The Needs
Here's where it gets tricky. The Patriots had a very splashy day opening up the legal tampering period and they were able to make some great additions that will undoubtedly improve their roster and are good investments into the future (young players). So far so great. The need priority, however, has been very clear and from press conferences to analysts and insiders the story was always the same: The Patriots need a left tackle and they need a No. 1 receiver. And yet, after 2 days of free agency...nothing on both fronts.
Tackles:
It is hard to blame the Patriots here. After Ronnie Stanley didn't make it to the market, there was just no quality left in free agency. So how about the trade market? The Commanders were able to pull off a mega deal for a LT that was not available. Did anybody try and shake up the market with a trade offer? Trading away too many draft picks would not be wise for a rebuilding team with the holes that the Patriots have, but can't they get a 2nd tier starting LT for let's say a 3rd this year and a 3rd next year?
And if they pivot, why pivot to the defense? They obviously have other holes to fill on the O-Line as well. Why not go after Robert Hainsey from the Bucs who could have been had cheap and without giving up draft capital? With David Andrews maybe being gone that would have been a wise move. Or what about Mekhi Becton? Is he a star? No. But better than what you have right now for sure. He still remains on the market. I do hope they kick the tires on a Becton deal.
Receivers:
The Patriots reportedly were not in on DK Metcalf. The Patriots reportedly were not in on Tee Higgins (ok, who believes that one??). So far they have not signed Cooper Kupp or another veteran and they also have not traded for somebody like Brandon Aiyuk. For a team with a huge hole at receiver I have some difficulty believing that Chris Godwin was the only viable receiver option and everybody else was not a fit in New England. Can you really afford to be that picky? I understand the concerns. But the reality is that Tier 1 receivers do not want to come to New England. In order to change that you need to show them that it is actually fun to be there and that the offense has great potential. You might have to bank on the rest of your locker room to keep a diva in check for a few years, because you need a No. 1 receiver to make you look good next season. Life will get easier after that.
Outlook
It is good to see that the Patriots are finally spending on players to make them better. That itself is a small miracle considering what the past 20+ years looked like. I can only hope now that the defensive head coach doesn't stop at improving the defense. That is the great fear. As good as Vrabel is, he is a defensive guy. Building a scary offense is not part of his resume.
So get Cooper Kupp and Mekhi Becton, trade for Brandon Aiyuk, draft a stud receiver in the 2nd round along with a tackle in the first or the other way around and LFG!
