LEAVE AND DONT COME BACK!!! The $567.9 million that ….
What will the newest Patriots bring to the team after signing with New England during the first wave of free agency? Let’s take a look at the film.
The first wave of free agency for the Patriots didn’t produce the “splash” signings that many hoped it would for a team flush with cap space heading into the offseason.
According to Over the Cap, the Patriots have spent the 12th-most cash in free agency in terms of maximum contract value. New England also ranks seventh in year-one cash given to free agents, so it’s not that they didn’t spend *any *money during the first wave. Instead, de facto GM Eliot Wolf mainly focused on retaining in-house free agents OL Mike Onwenu, TE Hunter Henry, WR Kendrick Bourne, pass-rusher Josh Uche, and edge-setter Anfernee Jennings, among others.
The disappointment stems from the lack of impact external additions. It’s been quiet after losing out on prized free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, who they were prepared to pay. Frankly, the depth signings acquired by the Patriots aren’t moving the needle for a 4-13 team. Still, it’s worth noting that trying to fix a roster that landed them with the third overall pick through free agency is a method that seldom yields sustainable results.
Instead, the plan for Wolf and company seems to be to set the roster up for a monumental draft. After retaining key in-house free agents and adding depth pieces, New England is positioning itself to target a franchise quarterback, top receiver, and starting left tackle in the draft. Can they hit on all three with their three top 100 picks? It’s admittedly a lot to ask from one draft class. However, many would argue that this is the right way to approach a rebuild.
If the Patriots stick with their reported plan to draft a quarterback third overall, New England also added bridge quarterback Jacoby Brissett as an option to start the year, so they don’t need to rush the rookie. Brissett was objectively competent as a starter with the Browns during the 2023 season under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. We’ll have an in-depth review of Brissett that might change your mind about him. He is not a long-term answer, but Brissett is better than some think.
We’ll have plenty of time to deliberate the best path forward for the Patriots. For now, let’s focus on the free-agent additions they made in the opening week of the league year. Before we get into the film, nobody is trying to convince you that these players are future Hall of Famers. We aren’t going into these breakdowns thinking they’re adding Randy Moss, James White, Rob Gronkowski, Richard Seymour, and Dont’a Hightower, okay? We get it.
The Patriots personnel department saw something in these guys to bring them in, so let’s discuss what they’ll bring to the team:
