The New England Patriots entered the offseason as one of the teams with the most salary cap space, and heading into April they remain so after a disappointing showing in NFL free agency. And not landing impact players for 2024 is something NFL executives blasted them over in a new report.
After the Patriots made a major shift in culture by firing legendary head coach Bill Belichick, the new leader of their locker room Jerod Mayo, and owner Robert Kraft talked a big game about making huge moves on the free agent market. Usually, players gravitate toward the money and the Pats had a lot to hand out this offseason.
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- New England Patriots coach: Jerod Mayo
Unfortunately, it seems the team’s brand is so damaged by a pair of messy losing seasons that all the top free agents on the market passed on taking their talents to New England. Now, with many of the best players off the market, the New England Patriots have over $46 million in cap space (via Over The Cap) that may just sit there heading into next season.
That sad situation following a 4-13 result in 2023 is something a pair of league executives bashed the organization over in a new report from The Athletic NFL insider Mike Sando, with one taking shots at Kraft’s lack of accountability.
“Kraft mentions the taxes, the quarterback, the player’s girlfriend, and then he mentioned the money,” an exec told Sando. “The reality is, if the dollar net taxes was higher in New England than in Tennessee, they would have gotten the player [Calvin Ridley]. It’s like Kraft can’t live in a world where he is looked at as the problem.”
NFL exec on New England Patriots failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley: ‘What the hell?’
Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars veteran passed on an offer from New England and signed with the Titans in March. Another NFL decision-maker added how Mayo and Kraft ended up looking foolish by boldly claiming they would spend big but failing to land any players of note in free agency.
“The head coach came out early in the offseason and said, ‘We have a lot of money to spend, and we are going to spend it,’” the anonymous executive said. “Then he had to walk the comment back. Then they lose out on the receiver after their GM says they have no speed on offense.
“So you have the two highest appointed people in the organization saying they are going to spend and they are going to prioritize speed, and then they do neither. What the hell?”
The most notable move the organization made on the open market this year was the addition of veteran backup QB Jacoby Brissett.
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