win over Pittsburgh, Smith-Schuster's last game before landing on injured reserve. 

From a financial perspective, there’s little upside to releasing Smith-Schuster, but if he's not in the team's long-term plans, it'd be best to cut ties and give the team's young wideouts more opportunities to develop.

According to Over the Cap, New England would save $647,059 in cap space for 2024 by cutting Smith-Schuster after June 1 while incurring $9.6M in dead money. However, if a receiver-needy team is willing to take a chance on Smith-Schuster, the Patriots would save $7.6M in cap space and only take on a $2.6M dead cap hit. 

Extend edge-rusher Matthew Judon

With the most remaining cap space in the NFL at their disposal and a scarcity of quality free agents worth spending on, New England should wrap up its offseason by extending Judon. At the annual league meetings, Patriots HC Jerod Mayo confirmed that the team had begun negotiations with the four-time Pro Bowler, who is slated to be a free agent after this season.

Considering Judon has been one of the lone bright spots in what has been a turbulent period for the Patriots, they shouldn't let him hit the open market. While a biceps injury limited Judon to four games in 2023, he's been one of the most productive defenders in the league when healthy. Over his first two seasons with New England, Judon racked up 28 sacks, the third-most in the NFL in that span behind Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett. 

Judon will likely seek one of the highest-paying deals for his position, but locking him up long-term would ensure that New England's defense can keep the team competitive during the early stages of its rebuilding process.