Patriots' Defense Receives Sobering Warning

The New England Patriots embarked on quite the spending spree this offseason, particularly when it came to the defensive side of the ball.

The Patriots signed some of the biggest names on the open market, landing Harold Landry, Milton Williams, Carlton Davis and Robert Spillane, filling some glaring gaps in the unit.

As a result, many are pegging New England's defense to be one of the most improved groups heading into 2025, but Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine wonders if the Pats might ultimately run into some problems on that side of the ball.

While Ballentine seems to think Williams will be just fine, he questions whether or not older additions like Landry and Davis will materialize.

"Williams is the kind of free agent who should pay off. He's just hitting his prime and plays a critical position. However, there's a chance Landry and Davis don't make the kind of impact the Patriots are paying for," Ballentine wrote. "If that's the case then the upside in New England is harder to find."

Heck, even Williams is a question mark considering that the 26-year-old was never actually even a full-time starter during his four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Patriots handed him a $104 million contract.

Of course, New England had to make a move somewhere, and the Pats did not want a repeat of last year when they had tons of cap room but barely spent any of it.

The Patriots' defense ranked 22nd in both yards and points allowed last season, which was a significant step down from previous campaigns. So you can understand New England's decision to open its wallet in free agency.

Whether or not all of the additions will pan out remains to be seen, but you can't fault the Pats for making the effort.