ESPN recently did power rankings for NFL teams over the next three years and the Patriots came in at No. 8.
The Patriots received a “very good” grade of 81.4, which was just behind the Rams (81.9) and just ahead of the Colts (81.1).
The analysts part of the grading gave some thoughts on the team moving forward and Louis Riddick raised a concern.
“Philosophically, I admire how Belichick and the Patriots have built the team inside out: strong down the middle and set to defend and attack between the numbers,” he wrote. “That being said, the explosive play component outside the numbers on the offensive side of the ball is concerning. Can receiver Nelson Agholor duplicate or exceed what was a career season in 2020 in terms of yards per catch? Will Jones be the same deep-ball thrower he was for Alabama?”
The defense seems to be what people are looking forward to most.
“It’s already easy to forecast a defensive resurgence in New England, with a mix of familiar and new faces that should be ready to feast in 2021 and beyond,” Field Yates wrote. “On offense, the arc of quarterback Mac Jones will likely dictate the ceiling of this team for the next handful of years. Suffice it to say that he’ll have great infrastructure around him, as the best head coach in football in Bill Belichick and an offensive mastermind in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are always people to bet on.”
Training camp begins July 28.
