As their Super Bowl dynasty years slip further into the rearview mirror, the Patriots are winning the offseason again. The Patriots paired landing the highly coveted Mike Vrabel during the coaching carousel with an unrivaled $282 million spending spree — nearly $160 million of which is guaranteed — at the start of free agency. Significantly upgrading their defense at every level was the luxury afforded to the Patriots by entering free agency with an NFL-high $129 million of salary cap space.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams (four years, $104 million), edge rusher Harold Landry (three years $43.5 million), linebacker Robert Spillane (three years, $37.5 million) and cornerback Carlton Davis (three years, $60 million) reportedly all agreed to terms by Monday afternoon.
The spending didn’t stop there, as the Patriots also poached right tackle Morgan Moses (three years, $24 million) from the rival Jets, added backup quarterback Josh Dobbs (two years, $8 million), receiver Mack Hollins (two-years, $8.4 million) and re-signed tight end Austin Hooper (one year, $5 million). But one problem is that Patriots fans have seen this act before.
Another problem is what’s missing from the haul: The Patriots still are searching for a No. 1 receiver to make life easier for franchise quarterback Drake Maye. Months after watching Tom Brady win a seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, the Patriots ran up a $200 million tab on the first day of free agency in 2021.
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