The New England Patriots offseason has been quite calm, even though many fans were expecting a spending spree during free agency. Some NFL executives refuse to blame team owner Robert Kraft and heavily point the finger at him.
The Patriots’ most significant setback was their unsuccessful pursuit of star wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who ultimately chose to sign with the Tennessee Titans. Kraft publicly stated that New England had offered Ridley a competitive deal. The Patriots owner somewhat shifted the focus away from the idea that the Patriots didn’t do enough by stating that Ridley’s decision was influenced by his “girlfriend” wanting to stay in the South. But some NFL executives are not convinced, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando.
“Kraft mentions the (state income) taxes, the quarterback, the player’s girlfriend and then he mentioned the money,” an exec said. “The reality is, if the dollar net taxes were higher in New England than in Tennessee, they would have gotten the player. It’s like Kraft can’t live in a world where he is looked at as the problem.”
Kraft also suggested that the team’s failure to secure Calvin Ridley might have been influenced by its uncertain quarterback situation. But this statement doesn’t quite make sense, either. Ridley ultimately signed with a team that doesn’t have a rock-solid quarterback room. Sure, there is hope surrounding second-year QB Will Levis, but the jury is still out on him. The Titans currently have Levis, Mason Rudolph, and Malik Willis as their quarterback options.
An Offseason of Unfulfilled Promises
The offseason seemed like a much-needed fresh start after the Patriots parted ways with longtime head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots entered free agency with a lot of cash to spend, and they were open about it. New head coach Jerod Mayo famously talked about how much money they had for free agency and guaranteed they would spend it. But the Patriots chose to backtrack on those comments, likely to manage expectations with good reason.
Shortly after that, the Patriot’s scouting director and acting GM, Eliot Wolf, was vocal about the Patriots’ focus on adding speed on offense, particularly at wide receiver. This indicated to many that the Patriots would be highly focused on adding speed to the WR room, probably in the form of Ridley. But that didn’t happen.
And now that almost none of those promises or aspirations have materialized, NFL execs have been outspoken about the conflicting statements coming out of New England.
“The head coach came out early in the offseason and said, ‘We have a lot of money to spend, and we are going to spend it,’” another exec said. “Then he had to take back the comment. Then they lose out on the receiver after their GM says they have no speed on offense. So you have the two highest appointed people in the organization saying they are going to spend and they are going to prioritize speed, and then they do neither. What the hell?”
No Blockbuster Deal, So Far
After missing out on a few top free agents, Patriots fans still hope the team can make a deal for an elite pass catcher. Tee Higgins and Brandon Aiyuk have been mentioned as potential trade targets. The Patriots have also been connected to a possible big trade with the Vikings that might involve star WR Justin Jefferson.
If this happened, the Patriots' first-round draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft would need to be included. Since there hasn't been much excitement in free agency, a trade seems like the next best option for the Patriots to acquire a game-changing pass catcher.
If the Patriots don't succeed in obtaining a top-tier pass catcher and don't make a trade, it will add even more pressure to the upcoming NFL draft. The Patriots have the No. 3 overall pick, and there has been a range of speculation about what they might do with that pick.
