Bill Belichick never was one to spent wildly in free agency. Watching Tom Brady win another Super Bowl in another city sure changed that.
The New England Patriots doled out $175 million in guarantees in the first 48 hours of free agency following a 7-9 stumble in 2020 that ended their two-decade dominance of the AFC.
The jaw-dropping spending spree netted tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry and receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne for an offense that went from proficient to pitiful without Brady under center.
The Pats also traded for a left tackle and got Kyle Van Noy back in what amounted to a stunning about-face for a franchise whose fans relished poking fun at the big spenders trying, usually in vain, to catch up as the