The New England Patriots did absolutely nothing on the first day of the NFL’s legal free-agent tampering period.
As has been the case under the leadership of Bill Belichick, the team waited in the wings as others vastly overpaid for mediocre talent.
This doesn’t mean the Patriots didn’t have a successful Monday. Just a couple days after acquiring Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett from the Philadelphia Eagles for a swap of late-round picks, New England saw left tackle Trent Brown and pass rusher Trey Flowers depart in free agency.
Both performed well for New England last season. Neither should have been retained at the clip they ultimately received on the open market.
Here’s the break down.
Raiders terribly overpay for Trent Bown: Team made him highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
Trey Flowers got paid by the Lions: Full details are not known, but he’s Mr. money bags.
The compensatory formula: By letting these two walk, New England picks up maneuverability in the draft.
Teams such as the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins might have spent big time in free agency on Monday. Call them the Super Bowl champs in March.
But it’s what the Patriots did without actually doing anything that’s the story here. It’s why they will be the team vying for the real title come February.
In the social media world with news at our fingertips, instant gratification is the name of the game. We want to hear about the latest big-time signing. How much money a player received. Debate about whether said contract was an overpay.
Call that checkers.
The Pats are just fine playing chess by themselves.