Davis sustained a rib injury in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth quarter. He’s played 80.5 percent of special teams snaps this season (tied for the most) and his absence will be felt.
The Patriots listed Julian Edelman, Sony Michel, Isaiah Wynn, Adam Butler and Shaq Mason as questionable. James White, Damien Harris and Gunner Olszewski are all likely to return to the team this week also. The addition of these three players adds much-needed depth in a monumental game for the team.
The Patriots have found themselves with a windfall of cap space. After the eight opt-outs, New England now has the third-most cap space in the NFL with $35.28 million.
That’s quite an adjustment from the $260,000 in cap space they had just a month ago.
With all of this room to work, the Patriots have many options for spending. Many fans would like them to go out and sign some quality free agents that are still available on the market. Big names like Jadeveon Clowney and Everson Griffen are still available so the sentiment is understandable.
However, with so many players entering the final year of their contract, it makes sense that the Patriots look to extend a few of their own with the extra cap room.
These five players would be great candidates to receive an extension in the coming weeks.
David Andrews
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Andrews may have missed all of last season with blood clots in his lungs, but he isn’t letting that stop him. Despite the risk of playing through the pandemic, Andrews is in the facility getting ready for the season.
There will be a lot of change happening in New England over the next few seasons including this year being the first year without veteran offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. Having a consistent anchor in the middle of the line for years to come would not hurt.
The New England Patriots have no shortage of unheralded contributors. During the 2020 offseason, we saw some of those underrated standouts move on to different teams, where they got some overdue credit (in the form of major contracts).
Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy and Danny Shelton were among those who spun their hard work in New England into a big opportunity with another organization. But there are plenty of leftover contributors who are not getting the love they deserve. These starters or standouts are major contributors, even if they don’t get attention from media members or fans.
Here’s a look at six Patriots whose talents have gone underrated in recent years.
Lawrence Guy, DT
He’s a stud, and Bill Belichick takes every opportunity he can get to make sure everyone knows how much the coach appreciates the defensive tackle. Guy is a versatile lineman who played a number of positions on New England’s defensive front in 2019 but is primarily a space-eating interior player. He finished 2019 with 61 tackles, five for a loss, five quarterback hits, three sacks and an interception in 16 games. That tackle sum had him tied for the third-highest total among Patriots defenders, which is no small accomplishment for a defensive tackle.
Here are six Patriots that should take a major leap forward this season.
The New England Patriots suffered some major losses this offseason.
Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Danny Shelton lead the list of departed players. Bill Belichick didn’t make aggressive moves in free agency to replace these players — he didn’t make any moves at all to replace Brady. New England replenished the linebacker position in the NFL draft and even grabbed two tight ends to address that dire need.
Fortunately for the Patriots, Belichick always finds players to step up and replace the ones they lost. This year won’t be any different and here are six players who could take major leaps in 2020.
Chase Winovich, DE
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
One of biggest steals of the 2019 NFL Draft was Chase Winovich out of Michigan. He was selected with the No. 77 pick in the third round and fit the Patriots’ mold perfectly. He’s a pass-rushing monster who has endless energy and craftiness that can’t be taught. Winovich played all 16 games last season — while recording 26 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks.
Van Noy and Collins accounted for 13.5 sacks last season and that void will give Winovich the opportunity to take over. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge-rusher has extremely good odds of grabbing a starting role and doubling his sack total in 2020.
Jarrett Stidham, QB
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jarrett Stidham is an obvious candidate to take a giant leap forward. He’s likely gonna go from a 2019 fourth-round pick to the quarterback who replaces Brady after two decades of dominance. Belichick proved his confidence in Stidham by deferring to draft a quarterback or select one in free agency.
Stidham had one of the best rookie preseasons under Belichick for a quarterback and he’s earned praise from people all around the league. Brady’s shoes could arguably the biggest to fill in NFL history, but Stidham has some experienced coaches around to guide him through.
Patriots DT Adam Butler signed his restricted-free agent tender, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
New England Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler has signed his restricted free-agent tender on Friday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
The second-round tender is worth $3.26 million, which is a huge upgrade from the base $645,000 he was making on his rookie contract. Butler is heading into his fourth year with the Patriots and has progressed every season he’s played. He’s played in all 48 games and totaled 62 tackles along with 11 sacks — six of them came in 2019.
He played in 47 percent of defensive snaps last season and became a crucial part of the defensive line alongside Danny Shelton and Lawrence Guy. The Patriots’ depth is getting thin in the trenches and the re-signing of Butler will go a long way in stopping the run.
Fourth-year DT Adam Butler has signed his restricted-free agent tender with the Patriots. The tender is worth $3.26 million. Butler's interior pass rush, among other things, aided the defense last season (6 sacks).
The Patriots are expected to place a second-round tender on DT Adam Butler, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
The New England Patriots are expected to place a second-round tender on defensive tackle Adam Butler, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Butler joined the Patriots in 2017 as an undrafted free agent, so he’s hitting restricted free agency this offseason — beginning March 18. If the Patriots were to place a low round tender on him, they would get no compensation if he signed with another team. With the second-round tender; If another team signs him to an offer sheet, the Patriots would have five days to match the offer or they would receive a second-round pick. This would bring a one-year deal that’s worth $3.1 million.
When the Patriots tender an offer to restricted free-agent DT Adam Butler, the expectation is that it will be the 2nd-round level. The reason: Butler entered the NFL undrafted, so if he was given the low tender, and signed to an offer sheet, there would be no compensation to NE.
Bringing back Butler would provide some assurance on a defensive line that’s falling apart. The Patriots’ only essential player that’s on contract still is Lawrence Guy, with Danny Shelton hitting free agency. Last season, the defense’s biggest struggle was in the trenches — so more work will be necessary to solidify this group.
Butler recorded six sacks, a quarterback hit, five passes deflected, eight tackles for loss, 17 hurries and 26 tackles. He was a rotational player last season who showed consistent growth.
So long as his market stays mild, Butler is a logical returner.
Adam Butler is one of the many undrafted free agents to thrive under Bill Belichick’s tutelage. The defensive tackle made the New England Patriots in 2017, and though the team has tweaked their scheme from year to year, Butler has remained a solid role-player since his arrival in his rookie season.
The Patriots will want to keep him that way with him entering restricted free agent. They’ll have a tough call placing a tender on him, with a same-round tender (Butler was undrafted) likely leaving him vulnerable to restricted to free agency while a second-round tender would earn him $3.2 million. Perhaps they’ll pay that salary to keep Butler off the market, because a team is unlikely to give up a second-round pick for the defensive tackle.
In 2019, Butler managed to beat out defensive end Michael Bennett for a job in New England’s amoeba defense. And that didn’t seem to sit well with Bennett. But Butler carried on, and finished the season with 473 snaps (47%), six sacks and 26 tackles. Even in an NFL where defensive tackles are racking up huge sack totals, that’s an impressive season.
“He’s been a consistent player for us for three years,” Belichick said during a press conference in October. “Like anybody, he gets better like we all do with experience and reps and technique and so forth. But, he’s been a solid player for us for three years.”
Surely, teams noticed Butler’s significant contributions in New England over the last few years. It’s just hard to imagine him having a robust market in free agency. His production has never dropped jaws. He has a workmanlike approach and a good attitude — he’s a quiet and intellectual player. And he doesn’t care much about standing out. The Patriots are likely to value that about him more than anyone else. They’re also likely to know his value better than anyone else — and so New England will probably retain him — perhaps on that second-round tender — especially with defensive tackle Danny Shelton changing his agent (to Drew Rosenhaus) in an effort to leverage his strong season.
