Editor's Note: With the beginning of NFL free agency looming on March 12, our Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran is resetting each Patriots position by assessing their 2024 performance, laying out their 2025 contract status and ranking their offseason priority on a scale of 1 to 5.

After going through positional evaluations for quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receiver, offensive line and defensive line, next up is linebacker.

Just as the defensive line was kneecapped by Christian Barmore’s illness, so was the linebacker crew waylaid by the torn pec suffered by Ja'Whaun Bentley in the second week of the season.

Bentley might not be the best in the league, but he was the best the Patriots had in terms of aligning the defense, playing with anticipation and delivering hits and production. The Patriots lost a lot of front-seven gray matter when Bentley went out.

With those two down and off-field issues that led to the absence of Jabrill Peppers, the strongest parts of what projected to be a very good defense was removed. Meanwhile, the Matthew Judon trade erased the lone dangerous pass-rusher the Patriots had. No wonder a defense that was supposed to be good grew laughably ineffective as the season wore on.

I’m getting to the linebackers, I promise. But to just sidetrack for a moment, the reason Jerod Mayo was let go can be traced to two games: the 30-17 loss at Arizona in Week 15 and the 40-7 loss to the Chargers in Week 17.

Those offenses went 20-for-32 on third down while the Patriots went a combined 2-for-16. The hoped-for improvement down the stretch had turned into a free fall.

And if the linebacker level isn’t better at stopping the run, helping generate pressure and -- most importantly -- making sure everyone knows what the hell they’re doing before the snap, it will be more of the same in 2025.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Bright spots

Anfernee Jennings played 75 percent of the team's defensive snaps (831) last season, and the 2020 third-rounder continues to be one of the team’s most underrated players.

He finished with 78 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks. On a defense that became fairly proficient at missing tackles, Jennings only missed four all year.

Christian Elliss, given an expanded role for the first time, was better than expected. He had 80 combined tackles and was competitive in coverage. The 27-year-old recently was tendered as a restricted free agent.

And that’s about it.

The disappointments

After he played at about a Pro Bowl level in 2023, Jahlani Tavai’s performance fell off steeply. He got picked on in coverage, allowing 42 catches on 55 targets for 432 yards. There were 261 yards after the catch compiled on him, indicative of way too much room for the receiver when the ball arrived. 

Pro Football Focus had him with a 42.7 coverage grade (156 out of 189 linebackers). His overall grade was 55 (140 out of 189). He also missed 12 tackles according to PFF.

He and Bentley formed an excellent 1-2 linebacker punch, similar to the way Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes worked. With Bentley out, Tavai’s role changed a bit and his play dropped off. He didn’t do well with the criticism either, lashing out at fans at the end of the season for booing. Tavai wondered how fans would like it if he showed up to their job and booed.

Honestly, if Tavai wants to spend $358 and sit in traffic for a couple hours to watch Regular Joes in their cubicles, he can boo if the performance ain’t great.

The team pushed away from the table on two linebackers during the season -- Raekwon McMillan (waived in November), Josh Uche (more of an edge guy, but traded) -- and parted ways with Sione Takitaki under the Mike Vrabel Regime.

Contract statuses

Bentley is entering the last year of his deal and will make $4.35 million in salary with a $6.4 million cap hit in his 29-year-old season.

Last July, Tavai got a three-year extension worth up to $21 million. He’s signed through 2027 and has just a $1.5 million salary this season with a $5.4 million cap hit.

The 28-year-old Jennings is signed through 2026. He has a $1.85 million salary and a $5.3 million cap hit. Jennings was one of the few Patriots who outplayed their contract last season.

Elliss’ RFA tender is for $3.4 million.

Offseason priority (Scale of 1-5)

It’s a 3. Bentley, Jennings, Elliss and Tavai are a "good enough" linebacker corps. While healthy and playing at their established levels, they can more than hold their own (if the defensive line doesn’t get uprooted in the run game and there’s at least a modicum of pressure off the edge).

Safety Marte Mapu and Jabrill Peppers have often dropped down into the box in recent years to situationally help in second-level coverage. Both are hitters who are solid enough in run support to make a difference.

Honestly, there are so many more pressing needs to fill that -- while there will certainly be some linebackers added in free agency and the draft -- it will likely be latter-round picks and second-wave free agents.