Patriots FA period assessment (so far)

[Drunken Cicerone]

B

Lots of turnover from a team that was barely treading water. They’ve shown they’re not afraid to spend (which was honestly my biggest concern) and they’ve filled a lot of holes.

Granted the LT and WR holes are still massive but if the players aren’t there they’re not there

End of the day the team needs to start being better at drafting

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I like the defensive additions in free agency this far!

 

[fresnostatealum]

At least we’ll have a well behaved 4-13 team this year .

 

[Sect140]

Jerod Mayo type burning cash! In particular, seems they have stayed out of signing topflight WRs, for example.

270 million in free agent contracts.

 

[TheRainMaker]

This FA could make or break Vrabel as a HC for the Patriots. I think they spent way too much money on Williams and Davis which both contracts will be scrutinized in 2025. Williams had no business making more than Barmore - none! He'll also be under more pressure if Barmore doesn't play in 2025.

Spillane will add much needed speed to the defense and he can make some plays.

Landry will provide some juice in the pass rush. Chaisson could be a nice rotational piece.

Draft not only needs to be offense heavy, but there needs to be an impact player which the Pats haven't had in over 10 years.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think one of Polk and Baker will make it. Not holding out a lot of hope for Bell. The other two should be NFL players with proper coaching.

As a rule, I expect seventh-rounders like Bell and UDFAs to contribute nothing, though I generally hope they do enough to earn a roster spot.

 

[Steve102]

As a rule, I expect seventh-rounders like Bell and UDFAs to contribute nothing, though I generally hope they do enough to earn a roster spot.

Agreed. There’s a reason they are 7th or UDFA.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

**** I’ve got an idea. Every time someone feels like the pats aren’t spending enough, said person can send ME some of that $. Yea, I myself will take on this honorable duty to help our members feel like someone from the team is listening to them and taking things to heart and doing what the fan is suggesting. Me not being associated with said team, would of course provide no REAL service (other to myself of course) other than the make believe feeling the team is doing your bidding. So everyone, send me, I mean your favorite coach/agent/pat a message or wish list (through me of course) and let’s make dreams (mine) come true.

Edit: Hope no one takes that seriously….

 

[Ring 6]

I've been less active of late, but popping in here and there. Looks like we're not burning cash this FA period either.

It’s a relative question.
Years of not paying players led to having an astronomical amount of cap space.
You either have players taking up your cap or you have no players and a lot of cap.
Compared to teams that have players they burned some cash.
But they still have the most cap space, therefore the fewest valuable players, so they haven’t burned enough.

Today with no LT if NFL caliber, we let a LT sign elsewhere for money that we will never spend.

 

[Steve102]

It’s a relative question.
Years of not paying players led to having an astronomical amount of cap space.
You either have players taking up your cap or you have no players and a lot of cap.
Compared to teams that have players they burned some cash.
But they still have the most cap space, therefore the fewest valuable players, so they haven’t burned enough.

Today with no LT if NFL caliber, we let a LT sign elsewhere for money that we will never spend.

****ty LT though. You want to pay for a guy who sucks just because you can?

 

[jboston19]

I’ve been happy with what they’ve accomplished overall. They’ve definitely changed their identity this FA period and upgraded the talent. Unfortunately, their top targets at OT and WR resigned with their current teams, but I think they’ve set themselves up nicely in terms of talent and contract length.

They do, at the moment, appear to be forced to draft a LT high now, but there’s such a dearth of talent for that position out there, it can’t be helped.

 

[Ring 6]

****ty LT though. You want to pay for a guy who sucks just because you can?

He’s far better than what we have.
You want to not pay a guy who makes us better so Kraft can’t have more money in his bank account?

 

[dliverey]

270 million in free agent contracts.

Who though? Godwin, Diggs, trade for Aiyuk all coming off injury and around 30. Diggs maybe but the other 2 is a pass, imo

 

[Give Kraft A Hand]

I have to give them an A minus. Has nothing to do with Godwin because he wasn’t available, however not addressing receiving in FA or trade (so far) is tough. I would have signed Robinson as a stop gap or traded for Tunsil.

 

[Steve102]

He’s far better than what we have.
You want to not pay a guy who makes us better so Kraft can’t have more money in his bank account?

I don’t care about krafts bank account, I care about football. I am not convinced that he makes them better. I trust Vrabel to fill the roster with the right players.

 

[Ring 6]

I don’t care about krafts bank account, I care about football. I am not convinced that he makes them better. I trust Vrabel to fill the roster with the right players.

He is far better than Lowe.

You should care about krafts bank account if money that is supposed to be used to improve the team is sitting in it unspent.

Vrabel doesn’t set the budget, he is constrained by it.

 

[Ring 6]

270 million in free agent contracts.

And still 70 mill under the cap. Spending to catch up some of what wasn’t spent before and not spending to the cap is not impressive.

 

[Steve102]

He is far better than Lowe.

You should care about krafts bank account if money that is supposed to be used to improve the team is sitting in it unspent.

Vrabel doesn’t set the budget, he is constrained by it.

Disagree. You come at it from “Kraft is cheap” and your opinion is clouded by that. I come from it that vrabel is looking for the right guys, and he and his staff determined Robinson is not the right guy.

Lowe sucks. They don’t line up tomorrow. Just because a guy is on the market doesn’t mean they have to go get him. Get the right players added to the foundation. Trust the process.

They’ve done nothing this off season to make me think they aren’t improving. Patience. It’ll be ok by opening day.

 

[Ring 6]

Disagree. You come at it from “Kraft is cheap” and your opinion is clouded by that. I come from it that vrabel is looking for the right guys, and he and his staff determined Robinson is not the right guy.

Lowe sucks. They don’t line up tomorrow. Just because a guy is on the market doesn’t mean they have to go get him. Get the right players added to the foundation. Trust the process.

They’ve done nothing this off season to make me think they aren’t improving. Patience. It’ll be ok by opening day.

I come at it from we are going to go into this season but using money we could use that will never be spent. I have no stake in Kraft being cheap, I can see with my eyes and with the facts that he is. That’s a conclusion not a staring point.

Trust what process? We are 16-35 the last 3 years. His about we blow up the process?

There is a football player out there better than what we have a paying him won’t take say from anything else we are doing.

Unspent money doesn’t help us win.

Was it ok by opening day last year?

 

[Ring 6]

Disagree. You come at it from “Kraft is cheap” and your opinion is clouded by that. I come from it that vrabel is looking for the right guys, and he and his staff determined Robinson is not the right guy.

Lowe sucks. They don’t line up tomorrow. Just because a guy is on the market doesn’t mean they have to go get him. Get the right players added to the foundation. Trust the process.

They’ve done nothing this off season to make me think they aren’t improving. Patience. It’ll be ok by opening day.

And how do you know Vrabel didn’t want him and it wasn’t Kraft saying youve spent enough, we can’t afford that one?
Remember he is the guy who spent the least cash in the league over a 20 year period. So there is more precedent that Kraft limits spending than that Vrabel thinks a terrible LT is ok.

I do trust Vrabel, so I want him to be able to spend whatever it takes right up to the cap.

When Lowe is getting Maye killed will you be content that it’s better than Kraft spending what it took to overcome that?