The New England Patriots were largely shut out in NFL free agency last year in spite of boasting massive cap room, and their inability to land any impact players led to them having a 4-13 campaign.
Well, the Patriots are once again teeming with cap space heading into free agency, but this time, there is a bit of a different feeling in New England.
The general consensus is that the Pats will land someone in the coming weeks, and ESPN's Mike Reiss is fully expecting them to splurge this time around.
"I think this is more likely to be like 2021 when they came out of the gates [and signed a bunch of free agents]," Reiss said.
Here's the thing, though: Reiss said that the Patriots still need to actually prove they can do it, especially after what happened last March.
"It's one thing to talk about a plan; you've got to go execute it now," Reiss added.
The difference on this occasion is that New England actually appears to have a quarterback now, as Drake Maye enjoyed a very impressive rookie campaign in 2024.
Quarterback was a hot-button issue for the Pats last year, as they didn't have any answers under center going into the free-agent period. That likely prevented players from signing with them, such as wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who opted to join the Tennessee Titans instead.
The Patriots need help up and down their roster, as they have significant holes on both sides of the ball. That being said, their most prominent needs are clearly offensively, so New England will definitely need to get Maye some help.
We'll see if the Pats are able to actually make something happen once free agency begins in a few days.
