The New England Patriots no longer have major draws such as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to recruit players to Foxboro to help build capable rosters.
On top of that, they still have to deal with the same obstacles that Belichick encountered himself during his nearly quarter-century tenure as head coach and general manager of the Patriots.
When players weigh the financial side of their suitors, state income tax can often become a major factor. The Patriots just saw that again in recent months when productive wideout Calvin Ridley chose, among several factors, the Tennessee Titans over New England in free agency.