Patriots’ cap space remains among lowest in NFL after 2020 draft
Bill Belichick and the Patriots still have one of the tightes cap situations in the NFL after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Given their options, and the pricey nature of using the tag, it’s hard to picture the Patriots franchise tagging any of their pending free agents this year. That being said, it seems like Belichick tends to use the franchise tag when it’s least expected (like he did in 2020). If he does, it’s highly likely it will be on one of the three players above.
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Reason No. 92,476,759,420,967,163,069,384 that we should just stop it with the Cam Newton, and even the Andy Dalton while we're at it. The Patriots aren't going to be making any more major additions unless it's through a big trade, because they remain up against the cap as tightly as almost every team in the NFL.
Albert Breer of The MMQB posted the teams with the most and least cap space on Monday after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft. The data tells us two things we already know: cap space is not indicative of success, and the Patriots still have very little space to work with as they continue to build their 2020 roster.
Post-draft, the Patriots ranked 31st in the league in cap space with just $1.077 million.
Top-3 most cap space? Browns, Redskins, Lions. That's like the Surgeon General's cigarette warning but for teams that don't spend. So this is not a commentary on how Bill Belichick fudged up the cap and that's why he's bad. Just the reality of his tight pursestrings.
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesBill Belichick and the Patriots have just $1.077 million in cap space after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New England's official roster lists 66 players, while there are 16 reported undrafted free agents, leaving the Patriots with eight spots still to fill. The cap space won't matter as long as the remaining additions don't break the threshold of the top-51 and eat into the $1.077 million left. But it simply illustrates that Belichick has little margin for error when it comes to managing the 2020 personnel.
It also illustrates that, unless Belichick pulls something like a Joe Thuney deal, you shouldn't expect a big move until 2021 at the earliest. Barring a significant trade or release, Belichick pretty much has to work with what he has. And that's with little added impact coming from the outside.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
