The Patriots offseason program ended last Friday, and they’re now in “Summer break” mode for the next ~5 weeks prior to training camp in late-July.
We saw three OTA practices and two minicamp practices during their offseason program, with the overall takeaway being that the 2023 Patriots look like a competent football team - something that we couldn’t say confidently one year ago. But is that enough?
Here’s a 30,000-foot look at their three units and how they stack up as a whole against the rest of the NFL:
Defense
New England’s defense is the unit we should all be the least worried about. Just last season, the Patriots gave up 20.4 points-per-game (good for 10th in the NFL), were second in the NFL with 30 takeaways, and led the league in defensive touchdowns with seven.
They also had two linebackers with 11+ sacks in Matthew Judon and Josh Uche, and safety Kyle Dugger led the NFL with three defensive touchdowns - the first Patriot to do so since 1970.
Not only are all three of these players returning, but New England also re-signed defensive backs Jabrill Peppers and Jonathan Jones, and drafted three playmakers with their first three picks in 2023 in Christian Gonzalez, Keion White and Marte Mapu. All three will have a chance to make an impact on day one.
The one real question mark for this defense is the Jack Jones situation. The second-year cornerback was arrested on Friday evening for allegedly having two loaded firearms in his carry-on luggage at Logan Airport while trying to depart Boston following New England’s offseason program.
The full charges include two counts each of the following offenses (per Massachusetts State Police): possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a large-capacity feeding device. He will be arraigned in East Boston District Court this week.
The domino effect could be substantial. Jalen Mills, who was moved to his traditional position of safety this offseason, may now have to be bumped back into the cornerback room.
Meanwhile Jonathan Jones, who I mentioned above, was re-signed by the Patriots this offseason as both a depth and chess piece, but instead may need to play a starting role in the secondary.
The Greg Hill Show: Wiggy wonders if the Patriots can conjure up the culture from the past:
Special Teams
The Patriots’ special teams unit was bad last season. In fact, according to Football Outsiders, they ranked dead last in DVOA in 2022.
Head coach Bill Belichick, (a detail-orientated tactician who always preaches the importance of “all three phases of football”), and his special teams coordinator Cam Achord, did not have their team ready for the special teams phase at all.
This offseason, improvement was clearly a focal point. They added LB Chris Board, a player who Bill Belichick has long admired as one of the better special teamers in football:
“[He’s] “the best special teams player we’ll play against all year,” Belichick said of Board prior to their matchup against the Detroit Lions last season. He added: “He’s a very hard guy to matchup against…. The size matchup is a problem for the faster lighter guys. The speed matchup is a hard matchup for the bigger guys who don’t run as well as he does. He has a great combination of size and speed as well as experience, instincts, and techniques. It’s all of the above. There are really no weaknesses in the player. You’ve got to figure out how to deal with him. He’s seen everything. He’s seen everything.”
Not only did New England add Board in free agency, but they also addressed the unit during April’s draft as well.
They drafted place kicker Chad Ryland from Maryland in the fourth-round of April’s draft to compete with Nick Folk and punter Bryce Baringer from Michigan State in the fifth round to compete with signee Corliss Waitman.
Given that they used draft capital on both, I’d expect them to be the starters come week one.
New England also drafted cornerbacks Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden, and signed undrafted linebacker Jourdan Heilig. All three project out as special teamers at the professional level.
Last, but certainly not least (in fact, maybe most importantly), my main takeaway on special teams from the Patriots offseason program was that Joe Judge looks to be in line to take over as the team’s special teams coordinator instead of Cam Achord - a position that he excelled in prior and was able to parlay into a head coaching position.
The unit should improve significantly in 2023.
Offense
The Patriots offense, not their special teams, is the kicker (get it?).
New England had arguably the worst offensive performance of the Belichick era in 2022. He decided to employ two of his friends in Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to run the system, and to put it bluntly, it failed miserably.
So what’s in store for 2023? How do they compete with the rest of the league?
When you look at the NFL’s juggernauts on offense, they include, but are certainly not limited to, the Chiefs, Bengals, Chargers, and Eagles. Some characteristics that separate these teams from the rest include a) an experienced play caller, b) a competent offensive line, and c) weapons for the quarterback to throw to.
The Patriots addressed all three this offseason:
Experienced playcaller: It started in late-January when they hired Bill O’Brien to takeover as offensive coordinator. O’Brien, a former head coach in both the NFL and college levels, returns to Foxborough having previously been the team’s OC in 2011. He most recently coached Alabama Crimson Tide’s offense, and even overlapped with Mac Jones for a brief offseason in Tuscaloosa.
A competent offensive line: The Patriots also brought in Adrian Klemm to coach the team’s offensive line. Klemm, a former NFL tackle, played for the Patriots from 2000-2004 and was the Oregon Ducks offensive line and assistant head coach in 2022. New England also signed tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson in free agency, and re-signed Conor McDermott to fix their depth problem.
Weapons for the QB to throw to: New England has always been known to have sub-par weapons, and last season was no different. To fix this, signed wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki, and could potentially be on the verge of adding DeAndre Hopkins. This is no slight to pass-catchers Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, and Tyquan Thornton - but they just fit better as tier two options.
So what’s the difference between the above teams and the Patriots?
They also have proven, All-Pro caliber quarterbacks running their systems.
It’s cliche, but Mac Jones is the lynchpin of this entire Patriots team - and frankly their future rides on him.
If Jones can take a true leap in his third season with the improvements they’ve made around him, New England can shock the world in 2023. If he can’t, well both he and potentially his head coach could he out of a job in less than 10 months.
No pressure.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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