The free agency is not over yet, but from the perspective of the New England Patriots it may well be.
First, there were the big splashes. After already acquiring the offensive tackle Trent Brown via trade and bringing back quarterback Cam Newton in a one-year economic transaction, New England entered the free agency week ready to strike.
During the period of legal adulteration and in the year of the new league, the Patriots aggressively reinforced a squad that dropped to a record 7-9 in 2020 and had holes all over the board.
Equipped with one of the largest wage cap spaces in the NFL, the team rebuilt its tight end group, interior defensive line and top positions. Initial caliber players have also been added on the wide receiver and on the secondary, while overall levels of talent along the offensive line and the linebacker have also been improved.
So New England brought back some essential members of its own class of free agents. While point guard Joe Thuney and defensive tackle Adam Butler will play in Kansas City and Miami in the future, the Patriots kept the centerpieces in all three phases – from center David Andrews and running back James White, to striker Deatrich Wise Jr, for special teamers Nick Folk, Justin Bethel and Cody Davis.
The newest member of this group will be officially brought back soon: as first reported on Wednesday afternoon, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy is set to return to the Patriots on a new four-year contract.
Guy was one of the biggest names on the New England free agent list to begin with, but he remained missing for the longest time. Although he visited the Miami Dolphins on Monday, he did not sign an agreement with the club. Instead, the Patriots were able to bring their team captain and defensive lineman back in the herd a few days later.
With the 30-year-old boy standing still, the last big piece of the puzzle from the free Patriots agency has now fallen into place.
Of course, some important contributors from previous years remain in the open market – mainly running back Rex Burkhead, linebacker John Simon and cornerback Jason McCourty – but they all lack the same combination of positional need, high level of play and the importance of leadership. Guy brought all these things to the table and will now become the last organizational pillar to be returned.
The Patriots, it seems, acknowledged that keeping a strong leadership group intact in light of high staff turnover will be critical in 2021. With 14 players outside the organization added through free agency switching in the past two weeks, and with a franchise change project possibly taking place next month, strong voices from locker rooms that can lead the way will be more important than ever.
While some like Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower and Matthew Slater were expected in 2021 anyway, others were not: Newton, Andrews, White and Guy all could have left through a free agency.
New England made sure it didn’t – partly because of its quality on the pitch, but also because of the respect it enjoys outside and the transformative power it has. If a concept loosely defined as the “Patriot’s Way” really exists, these are the players who best incorporate it and are best equipped to hand over the keys to the next generation.
The Patriots will still make additional transactions between now and the draft, but from a broader perspective, they have already made all of their big moves.
Lawrence Guy was the last missing piece, at least until Wednesday.