The New England Patriots have 14 players who will become free agents on March 14, the first day of the 2018 league year. Among them are running backs Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead and Danny Amendola, one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets. In his latest interview, Lewis said that while he loves playing for the Patriots, he also has to take care of his family’s future by getting a contract worthy of his performance. A versatile rusher, Lewis played in all 16 games last season, running for 896 yards and six touchdowns and catching 32 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
Lewis also returned one kick for a score to bring his season total to 10 touchdowns.
Dion Lewis wants a huge contract
After earning just $1.2 million last season, Lewis wants to break the bank by asking for $17 million per season, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. The Patriots have a chance to keep Lewis by giving him a three-year deal worth between $15 million and $18 million, but salary cap constraints might prevent them from doing so. As a backup plan, the Patriots brought back running back Brandon Bolden via a one-year deal worth $880,000. With their latest move, the Patriots now have three rushers in Bolden, James White and Mike Gillislee. For Lewis, this early, he’s getting consideration from multiple teams, according to Pro Football Talk.
These teams are the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers.
Aside from Lewis, Burkhead could also leave as a free agent, especially with a competitive market expected for his services. Despite being limited to 10 games last season, Burkhead performed exceptionally well, rushing 64 times for 264 yards with five touchdowns and receiving 30 passes for 254 yards with three scores.
Despite his history of injuries last season, Burkhead is expected to attract attention when free agency begins on March 14.
Danny Amendola could leave Patriots
After another outstanding performance last season, Amendola is expected to gain significant interest in the free agent market, according to Howe, who said that the market for the veteran wideout is “heating up.” Howe expects the 32-year-old Amendola to get offers between $3 million to $5 million and the Patriots will have to up the ante to keep one of Brady’s top receivers.
Earlier, Amendola said he doesn’t want to leave the Patriots, but he also understands that the NFL is a business. Last season, Amendola caught 61 passes on 86 targets for 659 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and 26 catches for 348 yards and two scores in the postseason.
