The New England Patriots are like your smart, sensible friend, the one who proudly says after winning the lottery, “I’m investing all of it.”
Sure, the Patriots make a splash every once in a while--Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth among them--but even those things are done on the cheap.
Doing things “the Patriot Way” isn’t good enough anymore. Not after the Super Bowl, where the Giants were clearly the more talented team, built through the draft and--wait for it--big free-agent signings like Antrel Rolle, Michael Boley and Chris Canty.
Not when Tom Brady, who’s still playing at an MVP level, turns 35 before next season starts. Not when Julian Edelman is playing cornerback.
The Patriots can still spend smart, but they have to spend big.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, New England is projected to have about $27 million of cap room thanks to the new CBA, which allows teams to carry over cap surpluses from one year to the next.
The only 2011 playoff teams who have more cap space are Cincinnati ($58.9 million), Denver ($48.5 million) and San Francisco ($35.9 million).
As for what the Patriots should do with the money, let's start with Wes Welker. It's not a matter of whether Brady's recent vacation buddy will be back, it's a matter of how.
Putting the franchise tag on Welker will cost the Patriots about $9.5 million, then they can use some money to go get a receiver who can actually play on the outside, especially considering the team's record with drafting wideouts.
Does the name Chad Jackson ring a bell? Where's Taylor Price these days?
Signing a guy like Mike Wallace or Brandon Lloyd would give New England the inside-outside offense that it needs to continue to compete for the next few years. On defense, ends Mario Williams and Robert Mathis are two players who could be the pass rusher the Pats have been coveting for years.
The other place the Patriots need to gamble a little bit is the draft. Their offense, especially Bill Belichick, is very fond of trading down in April and acquiring picks for later in the draft and for future years.
That has to stop. You can have as much depth as you want, but this team needs playmakers, especially on defense.
New England has two first-round picks (27th and 31st) and two second-round picks (48th and 63rd). Instead of trading down, the team has to use those two picks on guys who can play now and play well.
Dontari Poe, the defensive tackle from Memphis, is in the Vince Wilfork mold. He's big (346 pounds) and athletic (ran a 4.98 40-yard dash at the combine). Chandler Jones out of Syracuse is an athletic defensive end who could add quickness and a pass rush.
The Patriots could also trade up in the first round and get a guy like defensive end/linebacker Courtney Upshaw of Alabama, someone who could improve the youth and playmaking ability of the front seven right away.
So much of what New England has done over the past decade has been predicated on noticing what other teams don't (late-round picks and undrafted free agents) and doing what other teams won't (putting wide receivers on defense and tight ends in the backfield).
It's time that the Patriots acted a little more normal. Spend big money on proven players. Move up or stand pat in the draft instead of trading down.
Those kinds of moves can do wonders for New England because they have the kind of people in the organization who can make smart decisions. They're the smart, sensible ones who could stand to take a few risks this offseason.
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