The next New England Patriots quarterback is going to need help. Heck, Tom Brady needed help in 2019. He was struggling to keep the team’s offense afloat, particularly later in the season when defenses seemed to crack the code on how to defend New England.
So when someone else takes over for Brady, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this offseason, that quarterback is going to need increased support from the cast around him. Presumably, the next quarterback is Jarrett Stidham, though he’ll be in competition with veteran Brian Hoyer. And there’s no ruling out a possible late addition to the mix this offseason.
There’s not much more Julian Edelman can do for the offense, so we omitted him from this list. Here are the players who need to step up in 2020.
RB James White
He was one of Brady’s favorite targets. Can he be the same for Stidham (or another quarterback) in 2020? White managed 72 receptions for 645 yards and five touchdowns last season, which was down from his career year in 2018. But the 28-year-old has plenty of gas left. It will be interesting to see how White transitions to his next quarterback and whether he’ll maintain his production — or perhaps even elevate it — in the next chapter for the Patriots.
TE Devin Asiasi
That’s right: a rookie. We have high expectations for the 22-year-old and the 91st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Typically, you wouldn’t expect a third-round pick to be a starter on Day 1. But that’s the position Asiasi is in. He looked pro-ready in his time with the UCLA Bruins as a blocker and a pass-catcher — even if he was only a one-year starter (44 catches, 641 yards, four touchdowns). But he’ll need to elevate his game quickly, because the Patriots need him to contribute as soon as Week 1.
TE Dalton Keene
Best-case scenario, he could develop into George Kittle. (The very best case scenario.) But he’s so quite far from that projection. When it came to working as a pass-catcher, Keene contributed most often out of the backfield at Virginia Tech, which had to design plays to get the ball into Keene’s hands. Belichick went so far as to tell Keene that the Patriots would not be doing him the same favor in the NFL. He’ll have to earn his touches, and that will include downfield routes, with which Keene isn’t particularly polished. So he needs to work on becoming an NFL-caliber route runner. That may take time over the 2020 (and 2021) season. In the meantime, he should contribute immediately as a willing run-blocker.
LT Isaiah Wynn
In his first NFL season, he took over as a starter at left tackle. Wynn spent the 2018 season on the roster after the team picked him at 23rd overall. But he suffered an Achilles injury which ended his season before it began. He also spent eight weeks on injured reserve in 2019. New England needs Wynn to string together a full season while elevating his play. He was solid, but not exceptional last season, with a PFF grade of 69.9 while allowing two sacks and committing three penalties in eight starts.
RT Marcus Cannon
Cannon played 15 games, but wasn’t any better than Wynn, with a PFF grade of 68. There’s some question as to whether Cannon is declining at 32 years old. To make matters worse, longstanding offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia retired. Surely, it’ll be a slog to get better production out of Cannon. But the Patriots need to do their best to elevate the entire offensive line, which led them to a Super Bowl in 2018 but disappointed in 2019.
RB Sony Michel
And they disappointed Michel more than anyone. In 2018, his yards per attempt were 4.5, but they fell to 3.7 in 2019. Michel’s increased workload (247 carries in 2019 and 209 carries in 2018) produced fewer yards in 2019 (912) than in 2018 (931). There’s even reason to believe running back Damien Harris could surpass Michel on the depth chart in 2020. Bill Belichick backed Michel for much of last season, and considering Michel is a former first-round pick, the Patriots are likely to give him ample opportunity for a comeback year. Even so, he needs to prove himself — and fast.
OC Josh McDaniels
Designing an offense for Brady is every offensive coordinator’s dream. Designing an offense for Stidham (or Hoyer or someone else) is much more complicated. McDaniels will bear a bigger burden as the team figures out what their offensive identity will be — likely run-first — without Brady.
WR N’Keal Harry
The Patriots were thrilled to land Harry at 32nd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. They picked in him a class which included Marquise Brown (25th overall), Deebo Samuel (36th overall), A.J. Brown (51st overall), Mecole Hardman, DK Metcalf, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin.
Harry has a lot to prove, considering most of the players on the list above have already done so. Harry struggled with an ankle injury — and then the playbook. His ASU coach Herm Edwards urged the media and fans to be patient with Harry in 2019. But now that Harry is entering his second year, he needs to be the No. 2 — and maybe even the No. 1 — wideout in this offense. He was in the locker next to Jarrett Stidham last season. Hopefully their bond will carry over to the field.
WR Mohamed Sanu
It’s possible that Sanu’s ankle injury was much more severe than anyone realized. After a promising performance in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens (10 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD), Sanu disappeared. Perhaps his ankle surgery this offseason explains why. The Patriots will look to Sanu, who cost a 2020 second-round draft choice in a trade last season, for a major role this season. Considering his contract is expiring in 2021, he needs to produce for a number of reasons.
