The New England Patriots have spent a whole lot of money in NFL free agency, but the problem is that they haven’t really addressed their biggest weaknesses: wide receiver and offensive line.
Outside of signing offensive tackle Morgan Moses, the Patriots haven’t done much in the trenches, and adding Mack Hollins doesn’t do much for their receiving corps.
Most of the best names have flown off the board in free agency, and while there are still some players remaining, New England fans are understandably beginning to panic.
Will this end up like last year when the Pats went into the regular season with the worst offensive line and least talented group of receivers in football?
Head coach Mike Vrabel is preaching patience.
“I think there’s a lot of time,” Vrabel told reporters, via Chad Graff of The Athletic. “… We don’t want to be careless.”
In other words, the Patriots don’t want to overpay for anyone, but here’s the thing: New England already handed $26 million annually to defensive tackle Milton Williams and another $20 million per year to cornerback Carlton Davis, which have been viewed as overpays by many.
So why are the Pats being so hesitant to spend money to fill their most glaring holes?
It has certainly been a frustrating week in Foxborough, as the Patriots’ top priority heading into the offseason should have been cultivating Drake Maye in the best way possible.
Now, to be fair, New England did apparently try for Ronnie Stanley and Chris Godwin, but both opted to return to their respective teams for less money.
But what about all of the other options available? Is this just another free-agent period where the Pats will be shut out in vital areas?
We’ll see if the Patriots can rebound, but right now, it’s not looking too good.