The New England Patriots have 21 free agents heading into 2022 and 16 of them are unrestricted.
Some of the top names include J.C. Jackson, Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, Trent Brown, Matthew Slater, Ted Karras, James White, Brandon Bolden and Nick Folk. A lot of these players will be crucial to return for their veteran leadership — but, Jackson is by far the most important to bring back for his ability on the field.
The 26-year-old has became a star cornerback over his first four years, totaling 25 interceptions and 53 pass deflections. He’s coming off a Pro Bowl season and it was his first year without Stephon Gilmore holding down the No. 1 role.
The Patriots could either let Jackson walk, sign him to a long-term deal or franchise tag him — costing the team $17.5 million for the year. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt explains why the Patriots should go all in on retaining Jackson.
“Last year, the Patriots went on an unexpected spending spree to bring free agents to town,” Brandt wrote. “This year, they should open the purse strings to keep Jackson from leaving. New England’s first post-Tom Brady trip to the playoffs was driven in large part by its defense, which ranked second against the pass, fourth overall and second in points allowed. Retaining the 26-year-old Jackson, who finished third in targeted EPA (-27.1, among those with a minimum of 20 targets, per NGS) and second in interceptions (eight) would go a long way toward preserving that strength.”
The Patriots’ depth at cornerback without retaining Jackson would include Jalen Mills, Myles Bryant, Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams, Justin Bethel and Shaun Wade.
Bill Belichick typically has as a top-tier cornerback in his secondary and he’ll have to find one if he doesn’t bring back Jackson.
