Not so long ago, free agents agreed to take pay cuts to get an opportunity to play for the New England Patriots.
Those days are long gone, and history shows that it had more to do with Tom Brady than with Bill Belichick.
Now, with the team transitioning to the Jerod Mayo era and looking like the worst team in the AFC East Division, they might find it tough to lure top-notch talents.
That was the case with WR Calvin Ridley, perhaps the best free agent at the position in this class.
Notably, Patriots owner Robert Kraft admitted why Ridley turned them down (via Mike Reiss).
He stated that Ridley’s girlfriend preferred to be in the South, and while the Patriots were willing to make up for the tax difference between Tennessee and Massachusetts, the uncertainty at the quarterback position was also a factor.
Robert Kraft shares that Calvin Ridley told the Patriots his girlfriend preferred to be in the South. He said the team had been willing to make up the difference in taxes between Massachusetts and Tennessee, while acknowledging that the QB situation could have been a factor. pic.twitter.com/no1BzwOpsf
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 26, 2024
Ridley won’t get to play alongside a proven QB by any means, as Will Levis will enter his first full season as a starter.
Nonetheless, he did show plenty of signs of promise, and there are no guarantees about what the Patriots are going to get in the upcoming edition of the NFL Draft.
Most analysts predict they’re going to land QB Drake Maye, while others think they’re going to go with WR Marvin Harrison Jr. instead.
Whatever the case, this team isn’t just one piece away from being a contender again, so it makes sense that free agents are hesitant to take their talents to Foxboro’s blistering cold.
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