An air of uncertainty still hovers above Gillette Stadium four days after the Patriots’ 2023 season came to a close.

It’s still unknown who will actually be making decisions for the Patriots this offseason with Bill Belichick’s future unsettled, but the team has high-priority free agents and the second-most salary cap space in the NFL to spend.

Related Articles

Source: Patriots lose a defensive coach amid Bill Belichick uncertainty

Patriots land one player on NFLPA’s All-Pro first team

Rhamondre Stevenson speaks on Patriots’ lost season, his future in New England

Patriots 2023 film review: What went wrong for Bill Belichick, Mac Jones and the team during lost season

Eight leftover thoughts from Patriots’ disappointing 2023 season

Let’s rank those free agents by priority while running through the entire group.

1. OL Mike Onwenu

The offensive line has been a major issue for two years now, but Onwenu has undoubtedly been a bright spot no matter where he has played.

The 2020 sixth-round pick out of Michigan (the Patriots have had some success taking players from that school in that round through the years) began the 2023 season still recovering from ankle surgery, had to rush back, and started out at right guard before moving over to solidify the right tackle position.

After Onwenu moved to right tackle in Week 7, he was one of the best players at his position in the NFL. He’s expressed a desire to return to New England, and the feeling is mutual with the Patriots.

The Patriots will still need answers at left tackle and right guard (rookie Sidy Sow showed potential in Year 1) with Cole Strange returning at left guard and David Andrews still under contract at center, but locking up Onwenu would solve a major question at right tackle moving forward.

2. S Kyle Dugger

If the Patriots don’t bring back Dugger, who had a down season in the wake of Devin McCourty’s retirement, then they’re nearly starting over at the position.

Yes, Jabrill Peppers will be back, and that’s big for the defense. But 2023 third-round pick Marte Mapu wasn’t ready for a full-time role in his first season, and it seems unlikely that Adrian Phillips or Jalen Mills will be back in 2024. The Patriots like playing in a big nickel with three safeties on the field. Even assuming that Mapu could fill in for Dugger, they would still need another starting-caliber player on their defense.

Maybe the Patriots decide the best path to move forward is to let Dugger walk, add a more traditional free safety and let Peppers and Mapu play in the box. But the defense played very, very well with Dugger leading the pack despite taking a slight step back. It’s probably best not to upset the apple cart and to just bring back Dugger.

3. WR Kendrick Bourne

There’s a significant drop-off after Onwenu and Dugger.

Bourne was the Patriots’ best wide receiver this season before tearing his ACL in Week 8, catching 37 passes for 406 yards with four touchdowns in less than half of a season.

Bourne has let it be known on social media that he really wants to be a Patriot in 2024 and beyond. There were many, many issues with the Patriots’ offense this season, but Bourne was not one of them.

The Patriots could head into next year knowing that Bourne is an option in the “Z” role, DeMario Douglas can play the slot and that the team purely needs an elite “X” receiver to fill out the group.

DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster are still under contract but could either serve depth roles or be on the outside looking in by September.

4. OLB Josh Uche

Uche, like Dugger, is a talented player who had a down season at the wrong time.

One year after registering double-digit sacks for the first time in his NFL career, Uche saw his pressure numbers drop from 56 in 2022 down to 37. His sacks went from 10.5 down to just three.

The 2020 second-round pick is still a very good pass rusher, but his ceiling is limited in the Patriots’ defense since he really isn’t trusted to defend the run at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.

The Michigan product was on the field for just 29.1% of snaps this season despite the fact that the Patriots lost another edge defender, Matthew Judon, in Week 4.

For the right price, Uche can still be a valuable presence in the Patriots’ defense, but another team very well could value him more.

5. TE Hunter Henry

On the surface, it makes all of the sense in the world to bring Henry, a team captain in 2023, back. But money could make things difficult.

The veteran tight end signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in 2021, and he’ll turn 30 next season. Despite signing three years ago, Henry’s APY of $12.5 million still ranks 10th among tight ends.

A good tight end is hard to find, but they’re still not paid well. Dalton Schultz finished eighth among tight ends in receiving yards in 2022 and signed just a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Texans this offseason.

So, would the Patriots still be willing to make Henry one of the top-paid tight ends in the NFL? And if not, would he take a reduced salary to stick around?

Best of the rest: CB Myles Bryant, OLB Anfernee Jennings, RB Ezekiel Elliott, LB Mack Wilson, TE Pharaoh Brown, WR Jalen Reagor, TE Mike Gesicki, S Jalen Mills, S Cody Davis, OL James Ferentz, OT Riley Reiff, OT Trent Brown, restricted free agent LB Terez Hall, ST Matthew Slater

Exclusive rights free agents: CB Alex Austin, LB Christian Elliss, QB Nathan Rourke, OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr., S Joshuah Bledsoe, WR Tre Nixon