Aside from bottom-of-the-roster tinkering (and maybe dreams of a Julio Jones trade!), the Patriots aggressive offseason rebuild is done.
Now, the process of putting it all together begins. New England is in the second phase of the offseason program, meaning players are on the field working with coaches in the infancy of the playbook and schemes that it will go to battle with 17 times this fall.
Even the media will get its first-look of on-field workouts during OTA action next week on the practice fields behind Foxborough.
There’s obviously plenty of time and plenty of work to be done between now and the Sept. 12 opener against the Dolphins. (Yes, despite how it may seem, the Patriots do have other games on the schedule for 2021 outside of Tom Brady’s Oct. 3 return to Foxborough!)
There’s also certainly plenty of hope these days surrounding the Patriots. Hope that returning players will be better in 2021.
Hope that new players – young and old – will be positive additions to the mix.
Like the world around the Patriots, there is hope that 2021 will be significantly better than a 2020 that we’d all like to forget, both on and off the field.
With that in mind, here’s a look at those in New England who have the most to prove between now and the end of the 2021 season.
1 – Bill Belichick: In case you hadn’t heard, Belichick’s first season without Brady leading his team didn’t go well. The results left New England absent from the playoffs for the first time since 2008. There were ugly losses on the field and uncharacteristic excuse-making from the head coach off it. More than a full year removed from Brady’s decision to bolt Boston, Belichick has now had plenty of time, money and draft picks to put to use on rebuilding his team. Whether it’s Belichick the GM’s roster or Belichick the coach’s deployment of those players, the future Hall of Fame coach will have every move analyzed and questioned more than ever. Most notably will be his management of the quarterback position, which leads us to…
2 – Cam Newton: After his summer arrival to try to fill Brady’s big cleats, Newton got off to a relatively impressive start in New England last September. Then the wheels fell off for him and the team. He battled COVID and a lack of support in the passing game. Fun nicknames and interviews aside, he didn’t play well. Now, he returns on another one-year contract with his NFL future in the balance. It’s been a long time since Newton was the NFL MVP. His aura is fading into the reality of his recent production. Newton is fighting for the starting job and fighting to save his reputation and career at the age of just 32. Belichick is still reportedly “bullish” on Newton and may feel he owes the veteran quarterback something. Really, though, it’s up to Newton to prove his worth.
3 – Mac Jones: Speaking of proving his worth, Jones was the first quarterback Belichick has ever drafted in the first round. Before the draft the former Alabama star was much-hyped and much-critiqued. Some thought he was worthy of landing with the 49ers with the No. 3 overall pick. Others believed he had second-round talent. Many said he was NFL ready and had a Brady-like “it” factor. Well, the time for talking and predictions is over. Now it’s time for Jones to show his work ethic, leadership and skills as he attempts to take over the starting job in New England. No, he doesn’t have to replace Brady as the franchise QB. He simply has to beat out Newton and get on the field the way that virtually every first-round QB over the last five years has done.
4 – Dont’a Hightower: The leader, versatile playmaker and glue of the front seven in New England for most of his career is returning from a 2020 COVID opt-out. Though he was out of sight last fall for fans, he wasn’t out of mind. His loss was key to the struggles of the defensive front and unit as a whole. Now, though, much is expected of the 31-year-old linebacker and a retooled defense. Is Hightower still the player he once was? Is the defense ready to carry maybe more than a 50/50 share of the Patriots success in 2021 with Hightower leading the unit?
5 – Hunter Henry/Jonnu Smith: After a couple years with almost no post-Gronk production at the position, New England now has two of the highest-paid tight ends in football. There is no question the two will be a huge part of the offense and better than anything we’ve seen at the spot over the last two years. But can they live up to the huge expectation and their big contracts? To do that they’ll have to produce at a much higher level than they have previously in their careers. Neither has ever caught more than 60 passes, topped 652 yards, had more than eight touchdowns or earned a Pro Bowl nod. To date both have been good players, but good won’t be good enough anymore.
Honorable mention: OLB/DE Matthew Judon, RB Sony Michel, LT Isaiah Wynn, Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels, WR Nelson Agholor, CB J.C. Jackson.
