Agree. And there's no reason to expect the defense to be more than mediocre this year. In June, if you'd been told that they are losing Barmore, Judon, and Peppers, and that Gonzo would come back down to earth, and that the penalties would go up (coaching transition?), we'd have predicted it.
They'll need every draft pick they can get for their top 3 first rounder this year. Still need to add three players on each side of the ball and I suspect it'll be a couple of years before free agents see New England as desirable.