The offseason has not gone how the New England Patriots had hoped. Under the new leadership of de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo, New England was hoping to make a splash this offseason.

Entering free agency, Mayo noted that the Patriots had “a lot of cap space” and they were “ready to burn some cash.” At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf said, “We’re going to aggressively try to help the team.”

To their credit, the Patriots attempted to improve their roster aggressively throughout the offseason, but nothing has panned out the way they hoped. After failing to land veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency, the Patriots threw their name into the sweepstakes for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Patriots quickly found themselves out of the running for Aiyuk as well, however.

The Patriots are no longer the premier destination they used to be

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots inquired about Aiyuk’s availability but decided “not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers regarding their standout wide receiver.” Schefter added that the Patriots “are excited about their young receivers and want to focus on them.”

The truth may be a little more bitter than that, however. According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Patriots were willing to offer Aiyuk the highest average annual value of any team pursuing the talented wide receiver. Despite New England’s reported offer of $30 million per year, Aiyuk didn’t seem interested in playing for the Patriots.

Once upon a time, the best free agents would line up at the doorstep of Gillette Stadium, hoping for a chance to play with Brady, be coached by Belichick, and win a Super Bowl championship. Those days are gone.

The Patriots may have began the offseason with the most salary cap space, but that didn’t mean acquiring talent would be easy. At this point, New England isn’t a desirable place for veterans to play. It’s a lesson that Wolf and Mayo are learning the hard way.

New England finished the 2023 NFL season with a 4-13 record and their prospects for 2024 don’t offer much hope. Many of the top free agents won’t be particularly interested in joining a rebuilding franchise. The Patriots currently have quarterback Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback while rookie quarterback Drake Maye develops and refines his skillset.

Before the Patriots can attract premier talent, they’ll need to prove they’re capable of winning. Until then, they’re nothing more than a losing team with an outdoor stadium in bitter cold weather.