The New England Patriots are heading into unfamiliar territory with the 2020 offseason.
After the 2018 season, the Patriots were coming off of a Super Bowl win and Tom Brady’s future with the team was clear. After the 2019 season, the Patriots got bounced in the wild-card round and their 42-year-old quarterback is entering free agency. There’s a sense of uncertainty that’s lingered around New England and the reality of the team’s future will be determined soon.
So, how will the Patriots move forward?
Regardless of Brady’s future with the team, Bill Belichick will still put together a roster geared for a championship run. Some of the best players on team are entering free agency or simply getting older, so this time around will be a bit more tricky.
Here are biggest offseason needs.
Quarterback
Whether or not Brady returns, the Patriots have a dire need for their future quarterback. They could acquire a veteran, draft one, or they could experiment and see if Jarrett Stidham is ready to take over. If Brady does leave, it’s possible that New England brings in a proven veteran to compete with Stidham for the starting role, while continuing to mentor him.
A few veterans that would make sense for New England include Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Nick Foles, Derek Carr or even Cam Newton. One of these players could help teach a younger quarterback, while keeping the Patriots competitive. This is all if Brady decides to take his talents elsewhere.
Brady shared a post saying that he still has more to prove, so it’s also very possible that the Patriots have him at the helm in 2020.
Offensive line
The offensive line might be the most important area to shore up.
Due to injuries, the Patriots’ offensive line struggled mightily to run-block and protect Brady. Playing without James Develin and a blocking tight end like Rob Gronkowski didn’t help. If Brady were to stay though, he’d need a strong rushing attack and some security in the pocket.
The Patriots have left tackle Isaiah Wynn under contract, so he just needs to remain healthy. New England’s first goal should be to lock up guard Joe Thuney, who had an All-Pro season in 2019. The Patriots may have to draft a center also, because David Andrew’s future in the NFL is uncertain at this point.
New England plays its best when the defense is clicking and the run game is explosive. The Patriots couldn’t rush the ball the way they wanted to last season, and the offensive line played a major factor, so some work will need to be done.
Linebackers
Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts are all hitting free agency this offseason.
The Patriots’ defense kept them alive last season and the linebacker core was a huge reason for that. This unit was named ‘The Boogeymen’ for a reason and it would be smart to keep them together. Collins and Van Noy led the pack, along with Dont’a Hightower.
It may be tricky financially to re-sign both players, but it’d be a smart move to keep this defense in tact. Belichick is a defensive-minded coach that could keep a team competitive, even without Brady at the helm. The communication starts from the linebackers and the Patriots would benefit mightily if they retain their core guys.
Offensive weapons
If one thing is evident from last season, the Patriots need weapons.
They aren’t losing any key skill players this year in free agency, but what they team has isn’t enough. Julian Edelman will be 34 years old next season and he was the only receiver to surpass 400 yards. James White had 72 catches for 645 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, but that’s from a running back.
Benjamin Watson led tight ends with 173 receiving yards and nobody aside from Edelman and White had over 30 receptions. The Patriots need to bring in reliable players that aren’t injury prone, with no more gambles on inconsistent players. Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu will be a good start, but the Patriots will need to bring in a top-10 tight end other proven playmakers.
Kicker
Stephen Gostkowski’s future with the Patriots is unclear.
Gostkowski will be 36 years old and coming off of hip surgery when he enters next season. He has been a luxury for the Patriots since 2006 and he’ll be difficult to replace. But, it may be a necessary step for New England going forward. The Patriots should keep their eyes on a kicker in the draft and look for the future at the position.
If Gostkowski isn’t ready to go by next season, the Patriots still have Nick Folk, who was a solid backup but he’s 35 and will be a free agent. This is a position of need and New England’s kicker in 2020 is still unclear.
Assistant coaches
Joe Judge’s departure from New England leaves the Patriots without a special teams and wide receivers coach. The Patriots are also on the brink of losing Josh McDaniels, so there’s three critical coaching positions that would need to be filled.
New England has had one of the most productive special teams units in the NFL and Judge played a large role in that. The Patriots have special teams assistant Cam Achord, who has been with the team or two seasons and picked up a larger role in 2019. A candidate that could take over the wide receiver coach role is former Patriot Troy Brown. He assisted with wide receivers in 2019 and could move into a larger role next season.
If McDaniels left, the Patriots could pursue Chad O’Shea. He was the former Patriots wide receiver coach and was fired by the Miami Dolphins after one season of being an offensive coordinator. He’s familiar with the Patriots’ offense and is trusted by Belichick.
