Can thank Brady for Pats’ spending spree
Belichick looks to save face after season of humble pie
The Patriots ran laps around the field during the first day of the tampering period leading up to free agency.
If this was a horse race, they were Secretariat at the Belmont.
They charged out, and never looked back, spending a fortune — $146 million on four players in the first few hours alone — while locking up a handful of signature players at positions of need on both sides of the ball.
This was as aggressive as Bill Belichick has ever been going after players in free agency. And not just any player, he went top-of-the-market for a tight end (Jonnu Smith) and pass rusher (Matthew Judon).
He also filled a huge need at nose tackle (Davon Godchaux) while adding depth in the secondary (Jalen Mills). Then, for the cherry on top, he signed a pair of wide receivers in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, who was a favorite of Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco.
Agholor arrived on a two-year deal, for $26 million while Bourne agreed to a three-year deal worth $22.5 million. So adding onto the pile, that’s close to $200 million in one fell swoop.
In many ways, this was out-of-character for Belichick, with only a few other occasions where he’s really splurged (2003, 2007) on improving the team.
In the past, he’s refrained from spending sprees. The last decade in fact, he’s only spent roughly $360 million in total on free agents. He’s well past half that total now in one day.
So what’s changed?
Plenty.
First he had money to spend, with the third-most cap money in the NFL. If he was inspired to change, and go against type, Belichick certainly had the funds to make a mark.
Second, and perhaps the biggest instigator for Monday’s bonanza, Tom Brady rubbed salt into the wound after leaving the team a year ago, joining Tampa Bay and going on to win another Super Bowl.
With the Patriots failing to make the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years, surrendering their stranglehold on the AFC East while Brady flourished with Tampa, it struck a nerve.
Let’s face it, organizationally, they were embarrassed after letting the GOAT leave. Whether he admits it or not, Belichick got a big slice of humble pie. This is the response.
And while there’s a few more pieces to add, including quarterback, the message was loud and clear.
The Patriots want back in. They want to reclaim their status as an elite team. Plus, Belichick wants to remove the egg from his face from underestimating Brady, and also not having a plan to succeed him.
It’s also possible Belichick is on notice, feeling a bit of a push from above. Robert Kraft couldn’t be pleased with a 7-9 record, and while Belichick has earned more than the benefit of the doubt, with six championships, the moves Monday revealed a real sense of urgency to get the Patriots back to contender status. And sooner rather than later.
Or, this jump into the deep end could be nothing more than Belichick hating to lose more than he hates facing the media.
He’s also about to turn 69. Let’s just say, he’s not going to catch Don Shula as the all-time winningest coach with more seasons like the one the Patriots put up last year.
And yet, it’s still a bit hard to fathom all the cash Belichick spent. Usually it’s bad teams, or desperate teams, that make similar moves, trying to buy their way out of the abyss.
But given the dynamics mentioned above, along with the fact the roster really needed an overhaul, the Patriots didn’t have much of a choice. This was a bad team by Patriots standards. It would have been hard to imagine Belichick getting away with bargain-basement additions this time out.
So he went on the attack and checked off many positions of need with high-end talent. And while many doubted Belichick would change his spots, he did just that.
Speaking with Damien Woody last week, the ESPN analyst and former Patriot called it. He predicted Belichick would go against type.
“I can’t see the Patriots going about the status quo, and doing what they’ve done,” said Woody. “Just my opinion, but I think Bill will say, ‘I hear people whispering and talking. Maybe I need to let you know who I am. Like, I’m still the greatest coach in the history of this game. And I’m going to show you all that nothing’s changed.’’’
Woody added that the only way for Belichick to accomplish the mission was to make a splash, and make some out-ofcharacter moves.
He was dead on.
Judon, with a four-year, $56 million deal, with $32 million guaranteed, landed the most lucrative deal for a defensive player in franchise history.
He does arrive with a few “buyer beware” labels, but Belichick is the right coach to put him in positions to succeed, and be as impactful as he was in Baltimore. He has the versatility to play inside or out on the edge, which puts him right in Belichick’s wheelhouse.
Smith, who the Patriots made the third highest paid tight end in the NFL, is a home run talent. Josh McDaniels will be thrilled to finally land a bonafide playmaker for his offense. He should also be happy with Agholor, who adds much needed speed on the outside, and Bourne, who is a good route-runner with quickness.
Godchaux should fill the void in the middle of the defensive line. He’s a space eater, and with his size (6-foot-3, 331 pounds) should be an effective two-gapper up front. Mills adds depth to the secondary, given his versatility to play corner and safety.
The Day 1 haul was eye-opening to say the least. And in a good way. On the surface, they spent wisely. If Brady provided the biggest push, so be it.
Belichick couldn’t stay the course, and go about business as usual. He needed to come out swinging, and that’s just what he did.