New England Patriots: Glaring 2020 offseason needs
By Ian Higgins
After being eliminated in the AFC Wild Card, the New England Patriots have holes that need to be filled. Which needs must be addressed this offseason?
It has been a long time since the New England Patriots have been selecting number 23 overall in the NFL draft and have questions surrounding the fate of the team. Quarterback Tom Brady is entering free agency for the first time in his illustrious career and has the option to bring a super bowl championship to a new city. A lack of receiving weapons and run game made the offense stagnant, wasting one of the best statistical defenses in NFL history.
The current New England Patriots’ offense is comprised of veteran wideout Julian Edelman, Atlanta acquisition Mohamed Sanu, former rookie wideout N’Keal Harry, and an impressive running back duo of James White and Sony Michel.
This combination of weapons should be bringing more explosiveness than what they did in 2019, but an unfortunate combination of injuries and lack of experience put a cap on their production. Both Sanu and Harry have the physical capability to be No. 1 wideouts while established Patriots Edelman, White, and Michel continue to create yardage in each of their own unique ways.
The New England Patriots’ defense became one of the most impressive units in NFL history, taking advantage of a soft schedule of rookie quarterbacks at the beginning of the season and carrying some of that same momentum into the tougher second half of the year. Even though the win column may not indicate the same success against tougher opponents, the defensive tape still held up against opponents such as the Ravens and Texans.
Going into the 2020 offseason, the New England Patriots need to find their new identity with the impending loss of Tom Brady. Bill Belichick has never been a major spender in free agency but instead spreads his investment among a plethora of inexpensive assets. This method makes his drafting crucial to team success, especially in the short-term for the 2020 season.