Bedard: Patriots' new boss looks a lot like the old boss, cash spending update

We're not into the third wave of NFL free agency, where teams look for cost-effective, flawed players to plug their roster holes. That's where the Patriots will be living, especially on offense, where the holes are still glaring: LT1, LG1, C1, WR1, WR2.

Yes, I still believe the Patriots will be trying any avenue, especially trade, to acquire a top receiver and possibly a left tackle if some teams want to make a pre-emptive move as a player enters the final year of their contract: Seattle's Charles Cross, Vegas' Kolton Miller and the Colts' Bernhard Raimann would seem to have the best chance, even if they are probably long.

2026 Left Tackle Free Agents

Just like last offseason, I still believe in my bones the Patriots will find that receiver via trade, among the likes of AJ Brown and Brandon Aiyuk. The latter is the best option given the firesale in San Francisco, but he won't be ready until at least midseason after major knee surgery.

Of course, Tee Higgins is now off the market as the Bengals shockingly paid both receivers.

Maybe I'm naive when it comes to the Patriots and the offense. Maybe I'm a sucker. But I'm not going to bury them yet.

And let me also state for the record that I love what they've done on defense. They pounced, if not overpaid, for impact players on all three levels that completely fit what Vrabels wants to do on defense with disruption, speed and flying to the ball: DT Milton Williams, DE Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane and CB Carlton Davis. Even K'Lavon Chaisson, Marcus Epps and Khyiris Tonga are good role players with some upside.

I don't even mind that they took on some risk with their biggest defensive signings. Williams has never been a full-time guy and will have to prove he can produce away from that Eagles defensive line. Landry is likely on the downside of his career. Spillane has played over 1,000 snaps each of the past two seasons - can he keep that up the way he plays like a wrecking ball? Davis has missed time every season, including 4 (plus Detroit's playoff run), 5, 4 and 7 in his most recent seasons.

So, yeah, that's a fair amount of risk. But I don't mind. No risk-it, no biscuit. Vrabel needed to do a substantial facelift on this aging and slow Patriots' defense. Vrabel knew the fastest way to get this team competing again was to rev up the defense to buy the offense time to do ... whatever it is they are going to do on that side of the ball. Mission accomplished.

If only we could say the same on the other side of the ball, where the Patriots arguably had much more work to do to be competitive.

What we've seen to this point is basically most of the free agency periods in the latter years for Bill Belichick. The defense gets the shiny pieces, while the offense gets the table scraps. Even Josh McDaniels is involved again. Time is a flat circle, only the guy in charge is better-looking and more affable. Of course, this should be expected even going into the draft: defensive minds in control of personnel will always revert to their comfort zone, especially if they are under pressure, like being on the clock in the draft.

I do believe the Patriots were set to offer the moon to LT Ronnie Stanley and Godwin (Adam Schefter reported the Patriots were prepared to go to $30 million - and I would love to see how that contract would have been structured), and that's terrific. By far the best two players at positions of need, so the Patriots are no dummies.

Here's what I have a problem with: Where's the pivot we were promised by Eliot Wolf, who between the "weaponize" comment last year and now this is joining the Tom Werner Bad Quotes HOF?

"I think it's about pivoting," said Wolf. "If you don't get plan one, then you go for plan two, and if you don't get plan two, you go for plan three. And I just think it's about keeping your options open, whether it's free agency, trade, draft.

"There's only so many elite free agents and there's probably 27 teams looking at those guys. Certainly, we feel like we're a more attractive destination this year than we were last year. We're excited to fill the roster out and get to where we need to be so we can use [the fourth-overall] pick on the best player."

To this point: FAIL and FAIL.

So Stanley stayed with the Ravens ... and the team failed to pivot. They were in on Jaylon Moore but wouldn't go over the top of the Chiefs at $15 million APY. I was told they were not in on the gross $22 million market for Dan Moore, but there's been some conflicting reporting. Cam Robinson is still out there, as is Jedrick Wills.

So Godwin stayed with the Bucs ... and the team failed to pivot. Not in on trades for DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk. Weren't in on Davante Adams, Darius Slayton or even a Josh Palmer, Dyami Brown or DeAndre Hopkins.

At left guard, Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney were traded and Aaron Banks landed with the Packers. ... Patriots' idea of a pivot was Wes Schweitzer? Reportedly they wanted Will Fries but he went to the Vikings. (By the way, getting two Jets - Morgan Moses was the other - is a bold strategy, waiting on Tyron Smith ... and were the Seahawks busy?)

The Patriots parted ways with David Andrews at center, and the top free agents are all gone: Drew Dalman (Bears), Ryan Kelly (Vikings), Coleman Shelton (Rams) and Josh Myers (Jets). Again, reportedly they wanted Dalman but - stop me if you've heard this before - they didn't get him.

So the Patriots pounced on defense, even overpaid, and they turned their noses up at most of the offensive talent? The Patriots are currently 28th in the league in offensive spending ($98 million). They are 15th in defense ($111.4 million)

I've seen this movie before, and the lead character wore a hoodie.

Again, I expect the Patriots to do a lot more on offense with the entire offseason, and that goes for the draft as well.

But they went all-out on defense, didn't pivot quickly on offense, and their depth chart there is still Swiss cheese heading into the draft. They said they wouldn't do that.

There's a lot of work to do.

BEDARD'S UPDATED DEPTH CHART

CASH SPENDING UPDATE

As I laid out last month, the proper way to gauge how the Patriots might spend is through cash, not cap.

The Patriots are a cash-to-cap team, which means their annual budget is the cap. Robert Kraft has said the Patriots can spend over that, but they want the spending to smooth out over the three years required.

That's true. With the 2021 spending spree, they were $52.4 million over the cap according to NFLPA records. The next two years, they were under by $11 million and $34.9 million.

Balanced.

So where are they now?

The Patriots, after going over the cap by $14.6 million last offseason, are currently under their annual budget by $60 million (21st in the league in cash spending). You also have to remember that the 4th pick in the draft will be around $25 million in cash this season.

So that's $35 million cash left.

If they wanted to go over like they did in 2021, minus the $14 million overage last year, you're talking about another $36 million available.

So that's a total of $71 million at the most they could be spending.

They just haven't, especially after missing out on all the key pieces at LT, LG, C, WR1, and WR2 as it stands today.