The New England Patriots began life without Bill Belichick on the sidelines this year. It didn’t necessarily go well. That’s not to say there were no positives on the year. Number three overall pick Drake Maye looks like the future of the franchise. The former North Carolina Tar Heel showed he has the skills to be a premier quarterback in this league. On the defensive side of the ball, Christian Gonzalez had the best season no one is talking about. The building blocks are there, but this team still has plenty of questions heading into the offseason. Here are the three most important ones.
1. Can They Protect Drake Maye?
The offensive line has been horrendous the past two seasons. Part of the reason Maye was able to showcase his running ability this season is that he had to run for his life. Good teams are built in the trenches. Having the best offensive weapons doesn’t matter if the quarterback is constantly under pressure. Furthermore, the more hits a quarterback takes, the more likely he is to get injured. One thing that would severely hamper the New England Patriots would be a severe injury to Maye. The past few seasons, it hasn’t mattered. It does now.
There are some quality offensive linemen available in free agency. The New England Patriots have a massive amount of cap space as they have very few expensive players on their roster. While they didn’t get the first overall pick, they are still in line to take one of the top tackles in the draft. They have the resources to protect their franchise’s future and should be the team’s number one priority.
2. Can The New England Patriots Maximize The Biggest Advantage In Sports?
The New England Patriots have the biggest advantage in sports: a quarterback on a rookie contract. Teams have been trying to replicate the formula since the Seattle Seahawks won with Russell Wilson on a rookie deal. The plan is simple. When you have a good rookie quarterback, go all in and try to augment the roster around him while he is on a small salary. Once a team has to pay their signal caller, it limits what the team can do with the rest of the roster. I touched on the offensive line, but they need help everywhere on offense.
Rhamondre Stevenson can’t hang onto the football and consistently shows a lack of burst. The leading receiver was DeMario Douglas, with 621 yards. Kayshon Boutte came on late and looks like a quality piece but is far from a number-one target. Hunter Henry looked solid this year, but counting on a 30-year-old tight end to carry your team’s pass-catchers is not a winning formula. It isn’t just on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots lacked any kind of pass rush after trading Matthew Judon to the Falcons before the season. They need help everywhere and have a limited time to maximize the window of Maye’s rookie contract.
3. Can They Nail The Head Coach?
Jerod Mayo was likely doomed from the start. However, he didn’t do himself any favors throughout the season coaching the New England Patriots. Ultimately, getting rid of the inexperienced head coach was probably a good move. Reports have indicated that former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is very interested in the job. If they were to land him, it would be a home run. He showed in Tennessee that he could consistently get more out of a less talented roster. However, nothing is a done deal until the pen hits the paper. They have interviewed plenty of other candidates but need to choose the one that will push this team forward.
A good quarterback changes everything. Had Maye been disappointing or not played at all this year, the New England Patriots might not have felt the urgency to make big changes. Talent changes everything, especially at the quarterback position. This franchise is desperate to show they can win without Tom Brady and Belichick. They took a swing on Mac Jones and it didn’t work. Now they have another opportunity with Maye, and they don’t want to screw it up.
Final Thoughts
With the right head coach and an upgraded roster, the New England Patriots could make some noise in the AFC East next year. While the Buffalo Bills will still be the heavy favorite because of Josh Allen, the Jets, and the Dolphins look to be trending in the wrong direction. I would expect a lot of moves to be made by this team, given the cap space and the desire to completely makeover the roster.
