The Athletic asks NFL FO execs about the best and worst of Free Agency.
Their comments on the Patriots...
New England Patriots
APY added: $31.5M (22nd) | APY lost: $24.7M (27th) | APY differential: $6.8M (16th)
The Patriots did not add or lose much in their first offseason in a quarter century without Bill Belichick at the controls.
“It just seemed like they missed out on everyone,” one exec said.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft indicated the team tried and failed to land Calvin Ridley. He suggested the Patriots’ unsettled quarterback situation might have played a role, which was interesting, given that Ridley signed with a team featuring Will Levis, Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis behind center.
“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 was 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.”
Journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett was the highest-priced free agent ($8 million) the Patriots added.
“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 walk the comment back. 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?”