3 steps Patriots can take to get back to playoffs next year

Patriots path back to the playoffs in 2023, Step 2: Sign the right free agents

Prior to the 2021 NFL Season, the New England Patriots engaged in a hefty spending spree. At first, the idea looked pleasant as it brought a breath of new air to a franchise that rarely does this. However, all it brought them was a Wild Card berth and a loss to Buffalo in the Wild Card round.

While a few of those signings have shown that it was worth the investment, specifically Matt Judon, the signings of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith to big deals have shown futility, and the passing game of New England is nothing like what they envisioned when both were brought in. But more on that later.

In reality, spending big money works, but overspending and not seeing any results means someone made a bad investment or had a role in this not working out. Unfortunately for the Pats, the money was spent, but there are no results to show, at least not the results they want. The best thing to do now is to properly manage what cap space they have and start hitting on draft picks because if not, nothing changes.