The 7 Biggest Free Agency Busts in Patriots History

When a team bets on a free agent, it is essentially buying a stock. But the future production of any stock can be schizophrenic. Information changes at a moment's notice. Reality changes, too. These factors can radically alter the outcome of even the safest investment.

When it comes to free agency, you can win big or lose big, all in the blink of an eye. Some free agents just don't work out. Others crash and burn. Those who crash the hardest become busts of a legendary nature. It's a poor way to be immortalized, but it happens all the time. 

These varying degrees of failure are based on a few key elements. Chief among them is the talent of the free agent. This is where expectation becomes a factor. Big skill breeds big hype. That bubble is often quick to pop.

Also, the yardstick of the free agent's prior success is a factor. The more they have to live up to, the more they might come up short.

There are a few other factors to consider, as well. Notably, the degree to which a free agent helps or hurts his new team and the degree to which the player stays healthy. It's all part of the gamble. 

Having said that, here are the seven biggest free agency busts in Patriots history.   

7. Donald Hayes, WR

The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2001 and became world champions for the first time in franchise history. To help defend their title in 2002, they added new weapons. One was Donald Hayes.

Hayes, an unrestricted free agent, had garnered a small but earnest following from several interested teams. It's easy to see why: He was a lengthy, physical receiver with a solid track record from his four seasons with the Panthers. In the previous year alone, he had 52 receptions for 597 yards.

In his first game with the Patriots, Hayes had three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. It was a dramatic way to announce his arrival. That sort of drama felt purposeful, as if to suggest that the stars were aligning.

But as a Patriot, he never topped those 54 yards. He never topped those three catches, either. He caught a downward slope and never climbed back up. When the season ended, he only had 12 catches, 133 yards and two touchdowns to his credit.

A major bust, indeed.

2002 was Hayes' only season with the Patriots. 

6. Joey Galloway, WR

By the time Joey Galloway arrived in New England in 2009, he already had  played 14 seasons in the NFL.  At various points in his career, Galloway had proven himself to be a supremely skilled receiver and a talented returner. Plus, he was a veteran who had seen it all. For the Patriots, it seemed like a solid proposition.

But the proposition went sour. Fast.

Galloway struggled to fit into New England's intricate passing game. His struggles doomed any hope of contributing points, yards or veteran knowledge on a regular basis. Instead, he created an aura of confusion and frustration. After three games and seven catches, Galloway's time as a Patriot was done.

As Galloway described it (via ESPN):

"

I thought that I was going there to be the third receiver. I thought I was going there to help them stretch the field to go vertical, and once I got there, that just wasn't the case. The third receiver in New England doesn't play a large role in much of the offense...We would go a week through practice. There would be one maybe two balls thrown to the third guy. It just wasn't a good fit for what I thought I was going there to do. 

"

Galloway qualifies as a major free agency bust because of his inability to meet the expectations of a 14-year veteran receiver. Had he been able to adapt to New England's system a little more and help out in smaller ways, expand his versatility as a receiver, or provide veteran wisdom and stability, he might've worked out. But instead, his mind and body resisted everything. 

2009 was Galloway's only season with the team.

5. Brandon Lloyd, WR

Is Brandon Lloyd an epic bust? 

Well, there are a few factors that could save him from such a fate. For starters, he's still on the Patriots' roster, which means he has time to improve and help the team win a ring. Also, his athletic ability is still impressive. Some of his catches are flat-out dazzling.

Plus, the guy had 74 receptions, 911 yards and four touchdowns last season. That's nothing to sneeze at. To put those numbers in context, they're pretty similar to Baltimore's Anquan Boldin, who had 65 receptions, 921 yards and four touchdowns. Not too shabby.

Ultimately, this comes down to something more complicated than measuring Lloyd's numbers or gauging his athletic prowess. Really, it's about the sinking gut feeling that this isn't working. Perhaps you've felt it. I've felt it. It's a bad feeling.

Throughout last season, it was clear that Lloyd wanted to be on the same page with Tom Brady (and vice versa). The desire was genuine. But too many forced throws, ill-timed decisions, mental mistakes and clumsy drops kept Brady and Lloyd on different planets.

With each gaffe, the same question came to mind: Why wasn't this the most feared duo in the league already? What the heck was taking so long?

It might never happen. That's a frustrating thought, considering that Lloyd is one the most athletic players in the NFL. His body does mind-warping things, even by professional standards. On paper, he was the perfect answer and this was the perfect situation.

