'Cheap' Patriots Criticized by Boston Superfan Bill Simmons
Despite it being a new era for the New England Patriots with new coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, things haven't looked all that different compared to years past.
Mayo's talk of "burning some cash" has seemingly only proven true when it comes to re-signing their own free agents. That isn't to say they haven't made any additions, as they have eight newcomers so far through free agency. However, no signing has moved the needle like many were expecting, given the Patriots had the second-most cap space entering the free-agent period.
This perceived financial conservatism from the Patriots has prompted unrest among fans and even questions if this is the way for the franchise going forward. Most notably, in a recently released "YouTube Short," well-known Boston sports fan Bill Simmons openly criticized the Patriots' philosphy.
“I’m trying to figure out what the Patriots are doing,” Simmons said. “Right now, they have the most money to spend of any team in the league, but free agency’s basically over. ... They don’t have a future QB. They don’t have a left tackle. They don’t have an impact receiver. ... They’re a D+ offense.
“And I guess my question is, is this just going to be the Patriots until Bob Kraft dies? Just super cheap. They’ve spent the least amount of money for the last 10 years. They let [Tom] Brady go, then they blame [Bill] Belichick for that. And now it just feels like they’re going to trade backward from No. 3 and get a bunch of picks and tell everyone how smart they are. And meanwhile, we’re going to pass up a franchise QB. And not spend money.”
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Simmons echoes many of the same sentiments fans have expressed even before this offseason. And while it is still early into the new regime, he hasn't been proven wrong regarding free agency.
The Patriots have yet to make a splash signing, albeit it wasn't because of a lack of trying, as they were one of the contenders for the signature of now Tennessee Titans receiver Calvin Ridley. Yet, "trying" isn't enough, as many could point out that they "tried" to get DeAndre Hopkins last season, but as they did with Ridley, they fell short.
However, Wolf and Mayo have managed to keep many of their top free agents, which is commendable. It was long thought that key contributors like versatile starting offensive lineman Michael Onwenu would scare the Patriots off with a high price tag. The same could have been said about Uche following his breakout 2022 season.
Reality proved quite the contrary. The Patriots gave Onwenu a three-year, $57 million contract that made him one of the highest paid at his position. Meanwhile, despite having more lucrative offers from other teams, Uche took a hometown discount to stay in Foxboro on a one-year deal.
Would those deals have been made if Belichick had continued running the show? The answer would likely be no if the past is anything to go by.
While free agency hasn't provided the spark from the Patriots that many had hoped for, there is still the upcoming NFL Draft, where they hold the No. 3 overall pick.
