New England Patriots: Brandin Cooks, Other Additions Put Team Miles Ahead as Super Bowl Favorites

The New England Patriots have been extremely aggressive this off season and have put themselves in a great position to dominate in 2017.

As if winning their fifth Super Bowl was not enough, the New England Patriots are all in for the immediate future. The Patriots kicked off their offseason with the signing of star No. 1, cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He is not coming cheap at $65 million over five years, but Gilmore is undoubtedly a fantastic number one cornerback to add to the mix.

If the Patriots also bring back Malcolm Butler, he and Gilmore will become arguably the best cornerback duo in the entire NFL. On top of landing Gilmore, the Patriots have made a trio of impressive trades.

It began with snagging Dwayne Allen from the Indianapolis Colts. Allen will replace Martellus Bennett as the Patriots' No. 2 tight end and high-level Rob Gronkowski insurance. Allen is an underrated tight end who will make a huge impact in New England.

Up next was acquiring defensive end Kony Ealy from the Carolina Panthers for an extremely low price. Ealy is an inconsistent player, but he is extremely talented and fills a major position of need for the Patriots. Plus, the low acquisition cost made it an extremely low-risk move.

Last, but certainly not least, the Patriots traded for Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints. Cooks was not cheap, but he is one of the best big-play receivers in the entire NFL. He is going to be a massive weapon for Tom Brady in the Patriots offense. An already incredible unit get much more explosive with the addition of Cooks.

The Patriots certainly gave up a lot of draft capital to acquire these players, but they were all impressive win now moves. Tom Brady will be 40 years old throughout the 2017 season. He has not shown any signs of slowing down, but Brady is not going to be the Patriots starting quarterback forever.

Whether Jimmy Garoppolo takes over or not, replacing the greatest of all time is not going to be an easy task. Knowing this, the Patriots are all in to win as many titles as possible before Brady retires. They already have five, but they are determined to get more and these moves show it.

The New England Patriots were already great—enough so to win Super Bowl 51. However, these additions take this team to an even higher level. The Patriots are absolutely loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Obviously in win now mode, they are the clear favorites to win the Super Bowl again next season.