This is the biggest offseason challenge Bill Belichick has had to face since first becoming the Patriots head coach in 2000. When Belichick took over for Pete Carroll, he already had Tom Brady waiting in the wings. Even though he was not a well-known commodity at the time, 21 years and 6 Super Bowl titles later, he is. With Brady leaving for the Buccaneers in the offseason and having a league-high 8 COVID opt-outs, the Patriots were doomed to take a step back this season. Among other key players that left the team in free agency besides Brady include Kyle Van Noy (Miami), Jamie Collins (Detroit), Danny Shelton (Detroit), Ted Karras (Miami), Elandon Roberts (Miami), and Nate Ebner (New York Giants). They also traded Duron Harmon to Detroit. To sum it all up, the Pats lost four defensive starters, two offensive starters, two captains, and a former All-Pro special teamer. To replace the losses in free agency along with the COVID opt-outs, the Pats weren’t all that successful. They signed Adrian Phillips to try to replace Patrick Chung, who was one of the bright spots of the defense this year, as he led the team in tackles. Desperately needing receiver help, the Patriots signed Damiere Byrd and Marquise Lee. Byrd finished the year with 47 receptions for 604 yards and a touchdown. Lee opted out of this season because of COVID. They also signed defensive lineman Beau Allen, who was hurt all year to try to replace the production left by Danny Shelton. They brought in Brandon Copeland to try to shore up the linebacking core with Dont’a Hightower opting out and also losing three key linebackers in free agency. Copeland only played in six games because of injury. Last but not least, the Pats also signed Cam Newton to be their starting quarterback. Newton was not good enough at all this season, finishing with 8 passing touchdowns, 12 rushing touchdowns, and 10 INTs. To say it nicely, the Patriots 2020 offseason was all that successful.
Moving onto the 2021 offseason, the Patriots have a lot of work to do. First and foremost, they need to find their QB of the future. It’s obvious that either Belichick doesn’t like Stidham or Stidham just isn’t good at all, as evidenced by the reluctance that Bill showed when getting him on the field. The Patriots are also expected to part ways with Cam Newton this offseason. The Patriots could go in a couple of different directions here. They could trade for someone like DeShaun Watson, who reportedly wants out of Houston (very unlikely) or Matthew Stafford, they could draft a QB (someone like Mac Jones out of Alabama or Zach Wilson of BYU), or they could go the free agent route and sign someone like Mitch Trubisky, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or possibly a reunion with Jacoby Brissett.
Second on the list should be to get a younger and faster defense. The McCourty twins are both 33 and past their primes. Stephon Gilmore, Lawrence Guy, and John Simon are all 30. Gilmore could be a prime trade candidate this offseason. Patrick Chung is 33 and has been a year removed of football activity. Dont’a Hightower is 30 and has also been a year removed from football activities. It’s no secret that the core of this defense is on the back nine of their careers. One glaring need that they need to address is the pass rush. The Patriots finished with 24 sacks this season, tied for 26th out of 32 teams. The Patriots should be aggressive in free agency and through the draft to address this issue. Some possible options at defensive line through free agency include Yannick Ngakoue, who is only 26 and finished with 8 sacks this season with Baltimore. Another is Romeo Okwara, a 26 year old defensive end who finished with 10 sacks this season. Another position where the Patriots desperately need to get younger is at safety. They drafted Kyle Dugger in the draft last year with their first selection, but I’m not sure he’s ready to take on a starting role just yet. As long as Chung and Devin McCourty are back next season, they will be the two starting safeties. The best option to address this is through the draft (Caden Sterns from Texas and Paris Ford out of Pittsburgh are both good options out of the draft).
Third on the checklist should be getting a legitimate #1 receiver. If Julian Edelmon comes back next season, at age 34, is not that guy. Jakobi Myers is not a #1 receiver, at least not now. Marquise Lee and Damiere Byrd are solid #3 receivers. The Patriots should be all over guys like Chris Godwin of Tampa Bay, Allen Robinson of Chicago, Corey Davis of Tennessee, Will Fuller of Houston, or Juju Smith-Schuster of Pittsburgh. If they aren’t willing to pay these players in free agency, then the team can always look towards the draft. Some good options coming out of the draft are Rashod Bateman from Minnesota or Jaylen Waddle from Alabama.
Last on the checklist should be getting a real pass catching tight-end. Ryan Izzo isn't going to cut it as your starting TE. Izzo led the Patriots’ tight ends with 199 total receiving yards. Some free agent options include Hunter Henry (LA Chargers), Gerald Everett (LA Rams), or Jonnu Smith (Tennessee). They can also look at the draft at guys like Pat Freiermuth from Penn St. or Brevin Jordan from Miami.
The Patriots have a lot of work to do this offseason to get back in the conversation of contending for titles. At the minimum, the Patriots need to have a good draft, which hasn’t exactly been Belichick’s calling card over the years. This might be the first time that Bill Belichick is under immense pressure this offseason.
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