From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed that the Patriots needed to make several upgrades after the 2021 season if they wanted to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Though they went 10-7 and made the playoffs, they were 2-4 in December and January, fell apart on both sides of the football, and were blown out twice by the Bills.
But Bill Belichick and the Patriots opted to stay the course. They were one of the NFL’s quietest spenders all offseason, and approached the 2022 season under the premise that last year’s team, built with $175 million in free agency acquisitions, will play better in Year 2.