New England Patriots spending spree does little to change reality
The New England Patriots spent wildly on Monday during the opening of NFL free agency, but they didn’t alter their contender status.
Nobody spent more on free agents — or technically agreed to spend more — on Monday than the New England Patriots. That might not be a good thing.
New England went hog wild and added a litany of name players including receivers Kendrick Bourne (three years, $22.5 million) and Nelson Agholor (two years, $26 million), edge rusher Matthew Judon (four years, $56 million), tight end Jonnu Smith (four years, $50 million), nose tackle Davon Godchaux (two years, $18 million), cornerback Jalen Mills (four year, $24 million) and defensive tackle Henry Anderson (two years, $7 million).
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All told, the Patriots agreed to terms on a whopping seven deals of considerable note while only losing one key free agent in star guard Joe Thuney, who entered into a five -year, $80 million pact with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After going 7-9 in 2020, it’s clear head coach/general manager Bill Belichick isn’t going to accept another year which ends in December. However, did these moves really do much to move the needle for New England?
Judon is coming off consecutive seasons and is the best signing fo the bunch. He gives the Patriots some real pass rush off the edge which has been lacking for years in Foxboro.
However, the rest of the moves are worth questioning.
Godchaux and Anderson provide depth on the defensive line, but each came at a decent price tag. In four years, Godchaux has three sacks and last year, only played five games. Anderson has been a bit player for the New York Jets since 2019 after having some better campaigns with the Indianapolis Colts.
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Meanwhile, Smith is being paid as the third-best tight end in football despite never having 450 receiving yards in a season. Agholor is coming off a terrific year with the Las Vegas Raiders but beforehand, was largely sub-standard for the Philadelphia Eagles on his rookie deal. Then there is Mills, who struggled throughout much of his time in Philadelphia, and is really more safety than corner.
Ultimately, the Patriots have more names but remain a distant third in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. The Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs are also significantly ahead of the Patriots elsewhere int he conference.
Sure, New England made moves, but it felt more desperate than intelligent at times.
