One can’t fairly judge a team’s offseason moves this soon after it has made them. Teams really don’t win Super Bowls in March. They really don’t win the offseason, to borrow a phrase from Rex Ryan, who proved it right.

In this case, though, it’s wrong. The Patriots won this offseason. Maybe this offseason will win the next Super Bowl for them. Who's willing to bet it won't?

Re-signing Dont’a Hightower didn't clinch it for them; in fact, his return is borderline excessive celebration, an end-zone dance that should humiliate the opposition, in reality instead of in theory.

This one rubs it in particularly hard because of the opposition, in fact. The other teams in the running for Hightower were teams the Patriots are trying to hold off, the Steelers and (yes, seriously) the Jets.

Consider them held off.

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That’s really what this domination of this free-agency period is all about. The Patriots took more hits last season than usual — everybody knows the list by now, starting with losing Tom Brady for the first four games — and ran a more dangerous gauntlet than in past Super Bowl seasons.

They still won, though. Still finished an obscene 14-2. Ran away with the AFC East (again). Withstood a beating from the Texans defense in the playoffs. Hosted the conference title game (again). Fell into a huge hole against the Falcons, including that pick-six, then staged the historic comeback.

They were close to perfect, yet excruciatingly, teasingly imperfect.

All they’ve done since then is attack those imperfections … and make sure anybody trying to close the gap on them wouldn't get any closer.

So no, Steelers, AFC title game opponents, you don't get Hightower.

No, Texans, possibly adding Tony Romo and a healthy J.J. Watt won't be good enough.

Raiders, when Derek Carr returns and Cordarrelle Patterson arrives to return kicks, not good enough.

Ravens, Colts, Chiefs, Titans, Broncos — whatever you’ve got cooking isn't good enough. Same for you, Bills, Dolphins and Jets.

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The Patriots acted as if they were the ones chasing, instead of the ones being chased.

Thus, they signed Stephon Gilmore, knowing they’re not keeping Malcolm Butler and won’t be slipping. Kind of the way they groomed Butler two years ago, knowing they weren’t going to keep Darrelle Revis.

They traded for tight end Dwayne Allen, because they knew they weren’t going to keep Martellus Bennett. They traded for Brandin Cooks and traded for Kony Ealy. They added useful depth with Lawrence Guy and Rex Burkhead.

It was agonizing for everyone looking on. The Colts had to help the Patriots by giving them a tight end who was going to help them more than his old team, and fill a dire need? Of all the places the Saints could have sent Cooks, they had to send them there? The Panthers not only had to weaken themselves by letting Ealy go, they had to strengthen the champs?

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Now Hightower, a player who could at least have been marked off in the loss column to balance the ledger a little, comes back. The Patriots let two others go from his position, Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, won anyway, then gave the money they didn't give those two to the player they wanted to have it.

The offseason, when everybody is 0-0 and every team dreams of the additions that will send them leaping forward, is practically giving the Patriots a 2-0 start.

Meanwhile, they still have Jimmy Garoppollo, who they’ll either trade somewhere in another fleecing or keep as a backup/heir apparent/valuable chip.

Even without that, though, it’s over. The Patriots won the offseason.

Unless disaster strikes (something worse than Brady missing four games, that is), they also won the regular season and postseason.