After being a top-10 defense in the last three years, the New England Patriots plummeted to the bottom three in 2024. However, they have been quite active in the free agency, having also handed the highest contract in their history.
Former New England players Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman rated their moves so far. While they support handing the biggest contract, the pair feel that the Patriots have missed out on one key defensive player.
Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman Rate Patriots Free Agency Moves
New England kicked things off by adding Harold Landry III on Sunday and then backed that up by adding talent at all three levels of their defense. They handed Milton Williams a four-year, $104 million contract. They signed CB Carlton Davis III, EDGE Harold Landry III, EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, OT Morgan Moses, C Garrett Bradbury, LB Robert Spillane, and WR Mack Hollins.
The combination of Landry, Williams, Spillane, and Davis gives their defense a very different look from what we saw in 2024, and while many feel they have overpaid, Edelman thinks otherwise.
“I think it’s a good deal yeah, it’s not like they overpaid. I think it was very fair. You know he’s a great player. He’s gonna make a difference on that line, and you have to spend it…”
Gronkowski added, “The team needed that and the money—that’s because no one’s really been paid a big contract at the Patriots since Tom Brady, and that was like eight or ten years ago, which means those numbers aren’t going to be high. So, like him going in having the richest contract in Patriot history, that’s just due to the numbers and what the league is now from when we gave a big contract.”
Edelman added that former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would have made a similar move if he had been in charge, especially with New England’s cap space. He, however, added that the Patriots needed offensive help from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Gronkowski further highlighted that New England had missed out on a top defensive talent. While the pair didn’t reveal the name, they said he went from the Atlanta Falcons to the Chicago Bears, which was Grady Jarrett, who signed a three-year, $42.75 million deal.
“I don’t know his name, but I saw that guy. He went from the Falcons to the Bears. The Patriots needed to grab him, especially if they knew that one guy the Patriots missed out on was the center from the Falcons, who the Chicago Bears picked up. They should have paid him whatever he wanted.”