I think the safeties and slot corners is explained by basic economics. There are noticeably fewer capable secondary players in the NFL than at other positions. This is why the Gilmore signing was so brilliant, too, because they identified an elite cornerback going’s into his prime and pulled the trigger, and despite paying him a huge amount, are still coming out in the plus column on this; they also paid through the nose for Revis in 2014 and gave McCourty a huge deal, and both were good deals.
Seems that finding a pass catcher or pass rusher mid season, via trade or developmental player, isn’t as tough as you’d think, which is why you see guys like Jones, Flowers, Cooks, etc. often traded away/not re-signed since the Patriots realize they are overpriced.
How many competent cornerbacks and safeties could you pickup without giving up a huge amount of capital? We saw the results in SB52 vs. SB53 when you’re a player short versus well-stocked in the secondary. I think Bill just looks at it like supply and demand.
