A week of NFL free agency is in the books and it would seem virtually everyone in New England – from social media GM Matthew Judon down through the youngest of new-age fans who follow him – is left wanting for more from the first steps of the “burn some cash” era of Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf.
To date there have been no big names, big contracts or big buzz.
Nope. It’s been re-signing of some of the solid contributors from what was absolutely and deservedly a four-win team and the adding of second- or third-tier talent on relatively minimal contracts.
It’s been, frankly, rather boring.
The only emotion that’s really spread through Patriot Nation is deserved disappointment, at least some of that created by the words of Mayo and Wolf themselves.
But, just because there haven’t been big names, big contracts or big buzz doesn’t mean the work of the Wolf-led Foxborough front office can’t or won’t produce positive results on some level this fall or in future falls on the football field.
Way back when in the pre-dynasty days of 2001, before GOATs were born, the Patriots had what in hindsight would become an incredible foundational free agency plan that was highlighted by quality more than quantity and ended up fielding championship-caliber talent.
Longtime Patriots fans were you titillated by the likes of Brian Cox, Mike Compton, Marc Edwards, Mike Vrabel, Damon Huard and others when they joined a five-win New England squad in the spring of 2001?
No. You were not.
That Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli recruited group was seen as a Kmart Blue Light Special class of talent. In fact it was so little thought of in some circles they had to keep reminding everyone they weren’t in the business of collecting talent but rather building a team.
A team that just so happened to go on to shock the world and win a world title less than 12 months later. Sure that was a historic run that saw an unheralded second-year QB arrive to begin what would become a legendary, all-time great career.
But so many of the guys that no one got excited about when they arrived in New England also made massive contributions along rebuilding way.
Vrabel went from afterthought to, eventually, the Patriots Hall of Fame.
David Patten and Antowain Smith – who signed late – became critical backbone pieces of the offense that was eventually able to upset the flashy, star-studded, Greatest Show on Turf.
Roman Phifer became one of the most underrated core figures on any Patriots defense of any era.
Terrell Buckley, Compton and Edwards were studs in their own complementary ways.
None was buzz-worthy upon arrival. None brought exciting expectations.
And certainly the same can be said for the new faces ready to hit the ground running at Gillette Stadium this summer.
Could wide receiver K.J. Osborn make Patten-like plays? Why not?
Could Antonio Gibson surprise in his role as the second-fiddle to Rhamondre Stevenson? Sure.
Tight end Austin Hooper is a proven professional. Tackle Chukwuma Okorafor has more NFL starts than Mike Onwenu. Defensive tackle Armon Watts recorded five sacks for the Vikings in 2021, more than Lawrence Guy ever had in a single season.
This isn’t some PR spin to try to sell anyone on the Patriots 2024 class of free agents. Not an effort to pump the tires of what is clearly a group of underwhelming additions, especially in the light of the supposed $100 million hopes to “weaponized” the team.
It’s just a reminder that free agent excitement and expectations often don’t correlate to production.
Need we recall how excited the Patriots and many of us were for the arrival of Jonnu Smith back in 2021? And that couldn’t have provided less return on Robert Kraft’s money or our own energetic expectations.
Conversely, Vrabel and so many of his new Patriots pals were filler pieces to a roster upon arrival in 2000 who in the end help fill up Kraft’s trophy room with the first few of an eventual six-pack of Lombardis.
The first week of free agency in New England has been a letdown.
Don’t let me tell you otherwise.
But it will be months and even years before we really understand how much or how little Wolf, Mayo and the Patriots have begun to do to turn things around.