The New England Patriots have long fancied themselves a smart football organization.
Bill Belichick ran things in his unique fashion, and as a result, the franchise had little use for the ballooning contracts and oversized bonuses that are customary in NFL free agency but tend to age poorly (the spending spree of 2021 notwithstanding).
But that was back when the team drafted well enough and the greatest quarterback of all time was able to sandpaper over their misses.
Since Tom Brady left (and even a bit before), the Patriots’ draft classes have been a mess. For every hit like Drake Maye or Christian Gonzalez, it seemed there were a dozen whiffs. It wore on owner Robert Kraft.
“Our drafts have not been good for a while,” Kraft said in January.
That’s why the Patriots found themselves in a bleak position at sunrise on Monday. Their roster was bad, maybe the worst in the league. Their draft class of a year ago is pretty much just Maye and a bunch of question marks. They had the most cap space in the NFL. So they had to do something.
That’s why the Patriots bucked their trend. They spent more than anyone else. They agreed to give Milton Williams, a rotational defender, the biggest contract (in terms of average annual value) in franchise history, forking over $26 million per season. They’re about to pay Harold Landry, an outside linebacker with poor pass-rushing numbers, $14.5 million per season. They’re set to give Robert Spillane, an inside linebacker, more than $12 million per season even though that was far from their biggest need. They agreed to give Morgan Moses, a 34-year-old right tackle, a three-year deal.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 10, 2025
Are all of those deals going to age beautifully and yield surplus value? Eh, probably not.
Did they overpay those players based on historical precedent and what they’re likely to produce? Yep, it sure seems like it.
Was there a tax to get those players to join a team that’s 8-27 in its last 35 games? Absolutely.
But who cares? For the first time in three years, the Patriots should field a respectable roster. Take that and move on. You can worry about finding value in free agency next year. This year, they needed to jolt the roster and add talent. Check and check.
GO DEEPER
Patriots 2025 free agency tracker: New England lands big fish in DT Milton Williams
After all of the struggles in the draft, Kraft greenlit a spending spree as Mike Vrabel looks to reshape the Patriots in his image. Finally.
The cupboard has been bare. If it costs a little more than you wanted for your groceries, so be it.
Of course, this isn’t to say a busy first day of free agency is the antidote to all of the Patriots’ woes. Their roster remains in the bottom half of the league. It should go without saying that they need to hit on this year’s draft class. Maye still doesn’t have a No. 1 receiver to throw to, let alone a No. 2 — though they did sign veteran wideout Mack Hollins. It’s still unclear who’s going to play left tackle. So, yes, there are still some significant holes.
But with questions swirling about whether the Patriots would be willing to hand out the large contracts required to attract free agents to a rebuild, they answered emphatically.
Williams was the big get. The move isn’t without risk, but Williams provides a massive boost to a pass rush that ranked last in the NFL in sacks a year ago. The $26 million per year the Patriots are giving him is reflective of how badly they needed help there. (On another note, it could be a sign of uncertainty regarding the return of Christian Barmore.) Williams is still just 25 years old. They’re hoping he’ll continue to improve.
Still, Williams isn’t without his flaws. For all of his prowess against the pass, his struggles as a run defender are the main reason he has never played even 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in a season. With the Eagles, he was mainly a rotational piece who played on passing downs. To live up to this contract, he’ll need to be much better against the run. (By comparison, Chris Jones, the league’s highest-paid defensive tackle, played 71 percent of his team’s snaps a year ago.)
Cornerback Carlton Davis was the other big add of Monday. Suddenly, the Patriots have a promising secondary with Davis (who was one of the league’s 20 best corners last season) opposite Christian Gonzalez with Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger behind them. That’s a talented group, which is important since they might be asked to cover for a long time if New England doesn’t get another pass rusher.
Then the additions of Landry and Spillane greatly improved the team’s depth at linebacker. Both figure to be Week 1 starters, giving the Pats four new defensive starters on Monday alone.
All of this said, Monday’s moves did not immediately turn the Patriots into a playoff team. Even with these additions, most prognosticators are likely to pick them to finish under .500. Their two biggest positions of need at the start of the day remain. We still don’t know who is going to block Maye’s blind side or who his top wide receiver option will be. That’s concerning, and those questions will remain as the team looks to address those spots.
But on a day that the Patriots of the past might’ve shrugged their shoulders and decried the lack of value on the market, these Pats didn’t blink. They were the ones handing out the massive contracts that made others around the league look twice. And that’s OK. The Patriots badly needed an influx of talent and a player (or three) to be excited about. So what if they had to overpay to do it? They can worry about proper value another day because, for the first time in several years, it feels like the Patriots took several meaningful steps toward fielding a better team.
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(Photo of Milton Williams: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
