Christian Barmore's mega contract is about Patriots winning back players

Trust us.

That seems to be the message to the players from the New England Patriots' new leadership group this offseason.

The Patriots have made a major effort to keep their budding stars happy despite a 4-13 season in 2023. They've gone the no-nonsense route of paying them big sums of money. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore is the latest example. On Monday, the Patriots signed Barmore, a 2021 second-round pick, to a massive four-year extension worth up to $92 million.

There's a shift happening. Bill Belichick rarely extended players to second contracts, which are generally the most lucrative deal of a player's career. But with Belichick now gone, New England has spent the offseason investing in its own standouts: Michael Onwenu, Kyle Dugger and now Barmore.

Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo joked in January that the team was going to "burn some cash." And, though he backtracked on those comments, he eventually kept his promise.

Those three players signed deals worth $207 million in new money.

Following Belichick's departure, Mayo and executive Eliot Wolf have been working to earn back the trust that Belichick lost. All this money is an effort to show the Patriots' locker room that, while players didn't always get paid in the previous regime, they will get paid in this one. If they play hard and play well, they won't be shown the door in free agency. They'll get their payday from the Patriots.

For a team that's no longer a winner, that kind of message can help boost morale.

There are surely other initiatives taking place beyond these financial ones. Mayo was once a player, and he is a master of building relationships. 

New England has also gone out of its way to patch up relationships that Belichick damaged with the