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A $60-million newcomer to the New England Patriots is facing criticism for a “largely invisible” offseason.

The New England Patriots haven’t been shy about spending serious money to inspire a quick turnaround this offseason, but there’s already a concern about one of the team’s biggest investments, $60 million cornerback Carlton Davis III.

He’s facing criticism for not being “around much” during team activities this offseason. Although MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian acknowledged Davis only skipped “voluntary workouts,” he slammed the high-priced free-agent acquisition for being “largely invisible” before minicamp.

Guregian believes Davis not being around for OTAs “isn’t a good look especially going to a new team, and being paid a fortune.”

The idea of perception being less than ideal is debatable, but it’s not unreasonable to expect Davis to set the right example after he “received a huge contract (3 years, $54 million with a $16.5 million signing bonus) to play for the Patriots.”

Davis is a veteran with a Super Bowl-winning pedigree, so his addition will be vital in resetting the culture at Gillette Stadium following four losing seasons out of five. The 28-year-old’s role in this area could be more important than what he’ll bring to the field as part of an already solid cornerback rotation.

Patriots Can Expect More from Big-Ticket Free Agents

Davis delayed his own start to life with a new team while on vacation (h/t Sleeper’s Carlos A.Lopez), but he isn’t the only high-profile newcomer who has hardly put his best foot forward since joining the Patriots.

All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs has put in the work on the practice field, but only after sparking controversy when a video emerged of the 31-year-old appearing to offer partygoers an unnamed substance, per The Daily Mail’s Jake Fenner.

Diggs was ultimately able to put head coach Mike Vrabel’s mind at ease, but as Guregian pointed out, “It remains to be seen how much of a disruptive force he’ll be, or how much Vrabel is willing to put up with.”

Like Davis, Diggs skipped the voluntary portion of the Pats’ offseason prep. So that’s two of the biggest names added to the roster this offseason who chose when they’d begin putting in work.

It’s a less-than-ideal look, but experienced pros have a better understanding of the quirks of the offseason process. They know when they’re needed and also how much to rest their bodies before the serious work begins.

Those things make sense on an individual level, but the broader rebuild being undertaken by the Patriots needs unity. A shared endeavour where all key players mix in with those facing an uphill battle just to make the roster.

Davis separated himself early, but he’ll still be counted on to lock down one side of the field once the games begin.

Patriots Counting on Carlton Davis

Pairing Davis with rising star Christian Gonzalez should give the Patriots one of the most-feared cornerback tandems in the NFL. Gonzalez already exhibits legitimate shutdown skills, despite starting a mere 20 games in two seasons.

Davis is also no slouch, having helped both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions be more physical on the perimeter. The second-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft has proved himself particularly adept in press-based man coverage.

A great example was this play against Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase from 2022, highlighted by ESPN’s Matt Bowen.

Old-school man coverage has long been the stock in trade for the Patriots’ secondary, and that won’t change if Davis can still take away star receivers by himself. Allowing just a 55.3 completion percentage with the Lions last season, per Pro Football Reference, indicates Davis is still the competent cover man the Patriots paid all that money to acquire.

If he delivers and matches the levels of Gonzalez, few people in New England will even remember Davis no-showing for voluntary work.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko