The New England Patriots have plenty of positions to address during free agency: edge, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end.
It’s not going to be easy to check all of those boxes, though...
If the club intends on putting itself in a position to regularly contend, it will have to put together another near-flawless offseason -- which might just include making the bold decision to swing for the fences with Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush.
Let's take a look!
Bio:
Devin Bush
Position: WR
Height: 5’ 11"
Weight: 235lbs
2026 Age: 28 (July 18, 1998)
2025: 17 G, 125 TKL, 3 INT, 2.0 SACKS, 2 FF
The Patriots should sign Devin Bush because:
It's one way to solve your depth problems at linebacker...
The Patriots ended up being pretty decent defensively, but injuries were one of the major storylines as the club cycled through the overachieving group of Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, Christian Elliss and Jahlani Tavai. If you want to be able to reach the heights that many are setting out for the unit next season, you need to make upgrades on the second level.
Bush, despite once being viewed as an underachiever, got his career back on track across the last two seasons and is in line to be paid the way we all originally expected him to be paid back when he was a first-round pick. It'll cost more than some of the other worthy options, but bringing in someone who can play on all three downs while also protecting you from having to make major defensive changes in the event of an injury is a worthy investment.
DEVIN BUSH 97-YARD PICK-6 FOR THE BROWNS!
CLEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/TuiEnrZajf
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
The Patriots should not sign Devin Bush because:
It's just going to cost too much...
Bush could get anywhere from $9–$12 million in average annual value across what would likely be a three- or four-year deal. Spillane is already being paid $11 million in average annual value as part of his own three-year deal.
New England won't want to screw with that contract structure, which likely means it will target bargain-bin options like Leo Chenal, Quincy Williams or Kaden Elliss.
Best Fits:
1. New York Jets
2. Denver Broncos
3. Indianapolis Colts
It's a pipe dream, folks.
More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026