New England Patriots first-time captain Elandon Roberts will hit the free agency market on March 18.
He won’t carry the weight that Tom Brady, Devin McCourty, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins hold. He’s a role player who could be replaced, but the Patriots would be better off keeping him around. Roberts was drafted by New England in 2016 and he already has three Super Bowl experiences under his belt, with two victories.
Roberts became a team captain in the 2019 season for his unselfish play and his tough, physical mentality on the field. Bill Belichick elaborated on his value to the team while before the season.
“He’ll do whatever he can to help the team in any way,” Belichick said. “He’s also one of the toughest and most physical players on the team as well. He really is a tempo-setter, an impact hitter. His intelligence and his awareness, how hard he studies the game of football is very important to him, and that’s reflective in how he approaches it and the way he plays. He’s gained a lot of knowledge and a much greater understanding both individually for his position and much greater depth in terms of what the offense is trying to do, defensive strengths and weaknesses of individual calls and so forth. He’s grown tremendously in those areas.”
Roberts had a career-low 28 tackles last season, but that was due to his 58 snaps at fullback and his role on special teams. He’s a jack of all trades, who even caught a touchdown pass during the season.
Just a linebacker turned fullback catching passes, breaking tackles and scoring touchdowns. @Roberts_52 | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/zVlXaLTsOb
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 29, 2019
He’s earned a little less than $4 million in his time with the Patriots and they have a higher-priority free agents to dish money out to. It’s unlikely he receives a middle-tier contract from the Patriots, but his desire to stay with the team could play a role in his decision.
“I’m just approaching it one day at a time,” he said, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “My film speaks for itself, so it’s not in my hands. I can’t stress about it.
“New England, we definitely have some — I mean, that’s where I started. Who wouldn’t want to be back where they started? But at the end of the day, it’s a business. So it’s going to be a great one. … I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s going to go. It’s my first go-round (in free agency), so it’s going to be an experience. Whether I’m back in New England or somewhere else, I’ll just have fun with it.”
If both Van Noy and Collins decide to depart from New England in free agency, then Roberts’ priority level increases tremendously. His decision won’t be rushed as much as Brady’s or the top-tier free agents, so both parties will be able to take their time to make a decision.
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