Could Draft 'Make or Break' Patriots? Ninkovich Explains 'Scary' Scenario

Despite entering an offseason with nearly $100 million in cap space entering free agency, the New England Patriots have yet to make the splash signing that many expected. That isn't to say they haven't made good signings, like the ability to retain many of their top players like Michael Onwenu, Josh Uche, and Kendrick Bourne, among others, but that's been it so far in Foxboro. 

The Patriots tried to make a splash, as evidenced by their pursuit of now-Tennessee Titans receiver Calvin Ridley, who spurned New England and his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, with the Patriots' dire need for playmakers, missing on Ridley has led to criticism that they are making the same mistakes even with new coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf in charge.

However, former Patriots edge rusher and now-turned-ESPN analyst Rob Ninkovich doesn't share that sentiment. 

"I hear people saying they're re-signing all these guys and they were 4-13 last year, so why would they do that? To me, the guys they targeted and brought back, I think they are key pieces. And they're getting guys out of the building they think are the reason they were a four-win team," Ninkovich said in a recent interview with ESPN's Mike Reiss.

"But the biggest thing to me is that no matter what they did, it's the draft that is going to make or break their offseason. This could be a home run. At the same time, the scary part is that if they draft a quarterback at No. 3, and he's not the guy, they're in major trouble."