Jason McCourty is Coming Back on Another Unspectacular But Solid Patriots Free Agency Day

That’s more like it. Here is the kind of opening day of Free Agency that Patriots fans have, I won’t say “come to know and love,” instead I’ll say “grown accustomed to.

Big name Pats players or the guys who play the glamorous, high-profile positions go off to seek their fortunes elsewhere, while Belichick and Nick Caserio keep making the solid, sound, unsexy personnel moves. In most other markets, the second week of March is Christmas. In places like Oakland, Cleveland and Long Island, they’re unwrapping their new shiny new gaming systems and laptops and won’t be able to sleep from the sugar intake of all the candy and cookies they’re horking down. In New England it’s like Christmas, but in a house where they give you practical, affordable winter clothes and savings bonds and a sensible low-carb meal before they send you to bed at the regular time.

Which is fine by us. Sure, it would be more fun to be getting the pick of the free agent crop like we did a couple of years ago with Stephon Gilmore, one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2000s around here. But ours is a Zen-like lifestyle of patience and delayed gratification and the payoff can wait 11 more months, thanks.

But make no mistake, these three are solid moves:

–The starting corner who went from an 0-16 season to the Super Bowl, going full Captain Marvel on the play that saved the game:

–The Core-4 Special Teamer who was gone for one season and managed to make his old teammates look ridiculous in handing them the shocking loss of the year:

–And an Edge player who joined the roster in midseason, took to the system, saw his playing time increase as the season went on, took 60 percent of the snaps in the AFC title game (with half a sack), plays Special Teams and has proven he’s tough to block:

And for now, that’ll do. I’m not convinced the Patriots won’t make a splashy move. In fact, there are rumors out there that they’re making a play on one of the best free agents out there who’d be a great fit here. Stay tuned. But if all they do is bring back these role players who’ve helped them win rings and add more help later on and through the Draft, we don’t need a shiny presents. This gaming system works just fine for us.

Here’s looking forward to two more years of this, at least: