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The Patriots' 2022 offseason was a quiet one, especially compared to 2021.
New England didn't sign any Pro Bowlers in their prime, like Matthew Judon a year prior, or any up-and-comers, such as a Kendrick Bourne type of player. As a matter of fact, all the contracts the Patriots handed out this offseason were for no more than two years, spending just $26.9 million in guaranteed money after a record-setting spending spree in 2021.
Of course, all the signings the Patriots made in 2021 meant they wouldn't have as much cap space to play with in 2022. Because of that, the worst moves by the Patriots weren't necessarily ones they made – it was the ones they didn't make.
Here are the three worst moves the Patriots made this offseason:
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Patriots' 3 Worst Offseason Moves
3. Trading Shaq Mason only to draft Cole Strange with their first-round pick.
When the Patriots shipped off Mason to the Buccaneers in March, they cleared nearly $7 million in cap space and gained a fourth-round pick. The trade looked like a win for New England at the time, even though it gave up a quality starter because it gave the team much-need cap space and a mid-round pick.
The Patriots could've re-signed guard Ted Karras, who had a standout season in 2021, per Pro Football Focus. But they let him walk to the Bengals, leaving the Patriots with a hole at guard.
Heading into the draft, it was obvious the Patriots needed a guard. Several draft experts them linked to Boston College guard Zion Johnson with their first-round pick. However, the Chargers selected Johnson four picks prior to when the Patriots would be on the clock at 21.
New England decided to move down to pick No. 29. With Johnson and Texas A&M's Kenyon Green well off the board, there weren't any other guards who were viewed by draft experts as “first-round quality” prospects. That's why when the Patriots selected Cole Strange, a guard out of Chattanooga, it was viewed as the biggest surprise of Day 1 in the NFL Draft by league executives, according to PFF's Doug Kyed.
It appeared the Patriots overdrafted Strange by a lot as the Rams, who didn't pick late until the third round, were stunned by the selection. The other being that the Patriots had other pressing needs at linebacker (more on that shortly), receiver, and cornerback entering the draft. Going off the salary teams spend at respective positions, those three positions are far more valuable than guard. And the Patriots have had success selecting interior linemen in the mid-to-late rounds in the past, with their sixth-round selection of guard Michael Onwenu being a recent example.
Strange could end up having a fine NFL career. However, several other prospects at more pressing positions of need were available for the Patriots to pick multiple times in the first round. And they opted not to do that twice.
2. Not acquiring a viable starting-quality linebacker.
It was clear the Patriots needed to shake up their linebacker corps as the 2021 season went along, especially after their blowout playoff loss to the Bills. Buffalo ran for 174 yards on six yards per carry, speeding past the aging Dont'a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and Kyle Van Noy.
New England opted not to bring any of those players back, at least up to this point. Van Noy was released and signed with the Chargers while Hightower and Collins remain free agents.
Even though the Patriots dumped their elder linebackers, they didn't do much to replace them. They re-signed Ja'Whaun Bentley, who led the team in tackles last season. However, they only acquired one linebacker this offseason, trading for Mack Wilson from the Browns in exchange for Chase Winovich.
Wilson, a 2019 third-round pick, saw his playing time on defense decrease over his three seasons in Cleveland. He went from playing 88 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2019 to playing just 21 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2021. While Wilson showed promise as rookie (he recorded 82 combined tackles), the huge decrease in playing time for the now-24-year-old has to be concerning.
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Someone who isn't concerned though about the Patriots' linebacker corps is the team's director of player personnel, Matt Groh, who's looking forward to a pair of other linebackers making a return in 2022.
“Yeah, really excited about that group,” Groh said of the linebackers following Day 2 of the draft. “Excited to see Cam McGrone was able to get on the field a little bit last year, excited to see him be in an expanded role. He’s kind of an additional draft pick.
“You can kind of put him along there with the three guys that we’ve been able to add here today along with some of the other guys from last year. That all kind of counts to getting younger, getting faster, being a tough team.”
McGrone, who the Patriots selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, didn't play after tearing his ACL with Michigan in the 2020 college season. New England was also reportedly excited about veteran linebacker Raekwon McMillan ahead of the 2021 season. But he tore his ACL during training camp last August.
Bill Belichick has been "impressed" with newcomer Raekwon McMillan during Patriots Training Camp.#Patriots | https://t.co/PsDIkSSy3F pic.twitter.com/F4VCcYt6WD
— NESN (@NESN) August 2, 2021
Groh's confidence in the relatively unproven group of linebackers must pay off in order to explain not bringing much outside talent in at the position.
1. Letting J.C. Jackson walk.
The Patriots could have understandably been taken aback by the five-year, $82.5 million contract Jackson signed with the Chargers this offseason.
What isn't as understandable is letting Jackson walk considering the talent they have at cornerback. Jackson finished second in interceptions in each of the last two seasons, helping him earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in 2021. He was also arguably the only starter-level talent the Patriots had at corner last season.
Following the Cowboys' complete dominance in the passing game in the Patriots' Week 6 loss, New England started playing more zone coverage than man-to-man coverage as Jalen Mills, who's played safety for much of his career, shifted to corner. Mills got better as the year went along, but still has room to improve in 2022.
The Patriots' major addition at corner was signing Malcolm Butler, bringing him back on a two-year, $5 million deal. Butler obviously has a good track record (earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in the past), but the 32-year-old didn't play in 2021 after he briefly retired. Butler wasn't too stellar either with the Titans in 2020, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 80-of-127 passes (63 percent) for 873 yards and five touchdowns, recording four interceptions.
New England gets back Jonathan Jones, who is considered one of the game's best slot corners, after he went down for the season following a shoulder injury he sustained against Dallas. The Patriots also selected a pair of corners in rounds three and four of the draft (Marcus Jones and Jack Jones). However, they still lack high-level talent at the outside corner spots, which is a concern in such a pass-heavy game.
