The [New England Patriots](https://www.patspulpit.com/) are expected to be among the most active teams in NFL free agency this offseason. Not only do they have holes all over their roster and several crucial areas that need to be addressed, they also have vast resources to play with: New England is tops in the league with over $130 million in salary cap space available.
Based off the performance from their second level last season, New England will likely add to their linebacker room as the defense undergoes a scheme shift under Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. With that said, let’s assess this year’s LB free agency class.
Patriots’ current linebacker situation
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The Patriots have already got to work remodeling this unit as they released Sione Takitaki last month. One of their first free agent additions last year, a knee injury led to Takitaki failing to make much of an impact.
New England should benefit from **Ja’Whaun Bentley** returning this year, although his play style is not an ideal fit in Vrabel’s defensive style. Still, the Patriots may not be able to move off of/upgrade a player of his talent this year. The future for Bentley could be grim, however, as he’ll be 29 by the start of the season and in the last year of his deal with no guaranteed money remaining.
**Jahlani Tavai**’s future will also be worth monitoring. Tavai struggled last season without Bentley and ended the year by taking questionable shots at the fan base. For a new head coach looking to remodel the culture and build his own defense, Tavai could be moved off of despite being in the first-year of a three-year extension.
The linebacker room is then rounded out by **Christian Elliss**, who the Patriots plan to tender as a restricted free agent. **Monty Rice**, who played under Vrabel in Tennessee, and **Andrew Parker Jr.** are also part of the mix.
Patriots free agency targets at linebacker
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With questionable fits along the current roster, the linebacker position is an area that needs upgrades under Vrabel and Williams. The top player on the board, Zack Baun, will not be available, however, as the Eagles extended their All-Pro to a three-year, $51 deal on Wednesday.
Here are some targets that remain available that would make sense based on their veteran status and connection to the current staff:
**Dre Greenlaw (UFA):** One of the top linebackers in football the past few seasons — specifically in coverage — Greenlaw played just 34 snaps last season after working back from an achilles tear he suffered in Super Bowl 58. He is now expected to leave San Francisco in free agency and while he should see a fair share of interest on the open market, Greenlaw could be one of the better value additions if he can regain his old form a year removed from the injury.
**Jamien Sherwood (UFA):** New England and Drake Maye is quite familiar with Sherwood, as the Jets linebacker not only knocked the rookie out of their Week 8 matchup but delivered a bone crushing hit on Maye when he came in for mop-up duties in Week 3. Now, they have a chance to be teammates.
A converted safety who can cover, Sherwood weighs in at just 216 pounds at the linebacker position but is not shy of coming downhill in the run game while his compete is never in question. After leading the Jets with 158 tackles last season and being voted the team's MVP his market will be competitive — the Jets want to re-sign him while his former HC Robert Saleh (San Francisco) and DC Jeff Ulbrich (Atlanta) could show interest.
**Robert Spillane (UFA):** One of the more underrated linebackers on the market, Spillane has been a key cog in the middle of Vegas’ defense the last two years playing all 34 games and recording 140-plus tackles in each. The Raiders captain is at his best in the run game where his 34 run stops checked in top-15 among linebackers — tying with Sherwood in the process.
Spillane’s ball production in coverage has also increased in recent years as he posted a career-high seven pass deflections last season to go with five total interceptions over the last two years. He also began his career as a UDFA in Tennessee under Mike Vrabel.
**Nick Bolton (UFA):** Rebuilding the culture will be on the to-do list for Mike Vrabel in his first year in New England. Signing a key cog on back-to-back Super Bowl championship defenses could be a strong way to do just so.
Bolton is at his best coming downhill and blowing up plays in the run game — his 37 run stops last season ranked sixth among all linebackers — but he has developed into a three-down player for Kansas City. The soon-to-be 25-year old has played over 90 percent of the defensive snaps each of his last two full seasons (missed several weeks in 2023).
**Devin Bush (UFA):** A lower-level option, Bush played 16 games in Cleveland last year where Mike Vrabel served as a consultant. A former top-10 pick in 2019, Bush never appeared to be the same player after an ACL tear the following year which eventually led to his release in Pittsburgh.
After a one-year stint in Seattle where he played just over 250 snaps, Bush signed with the [Browns](https://www.dawgsbynature.com/) and logged nearly 500 snaps along the second-level. Still just 26-years old, he could be a value signing if Vrabel wants to continue to work with the player.
Options extend beyond these five, as Arizona’s Kyzir White is another safety converted to linebacker that is expected to hit the market. Tyrel Dodson, Ernest Jones, and Derrick Barnes, who played a handful of games in Detroit with Williams last season before tearing his PCL and MCL, are other available options.