With the transactional side of the offseason now in the books, we now go through a couple of months with no real football besides training camp. The New England Patriots are looking back at one of their most aggressive offseasons in the Bill Belichick regime. Now, there are a lot of questions about certain decisions the team has made and how their current roster will reflect into the season. Let’s look at some of them.
Did the Patriots Get Cam Newton Enough Weapons?
True. There’s been a lot of complaints about the Patriots not getting a true number one wide receiver this offseason but that’s not how Belichick rolls. Belichick builds his football team’s from the inner half of the field to the outer. He did exactly that this offseason. The signings of Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are more valuable to the scheme of which the Patriots want to play through than any free agent wide receiver on the market would have been. The two elite tight ends, a bundle of solid receivers, and a top-1- offensive line should give Newton much more help than he had last year.
Do The Patriots Have Too Many Running Backs?
True. When the Patriots selected Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round, it came as a bit of a surprise to most. Stevenson is not a bad player at all, but the need wasn’t really there. The running back room now consists of James White, Sony Michel, Stevenson, J.J. Taylor, and Damien Harris. It seems one of these players could get cut but who? New England has already declined Michel’s fifth-year option, so it seems he will not be on the team next year. Still, five talented running backs on the 2022 roster are a bit unnecessary and we’ll see which of the fan-favorite backs they’ll decide to cut.
Will the Patriots Have a Top-10 Defense Next Year?
True. This New England defense is going to be really scary. The signing of Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Jalen Mills, Davon Godchaux, and more will bolster this defense heavily. The pass-rush has been completely revamped and New England will be able to rotate in Judon, Chase Winovich, Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, and Christian Barmore in different situations. All five of these guys can really get after the quarterback from their respective positions and it will be really fun to watch. The return of Dont’a Hightower will also be instrumental in their quest for the top defense in the league. There are really no weaknesses in this unit and there’s so much depth all around.
Do The Patriots Sit Comfortable For Next Offseason?
False. While they did have a huge offseason this year, it may get hairy next year. Both Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson are on contract years and it will be almost impossible to retain both of them. The big spending this year could come back to hurt them in regards to next year. However, the 2022 offseason will be a lot better for the Patriots, if Mac Jones is ready to go. If he’s not, then there could be some problems. They’ll need to once again look for a quarterback and spend some decent money on him. Obviously, it’s too early to tell, but it’s not looking great for the return of some star players in 2022.
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