PATRIOTS RUMORS: LATEST ON MATT FORTE, ALSHON JEFFREY, CHRIS IVORY, KELECHI OSEMELE, MARIO WILLIAMS

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http://beantownbeattomdarcy.sportsblog.com/posts/12715527/patriots-rumors--latest-on-matt-forte--alshon-jeffrey--chris-ivory--kelechi-osemele--mario-williams.html

Interesting read.

The New England Patriots have a lot of options this offseason when it comes to improving on their 2015 season, but what big names on the market are within reach? It's still early, but let's take a look at the latest news on players rumored to be headed to New England next season.

Matt Forte
The consensus for Patriots fans and members of the media seems to be that Forte and the Patriots are a match made in heaven. Forte is a veteran looking for a team that can win rather than to simply cash out one last time, and his career to this point has shown he is a reliable back. Forte has been linked to a number of contending teams other than the Patriots like Green Bay, Seattle, and the New York Jets, but New England still remains the frontrunner for the 30-year-old's services.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, Forte is expected to get a deal in the range of $4 million per year. While Forte is likely worth that money for New England, Clayton pointed out that any team wanting to sign Forte will need to surrender a compensatory pick to the Bears in 2017, and Clayton wonders whether the Patriots, who forfeited two picks in this year's draft, would be willing to do that. One thing is for sure -- Forte will not be resigning with Chicago.

Alshon Jeffrey
Speaking of impending Chicago Bears free agents, New England would likely be interested in wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey should he reach the market. At this point, it looks like the Bears intend to use the franchise tag on their young wide-out in order to pair him with second-year receiver Kevin White. Signing Jeffrey would give the Patriots the vertical threat that they desperately need, but even if Jeffrey hit the market, he would almost certainly cost too much for New England. There is always the possibility that the Bears could tag Jeffrey and then decide to trade him, but Patriots fans shouldn't hold their breath on this one.

Chris Ivory
While Forte continues to get the most attention from Patriots fans, ESPN's Bill Barnell wonders whether New York Jets running back Chris Ivory might be a better fit. According to Barnwell, New England should go after a big, bruising back to replace LeGarrette Blount rather than the dual-threat Forte, who holds the all-time record for receptions by a running back in a single season. Signing Ivory away from the division rival Jets would be a win-win for the Patriots, but Bill Belichick has never paid big money for a running back and would likely make Ivory has first big splash. Barnwell cites Tim Hightower and Ahmad Bradshaw as possible alternatives to Ivory.

Kelechi Osemele
Along with the suggestion that New England sign a running back other than Forte, Barnwell identified signing a veteran offensive lineman as an offseason priority for the Patriots. Here is what Barnwell had to say:

The Patriots don't often dive into free agency, but in light of how their line decayed as the year went along and the fact that they forfeited their first-round pick in the 2016 draft because of Deflategate, Bill Belichick might be more likely to dive into free agency than he has in years past. Somebody like Kelechi Osemele would be a massive upgrade for the Patriots, but it could be tough to make the money work, given that the Pats are projected to have just $7 milllion in cap space before the aforementioned moves. A veteran like Jahri Evans could help. - Barnwell
Osemele won't return to the Baltimore Ravens because he has played himself into too big of a contract. In fact, Osemele was rated the top free agent offensive lineman on the market by Pro Football Focus. Evans, on the other hand, signed, at the time, the most lucrative contract for a linesman with the New Orleans Saints, but was recently released by the team. He has drawn comparisons to Brain Waters, who the Patriots signed at a similar point in his career, and could benefit from a recomendation from Belichick's close friend and Saints head coach Sean Payton. With the recent re-hiring of coach Dante Scarnecchia, the offensive line should be much improved in 2016.

Mario Williams
The Buffalo Bills are expected to release veteran defensive end Mario Williams after he publically questioned his role in Rex Ryan's defense and seemed to take plays offat some points in the season. As we mentioned previously, an ESPN artucle predicted that the Patriots would pick up Williams and he would revive his career by tallying 14.5 sacks and making the Pro Bowl. Considering the Patriots current roster that has the likes of Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, one might question whether the Patriots have room for Williams, who will still demand good money in free agency. Judging by the Broncos and Packers success with veteran pass rushing pickups DeMarcus Ware and Julius Peppers, respectively, the Patriots may view the 31-year-old in the same light. New England can't help but compare themselves to this year's Broncos team that beat them in the AFC Championship, and one of the clear differences was the Broncos' ability to get after Tom Brady.