Given everything that took place this offseason, the 2020 Patriots season is one of the most intriguing years in recent memory.
There were so many questions on how things would look going into training camp and with no preseason games, those questions are still there. But, with an actual game this Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium against the Dolphins, many of these questions will finally be answered.
Here are 10 questions relating to the Patriots that should be answered by the end of Sunday afternoon.
1. What will Patriots offense look like with Cam Newton?
This is not only the No. 1 question with the Patriots, but also one of the biggest in the entire NFL. While the media saw snippets at the training camp sessions that were open, it still didn't reveal a great deal. Will Newton be asked to do a lot of what he did in Carolina, or will Josh McDaniels and Co. have him be more of a pocket passer like has been the case in New England for the last 20-plus years? This will be fascinating to see and should make for a very fun season.
2. How will Cam Newton look?
Beyond what the offense looks like with Newton, we'll finally get a chance to see how the QB looks himself. The quarterback is coming off playing just two games last season due to a Pedal Lisfranc Sprain. That, combined with numerous other injuries over the course of his career, there are some questions with how he will look from a health standpoint. Newton looked fine in training camp, but it's completely different going against a different team and no longer wearing a red, non-contact jersey.
3. What is the Cam Newton-Julian Edelman relationship?
Clearly, Edelman is the Patriots' best receiver so his chemistry with Newton is very important. Based on how they have talked about each other and interacted on social media, there seems to be something there, but we didn't get a chance to see much on the field during training camp of the two in live 11-on-11 action. Something to note is Newton has preferred throwing to outside receivers over slot receivers over the course of his career. It seems likely Newton will need to change that as we don't see Edelman lining up more on the outside.
4. Can defense still be elite?
The Patriots were the No. 1 ranked defense in 2019, but the unit lost more than 40 percent of its total snaps this offseason. While it is just one game against the Dolphins, who certainly aren't one of the NFL's powerhouses, we should get some idea of what the defense will be like in 2020. It will likely come down to how the front-seven plays, as the secondary is still one of the league's best.
5. What roles do rookies Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings have?
Given all the players gone on defense, especially at the linebacker spot, both rookies will likely be asked to do more than they would have otherwise. The biggest hole seems to be in the middle and while both these players primarily have played on the outside, it would not be a surprise to see one of, or both, see some time at middle linebacker. Again, it will only be one game, but we should have a better idea of how these two will be used all season.
6. Is Kyle Dugger ready for speed of NFL?
The Patriots' first overall selection (No. 37 overall) out of D-II Lenoir–Rhyne did not show any signs that the speed of the NFL would be too much for him during training camp, but it will be a lot different in a real game. With Patrick Chung opting out, the safety will likely be asked to play a bigger role than originally thought, including even potentially lining up inside the box. We'll find out for sure come Sunday.
7. What is the wide receiver depth chart?
Besides Julian Edelman, it's really anyone's guess when it comes to the rest of the depth chart and who is the No. 2, 3, 4, etc. wide receiver? Based on snap count, we should get a good idea of how the team feels about certain players at this position. Does the coaching staff view Gunner Olszewski as highly as the media does? Did Jakobi Meyers take a big step in the sessions the media has not been present for? Will N'Keal Harry actually make a Year 2 jump? Can Damiere Byrd make any impact at all this season? All these questions will begin to get answered this weekend.
8. Can rookie tight ends change the position?
Last year, the Patriots had the worst production of any tight end group in the entire league. The only thing the team did at the position this offseason was draft Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. It appears the team expects big things from them, but we won't know for sure until the actual games. Asiasi figures to be the biggest threat in the passing game, while Keene should play a variety of roles, including potentially lining up in the backfield as a lead blocker.
9. Who will be the kicker?
The Patriots do not have a kicker on the 53-man roster, but do have two on the practice squad in veteran Nick Folk and rookie Justin Rohrwasser. Bill Belichick will need to select one to kick in the game and it seems likely whoever that is will be the Patriots' kicker moving forward. It seemed like it would be Folk based on what the media saw in training camp, but Belichick said last week it was a "close gap."
10. Will there be just one person calling the defensive plays?
Last year, it seemed to be a mix between Jerod Mayo and Steve Belichick calling the defensive plays and with no defensive coordinator named once again this year, it has the potential to look the same. Or, maybe it's just one of them and that could be an indication of who could get the defensive coordinator title in the next year or two. It is worth noting Belichick moved from coaching the safeties to now coaching outside linebackers.