We'll see how the story plays out. But for now, it's feeling like a painful bust.

4. Chad Brown, LB

When a team achieves a certain level of greatness, it must inevitably face the need to become greater if it intends to stay on top. Some teams shy away from this burden, while others view it as a desirable challenge.

In 2005, after winning three rings in four years, the Patriots accepted the challenge. They stayed aggressive in their roster building, acquiring free agent Chad Brown to strengthen their defense in a major way.

Brown had a reputation as a game-changer. His biggest attribute was his consistency; he notched at least 5.5 sacks in seven of his eight seasons with the Seahawks. The guy was reliable, physical and talented.

Unfortunately, he turned out to be an epic bust. Throughout the season, he appeared lost and misplaced on the field. He seemed to have been swallowed and spit out by the system he was trying to grasp. With no sacks to his name and little proof of effectiveness on the field, his playing time gradually dwindled.

Brown's bust remains significant because of the genuine ability he possessed, along with the genuine hype and hope which he inspired. He was a fine football player. Fans had good reason to be excited. It's a shame it went so horribly wrong.

Brown left in 2005, then made a fleeting comeback attempt in 2007.

3. Deltha O'Neal, CB

The Patriots have been trying to rebuild their defensive backfield for years. Some attempts have been more valiant than others. Back in 2008, they took a worthy stab at the problem with cornerback Deltha O'Neal.

He was a promising prospect who came over from the Bengals. He had top speed and a nose for the ball, which were two qualities the Patriots were anxiously chasing. The guy seemed like a solid fit, so the Patriots rolled the dice on him.

But the gamble failed in a devastating way.

O'Neal was routinely burned and schooled by larger, tougher receivers. Sometimes, it was flat-out embarrassing. Once in a blue moon, he'd flash a little of his old-fashioned quickness or get his hands on a few footballs, but those instances were far and few between. For the most part, he was outgunned and overpowered in every possible way.

The extent of O'Neal's "bust level" is important because of the greater implication and the bigger question it raises: How far have the Patriots really come from O'Neal? The guy's long gone now, but the Patriots are still trying to cork the same leaks. How many potential rings need to slip through the cracks before the holes are fixed?

Solid question, I should think.

2008 was O'Neal's only season with the team.

2. Reche Caldwell, WR

There are two traps that Bill Belichick has been known to fall into. The first is his propensity to stay thin at vital positions because other positions are so stacked. The second is his tendency to rely too heavily on players who aren't skilled enough (or healthy enough) to be relied on.

Both traps have bitten the team at the worst possible times.

The 2006 season was a perfect example. The team's depth at receiver was insanely thin and bound to snap at the worst moment. Really, the only guys the Patriots had were Troy Brown (near the end of his career), Bam Childress, Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson. 

Free agent Reche Caldwell was added to provide depth. However, because the other options were so sketchy, Caldwell ended up emerging as a top target (he caught 61 balls for 760 yards). 

Problem was, Caldwell was never skilled enough to be relied on so heavily. That much became evident during the 2006 AFC Championship Game, when a critical pair of dropped passes secured Caldwell's place in Patriots infamy. That eternal look of confusion and devastation on his face added to his sour immortality in Patriots lore.

The Patriots were so shell-shocked by the Caldwell bust, they acquired Randy Moss and Wes Welker the following season.

1. Adalius Thomas, OLB

Back in 2007, the Patriots were searching for a versatile defender with dominant pass-rushing abilities. They found those qualities in All-Pro linebacker Adalius Thomas.

Or, rather, they thought they did.

Once Thomas joined the Patriots, his production took a wicked nosedive. In his debut season with the team, he produced only 6.5 sacks (4.5 fewer than his total from the previous season with the Ravens). His numbers only got worse over the next few seasons. 

Slumped production was only a fraction of the misery involved.

Thomas struggled with injuries. His speed tanked. He missed meetings, which resulted in discipline. Constant friction between him and the coach resulted in reduced playing time. Even worse, Thomas used the media to deflect blame, vent frustration and send messages.

Thomas violated the most basic hallmarks of the Robert Kraft-Bill Belichick era: Dedication to privacy, devotion to discipline, commitment to preparation, attention to detail, passion for success and deference to the team. Thomas violated all of these elements at one time or another.

The whole situation was venomous, made worse by the five-year, $35 million contract it took to bring him to New England in the first place. The whole thing was an expensive, poisonous mess.

That's why Thomas qualifies as the Patriots' biggest free agency bust of all time.