The New England Patriots are focusing on their upcoming AFC Championship matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, as they should be. But fans are hoping they don't forget about what comes after the playoffs, when several key players are scheduled to hit free agency. One of those players is safety Devin McCourty.
With the Denver Broncos locking Chris Harris up with a rich extension, McCourty becomes the top defensive back on the open market. He and Brandon Flowers are the top two options in a thin free agent class.
For McCourty, 27, free agency couldn't be coming at a better time. He was ranked as the league's eighth-best safety by Pro Football Focus, recording 54 tackles and two interceptions during the regular season. However, it doesn't appear that the Patriots are as enamored with McCourty as the advanced stats are.
"Still nothing happening on a contract extension w/ the Pats and McCourty, per source," Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweeted back in December. There has been no progress on a new deal since. Howe mentions the franchise tag as a strong possibility if an extension cannot be worked out. The franchise tag for safeties in 2014 amounted to $8.433 million.
McCourty's camp will likely point to the contracts signed by fellow All-Pro safeties Earl Thomas and Jairus Byrd as comparable deals. Thomas, who is two years younger than McCourty, received a four-year deal worth $40 million, with nearly half ($19.725 million) in guaranteed money. Byrd signed a five-year contract for $54 million ($26.3 million guaranteed) with the New Orleans Saints last summer.
Thomas is considered the best safety in the NFL, so I wouldn't expect McCourty to receive an annual salary matching his $10 million. But a four-year deal worth roughly $37 million, with $17-$18 million in guarantees sounds about right. The Patriots can clear a handful of salary cap space by releasing Danny Amendola, Michael Hoomanawanui and Vince Wilfork.
McCourty made the Pro Bowl as a rookie cornerback after being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft. He was moved to safety in his third season, where he again made the Pro Bowl in 2013.
