Bill Simmons unleashes fiery rant on 'super cheap’ Patriots over lackluster offseason moves
Bill Simmons has slammed the New England Patriots for their offseason moves. They entered the 2024 NFL offseason with high expectations. After moving off Bill Belichick, the team was looking for a fresh start under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
Entering the free agency, the Patriots had over $100 million of cap space to address various roster needs in their rebuild. However, after Week 1, the team has failed to turn heads with their frugal spending. This has irked many, especially after the new management under Mayo had promised to "burn some cash" and bring in talent.
Bill Simmons, a longtime Patriots fan and “The Ringer” founder, doesn't seem to understand what's going on at Foxborough and has unleashed a fiery rant on the team's strategy.
“I’m trying to figure out what the Patriots are doing," Simmons said on his YouTube channel. "Right now, they have the most money to spend of any team in the league, but free agency’s basically over. They have the third, I think 35th, 68th, and 103rd picks out of the top 105. They don’t have a future QB. They don’t have a left tackle. They don’t have an impact receiver. Their only above-average skill position guy is Rhamondre Stevenson, who’s not even a top-10 running back. They’re a D+ offense. New coach. They’re the cheapest team in the last 10 years for spending."
Simmons continued his rant, criticizing Robert Kraft and his "super cheap" spending methods.
“And I guess my question is, is this just going to be the Patriots until Bob Kraft dies? Just super cheap. They’ve spent the least amount of money the last 10 years. They let Brady go, then they blame Belichick for that. And now it just feels like they’re going to trade backwards from No. 3 and get a bunch of picks and tell everyone how smart they are. And meanwhile, we’re going to pass up a franchise QB. And not spend money. Great," he added.
Patriots need to break narrative of being poor spenders for successful rebuild
The New England Patriots entered the NFL offseason with the most salary cap space. Although the team has resigned some of its core pieces like Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Kyler Dugger, and Mike Onwenu, they haven't made big splash moves to address major areas like wide receiver and offensive tackle.
According to Over The Cap, the Patriots have $54.6 million remaining in cap space this offseason. A majority of the top free agents have already been signed and the team has to make moves quickly for the top targets.
The Patriots have ranked last in cash spending in the NFL in the last 10 years, with $1.62 billion, according to ESPN. If the team goes ahead to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick, they'll still have to break the narrative of being poor spenders and surround the quarterback with complimentary pieces for a successful rebuild in the post-Belichck and post-Tom Brady era.