Back-to-back championships is one of the most difficult feats in sports, but the Chiefs have all the ingredients to make it happen. Think: rainy day fund. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Clowney has remained on the open market ever since his contract with the Seattle Seahawks expired in mid-March. But former Patriots staffer and current columnist for The Athletic Michael Lombardi is here to … This might not be a playoff team yet, but they should be vastly improved from their two win season. Could a big-name free agent addition be just the solution Nike has dialed up? Former quarterback Jameis Winston was highly productive in Bruce Arians' offense last year, but he also threw an embarrassing 30 interceptions. Prior to his season-ending injury in Week 7, the productive veteran ranked 11th among tight ends in catches (21), more than double the total that current Packers TE1 Marcedes Lewis managed during that same span (9). Jim Trotter examines what the lopsided win means for Pittsburgh, Cleveland and the rest of the AFC. If Gardner does falter, the 2021 draft looks rich in quarterbacks at the top. The Patriots could use major help along their front seven after seeing several of their most disruptive defenders exit in free agency (Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, Danny Shelton) or opt out due to the coronavirus (Dont'a Hightower). Bobby Turner has played an instrumental role in some of the most impressive rushing performances of the last 25 NFL seasons. Here are the three stats you should know before the Patriots take the field against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon. Teams seemingly interested in Clowney obviously know his ability. Keyshawn Johnson speaks out on double standard with Tom Brady, Odell Beckham Jr. Devin McCourty thinks Belichick's sons have head coaching potential, Cam Newton has harsh self-evaluation ahead of Week 7, J.C. Jackson explains the Patriots' No. Cleveland was the most disappointing team of the 2019 season, and much of the blame was placed on head coach Freddie Kitchens. The biggest name on the list, however, is former first overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney. Those four players ranked among the team's top six leaders in QB pressures last season, while Collins and Van Noy ranked first (22) and second (21) in hurries, according to Next Gen Stats. This offseason the Seahawks lost Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, and have only replaced him with veteran Bruce Irvin. After moving on from Rivers, the team drafted Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, with veteran Tyrod Taylor as a fallback. The fact that he isn’t glued to one position or one role means there’d be plenty of opportunity for other players to get snaps and flourish. The team is hoping a healthy Adam Thielen and first-round pick Justin Jefferson can adequately replace what they lost by trading Diggs, but the team is also likely to lean on Dalvin Cook again with former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak now calling plays. Judy Battista says the Patriots delivered an uncharacteristic -- but predictable -- performance in Week 6. Our data provider is having technical issues, live scoring and stats are impacted. Allen made progress in his second season, but his sub-60 percent completion rate and erratic play in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs left fans holding their collective breath. Clowney would get to play for one of the greatest defensive minds of all time before earning another shot to finally cash in. Let's make a deal! Welcome to Patriots Wire's European Union Experience. Below are free agent-team pairings at five different positions that would be mutually beneficial. The Patriots have "up over 24 million" in cap space. 49ers defensive tackle Solomon Thomas talks to Brooke Cersosimo about his recent struggles with mental health -- and why he's driven to make sure others feel comfortable grappling with this crucial issue. Todd Gurley's time in LA ended after only five seasons, as he regressed over the last year-plus due to knee issues. Terrell in the first round of the draft. That track record was on display this offseason alone, where two players like Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy earned big checks after revitalizing their careers with the Patriots. After a great season with the Seattle Seahawks, Clowney hit the free agent market looking for two things: lots of cash and a chance at a Super Bowl. Brandon Mendoza runs through six overreactions from Week 5. Regardless, Tampa Bay has high hopes to compete this season, especially after bringing back star pass rushers Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh. As a result of the credit, the Patriots’ dire cap situation improved noticeably: after struggling with limited financial resources all offseason — the team at one point had only $263,489 to work with — New England now finds itself $7.79 million under the NFL’s spending threshold. Still, veterans with scheme familiarity are at a premium with the pandemic severely limiting teaching opportunities and practice reps. A 36-year-old tight end who's missed 24 games over the past two years due to ankle injuries ... Not exactly the pass-catching help Aaron Rodgers was hoping for this offseason. With this new little "surplus" of cash, many fans are wondering where these funds will be allocated. There isn’t a glaring need at either position, but both of those units could use some help in the form of an All-Pro talent for a Patriots-esque price. Not so much. If any franchise could withstand the media circus that will inevitably follow Kap's signing, it's the Baltimore Ravens. After his rookie struggles, it's still unclear if Haskins is Washington's future, but he will almost certainly be under center in Week 1. Both Belichick and Jerod Mayo would have an ample amount of places to put him and he would be not only the best pass-rusher on the team, but he's likely the team's best pass-rusher since Chandler Jones. Head coach Bill Belichick isn’t known to make constant splashes on the free agent market, and perhaps signing Cam Newton and the unprecedented roster turnover was all the Patriots could handle for a single offseason. Quarterbacks often make a jump in their third season, and New York hopes to see a jump from Darnold beginning in training camp. GM Brett Veach did a masterful job in the offseason bringing back Kansas City's Super Bowl winning roster. Your privacy is safe with us. Barring a trade, Cincinnati is unlikely to find a better CB replacement than the 37th-ranked free agent on NFL.com's Top 101 list. However, one thing that New England has going for them is a track record than continues to repeat itself. Always free! New England cleared significant cap space in recent weeks through contract settlements regarding Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez. Downing / USA Today Sports Images, © Reinhold Matay / USA Today Sports Images, © Paul Rutherford / USA Today Sports Images, © Tommy Gilligan / USA Today Sports Images, © Danielle Parhizkaran / USA Today Sports Images, © Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports Images, © Joe Nicholson / USA Today Sports Images, © Winslow Townson / USA Today Sports Images, © George Walker IV / USA Today Sports Images. The Bengals might need to inject even more cash into their secondary now that free-agent addition Trae Waynes (torn pec) is expected to miss a good chunk of the 2020 season. Unless he’s willing to sign for the minimum, he almost certainly won’t play for the Patriots this year. The team is got a potential boost from first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Last year showed the stark difference in the offense with and without Big Ben, and he will be out to show his arm is healthy as camp opens. While the Vikings were a run-heavy offense in 2019, Diggs' electric ability still provided a threat that made the offense much better. New England Patriots not expected to sign Jadeveon Clowney. Not long ago, they had to restructure safety Patrick Chung's contract just to sign rookie Kyle Dugger so they could wrap up signing their draft class. He was able to bring back the team's entire offense, and also extend Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. He could be put in the best position to succeed for a year and then reap the benefits next year by becoming the highest paid defensive end or linebacker in the league. With NFL training camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks, teams are getting ready for an unprecedented season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enough of this guy. The Eagles need better production from their wideouts for the offense to return to the upper echelon. It would not only make sense for Belichick to pursue Clowney because of his ability and his fit in the system. Clowney is coming off a core muscle surgery. Anything less than a return to the playoffs will be a disappointment. Don’t expect the Patriots to bring free agent Jadeveon Clowney on board, Short-time Patriot Antonio Brown to return to the NFL, reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. His situation is therefore somewhat comparable to that of former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who was out of a job for 86 days before the Patriots picked him up on a cheap one-year contract. While the former Patriot and Titan surrendered six touchdowns and allowed a 92.5 passer rating to opposing QBs when he was the nearest defender in 2019, he also picked off four passes and had the second-most passes defensed (19), according to Next Gen Stats.