What to make of the Patriots' Day 1 in NFL free agency

The Patriots spent the start of free agency on the sidelines. Unfortunately, this was to be expected. Sources told the Herald at the scouting combine that the Patriots saw few game-changers in this year's free agent class. Therefore, the board was prepared to put a price on players they liked, but did not love. And that's why they were outbid, the same way they outscored teams in their pursuit of Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane and others amid a $300 million spend last year. Five minutes into free agency, Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce re-signed for $29 million annually. The Pats had interest, but league rumors suggested interest would not exceed $26-27 million per year in any offer. What does an extra two or three million dollars mean to them? Great question. Once Pierce came off the board, management reached an agreement with a mid-level veteran, Dre'Mont Jones, who helped address their lagging pass rush but was not among the top six defenders available. The Patriots then hired former Bills fullback Reggie Gilliam, who also addressed another need for a way to eat a rice cake as a snack. Technically true and temporarily satisfying, but hardly satisfying for a franchise hungry to reestablish itself as a perennial contender. The Pats need more. That was obvious at this stage of free agency, a frenetic race that the Patriots often treated like the start of a marathon in the Belichick era before leapfrogging the competition when games began thanks in part to valuable signings. Last season, beneath all the splashy free-agent signings, the Pats stumbled upon several bargain-basement veterans who helped propel their run to the Super Bowl: K'Lavon Chaisson, Khyiris Tonga, Mack Hollins, Jaylinn Hawkins and Morgan Moses. But now, striking deals like that seems to be his entire free agency plan. That approach carries less obvious risk than signing a big-time free agent, but risk nonetheless. Because there's swing and miss, and then bunt and miss, bunt and miss, then foul bunt for the third strike. Until Monday night, here are more Patriots takeaways and details from Day 1: Carolina's lesson hurts Pats The Patriots intended to add their outside linebacker slot with one, if not two, free agent additions. On Monday there was Jones and then...radio silence. Indirectly, the Pats may be to blame. Less than an hour after the market opened, Carolina reached a massive deal with Jaelan Phillips that exceeded expectations. The former Eagles and Dolphins pass rusher landed a four-year, $120 million deal with $80 million guaranteed after Philadelphia, which traded a third-round pick for him last November, worked to retain him. The Panthers, however, would not deny him. Because? Remember the bidding war they lost last year to the Patriots for Williams? Since then, they've had to watch the Pats reach the Super Bowl with Williams, a player Carolina believed they were signing until Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf continued to increase their offer. So instead of losing Phillips, Carolina appears to have pushed its offer higher and higher and also the market for edge defenders. Almost four hours later, Washington handed Odafe Oweh a $100 million contract. Former Seahawks outside linebacker Boye Mafe, who had two sacks last season, received $20 million per year from the Bengals. The Patriots had their eyes on both players. Late Monday night, that left Trey Hendrickson, the best defender available ever, as the only Pro Bowl-caliber option available. K'Lavon Chaisson is also available, but paying players after a breakout season is often a fool's errand. Still, do you think Hendrickson or Chaisson will accept anything less than the best price now? Ha. Without mike evans After allegedly chasing Pierce, the