FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Coach Bill Belichick went to work this offseason, and the result is a New England Patriots roster that has a significant increase in talent and competition.
The player-acquisition scorecard for the new-look Patriots looks like this:
Signings: 13
Re-signings: 9
Trade acquisitions: 1
Draft picks: 8
Opt-outs return: 5
Coming off a 7-9 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the Patriots needed an upgrade. Their financial flexibility (and aggressiveness) helped them do it.