Here are the moves the New England Patriots should consider when free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 14:
Re-sign starting left tackle Nate Solder: New England needs to ensure Tom Brady's blind side is in good hands, which means it needs to make a competitive effort to re-signing Solder. This is the first domino to fall in the team's free-agent planning, as the club has about $22 million in salary cap space, and deals for top tackles like Solder could average in the $11-13 million-per-season range. If the Patriots re-sign Solder, it would ensure that their 2018 free-agent process gets off on the right foot, as there is no surefire in-house replacement for him despite the team's aggressive approach in the 2017 draft to develop one (trading up for Tony Garcia in the third round and trading up for Conor McDermott in the sixth round).