FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With free agency set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the New England Patriots aren't expected to be one of the NFL's busier teams.
Part of that is tied to having a core of up-and-coming defenders whose contracts expire after the 2016 season -- linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower, defensive ends Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard, and cornerback Malcolm Butler, among others. If the Patriots are going to spend big, it will most likely be on their own players, not those from another team.