Getty Nelson Agholor catches a pass in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
The New England Patriots made one of the biggest splashes in free agency, surrounding newly returning quarterback Cam Newton with the kind of weapons he lacked last season. But the spending spree could have actually been a “disaster” and put the Patriots further behind the Buffalo Bills in the race for the division, insiders warn.
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Patriots Spend Big
A year after falling to 7-9 and ending their 11-year streak as AFC East champions, the Patriots were looking to reload in free agency. As CBS Sports noted, the team went into free agency with $60 million in salary-cap space to use, and went on a spending spree. The team snagged tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to go along with wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, giving the offense the weapons it lacked last season. The defense was also bolstered with the additions of linebacker Matt Judon and strong safety Jalen Mills. Some expect the Patriots to make more moves in the coming days.
Not everyone saw the moves as impressive. Many insiders criticized the Patriots for overpaying, including writer Mike Tanier who characterized their free agency approach as a “disaster.”
The #Patriots are paying top-of-market prices for players coming off their best seasons to play major roles. That’s the opposite of how it’s done. Today is a disaster for them that’s being reported as a triumph.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also said that New England appears to be pursuing a strategy that has rarely been successful for teams.
“They are in part capitalizing on a depressed market in a year where they had excess cap space,” he said. “But were it anyone but Bill Belichick at the controls, the condemnation would be nearly universal. Loading up on high-priced free agents like this rarely works. The Patriots have successfully identified specific targets in their past, most recently cornerback Stephon Gilmore, but they’ve never tried it in such volume — for good reason.”
Bills Still Seen as Team to Beat
The aggressive approach from New England has done little to knock the Bills from the mantle as the division’s frontrunner. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn noted that the Patriots still have roster issues heading into next season, including questions about who may be brought in to compete with Newton for the starting quarterback job.
He noted that the spending splash to kick off free agency helped to close the gap with the Bills, but still left the Patriots behind.
“The Patriots are a team that needed a lot of help, had gobs of cap space and no hefty quarterback contract weighing down their financial situation,” he wrote. “They could afford to spend like this in a year when not too many teams can. They’re chasing the Bills and doing so with urgency.”
The Bills did not have as much to spend after re-signing a number of key players, including Daryl Williams, Jon Feliciano, and Matt Milano, but have still made some moves. That includes a deal with former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Fairburn noted that the Patriots will have some additions beyond free agency, getting linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung back after COVID-19 opt-outs last season. In all it will mean a Patriots roster in stronger position to compete for the division, he wrote, though the Bills are still coming into the season as frontrunners.
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