This is a big year for the Patriots, their first in 20 years without Tom Brady at quarterback.
Because of this, as well as a few other factors depending on the individual, there are a number of players who have a lot to prove in 2020.
WEEI's Ken Laird's piece Wednesday said Julian Edelman has the most to prove, which got us thinking why not rank the top 10 players who have the most to prove this coming season?
Here's our list, and no, Edelman is not No. 1.
1. Bill Belichick- The coach either allowed Brady to leave New England, or played a role in his departure depending on which side you fall on. A lot of pressure will be on Belichick this season as if the Patriots struggle, many will say Brady had a ton to do with the coach's success. If the Patriots have a solid season, it would go a long way to potentially ending the argument that Brady was the reason Belichick has had so much success. While one season shouldn't have so much barring on this, given the circumstances, it will.
2. Cam Newton- Basically every team in the league passed on Newton this offseason, as he was available for several months and it took until practically July for the Patriots to sign him. The quarterback will have a major chip on his shoulder not only for that, but also because of the way things ended in Carolina. Newton surely is going to want to prove that he's healthy and can play at a high level not only to prove teams wrong, but also for his next contract as he only signed a one-year deal.
3. Josh McDaniels- McDaniels is very similar to Belichick, as given how long the Patriots offensive coordinator has worked with Brady, he has to prove he can be successful without him at quarterback. No matter who starts at quarterback, the Patriots offense will look a lot different and allow McDaniels to show — or not show — that he can be successful without Brady.
4. N'Keal Harry- It was a disappointing rookie season for the Patriots' first-round pick of a year ago. But, some of that could be attributed to him spending the first half of the year on injured reserve. A bounce back year would show injuries were a major reason for the issues last year, but another subpar season could indicate Harry was not worth the first-round selection.
5. Sony Michel- Similar to Harry, a lot has been made of Michel because he was a first-round pick. The Georgia product had a solid rookie season in 2018, but many attributed that to the strong play of the offensive line. He took a step back last season, but part of that could have been the below average year for the O-line. So, what is Michel? A No. 1 back, or someone who shouldn't have been selected in the first round and shouldn't get lead carries? This is a big year for Michel.
6. Jarrett Stidham- Whether he starts or not, it's still a big year for the second-year quarterback. It seems more likely than not Newton will not be the quarterback beyond this year, so if Stidham shows improvement and handles the Newton addition well, he would show he's worthy of being considered to be the starting QB of the future.
7. Kyle Dugger- While he wasn't a first-round pick like Harry or Michel, Dugger was the Patriots' first pick of the 2020 draft (No. 37 overall) and played his college ball at D-II Lenoir–Rhyne. Coming from such a small school and being selected so high in the second round, Dugger will face some pressure in showing he was worthy of that high of a pick.
8. Cole Popovich/Carmen Bricillo- This really is the offensive line as a whole, but we went with the two people tasked with replacing one of the greatest assistant coaches in the history of the NFL in Dante Scarnecchia. Can the unit perform well without Scarnecchia leading the way? This falls on the shoulders of Popovich and Bricillo.
9. Julian Edelman- Brady was the only quarterback Edelman has ever played with, so there are some people looking to see if he can still put up the same numbers without him. But, does Edelman really need to do that? If he has a down year, are people really going to say he was made by Brady? Edelman is 34 years old and has taking a beating over the course of his career. If he isn't the same, shouldn't it be more directed at that and not losing Brady?
10. Joe Thuney- After getting the franchise tag this offseason from the Patriots, Thuney will be a free agent after the season. He likely wants to prove he was worthy of the tag and deserves a big-money contract this offseason.
