The 2020 season was, by the standards set in Foxborough over the last 20 years, nothing short of a disaster. For the first time since 2008, the are set to mi s the playoffs, and their latest lo s to the on Monday night ensured that they will have a losing season for the first time since 2000 (Bill Belichick's first season as head coach). In the aftermath of leaving for Tampa Bay, New England turned the keys to the offense over to , and that produced .Newton was hardly the lone cause for New England's struggles, however, as the entire roster appears to be in shambles, making this offseason a pivotal one for Belichick and his underlings. The good news is that they have money to spend, as they are projected to have the third-most cap space (nearly $72 million) in the league this offseason. Because of this down year, the Patriots will also have one of the higher first-round picks in recent memory to go along with their a sortment of selections this spring.Below, we're going to highlight five things on Belichick's offseason to-do list that should make them a more competitive club as early as 2021.This one is obvious, but it may be even more important than you'd think. Heading into the final week of the season, New England has the third-fewest pa sing yards in the league, which will of course need to be improved. For how good of a soldier Cam Newton has been over the course of his first season with the Patriots, he doesn't seem to be the type of quarterback that can bring the Patriots back to prominence. In 2020, the offense was only able to put up points through the ground while Newton was under center, which is unsustainable in today's game. While many of us have clamored for to get a start, Bill Belichick seemingly being uninterested in doing so tells us that he isn't the long-term answer either. That means the Nathan Beaulieu Men Jersey next Patriots QB isn't currently on the roster.Identifying who that is and bringing him aboard is the critical first step in New England's offseason. Why is that? Well, because the second box that needs to be checked for Belichick is finding elite pa s catchers. While the Patriots can match almost any team in the dollars and cents department, if the money is even between them and another squad and New England's quarterback situation is still clouded, why would any receiver choose them? As crazy as this may have sounded a year ago, wouldn't you rather go to Jacksonville (most cap space in the NFL) and join likely No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence than po sibly join a Patriots team that couldn't even average 200 yards pa sing this season? I would.As for who they should look at, is the obvious name. If he shakes loose, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Belichick try to bring the quarterback he groomed for this exact period in the club's history back to fulfill his destiny. is another name that should be monitored if Detroit decides to go into a total rebuild Tage Thompson Women Jersey . In the NFC East, both and are a couple of other names that could be available if certain dominos fall. Either of those quarterbacks should be an upgrade over what was in Foxborough this season. While the Patriots may be looking for their 2021 starter either on the trade or free-agent market, it'd also be wise for them to double-dip at the position and also addre s it in the draft. The Patriots currently have the No. 14 pick in the first round, which puts them out of the Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson conversation. Our has New England taking Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. The connection between Belichick and Nick Saban is obvious with that pick and bringing in a talented, young piece to be paired alongside a Stafford or Garoppolo could help rebuild a sturdy quarterback room for the long haul.As we noted above, finding the quarterback is imperative in order to pull this piece of the puzzle off because the Patriots should dive into the free-agent market to addre s this glaring need. Because New England has struggled to find skill position players in the draft over the last few years, particularly at the wide receiver position, they should just throw that map out the window. While it may be more expensive, they'll have le s margin for error by targeting pa s-catchers that are already Nathan Beaulieu Jersey proven in the league. NE WR #7 TAR120REC91REC YDs766REC TD8FL1 Given his age and talent, would be an ideal target. The 24-year-old is going to be an unrestricted free agent and Pittsburgh may not make it a nece sity to bring him back or place the franchise tag on him, given how deep the position is on their roster. He would instantly slot in as New England's No. 1 receiver and has shown the ability to post 100-catch seasons of over 1,000 yards. and are two other receivers who should be atop the wish list, while , , and are on that second tier. Of course, the Patriots should not only be beholden to finding pa s-catching talent at the receiver position, as tight end has also been a key position in Josh McDaniels' offense in the past. is an obvious target as Bill Belichick has scouted him e sentially since high school, but and (RFA) would be nice additions to and .Again, this may be the most costly part of New England's offseason as they likely need to come away with not one but two stud pa s-catchers. It's simply a nece sity, however, for a team that has the third-fewest explosive pa s plays (35) in the NFL heading into Week 17.The first thing New England should do on defense is place a first-round tender on corner J.C. Jackson, which they almost certainly will. While he has struggled a bit as of late, Jackson seems to be one of the brighter young pieces on the Patriots roster, ranking second in the NFL in interceptions this season. At just 25 years old, Jackson seems destined to eventually blo som into a No. 1 corner, which could happen as soon as next season. Because he is a restricted free agent, New England does have some leverage, but it'd be wise to lock him in long-term. Elsewhere on the Rasmus Dahlin Kids Jersey roster, is set to be an unrestricted free agent and should be a priority piece of the offensive line to retain. The starter at center has grown into a leader in New England's locker room and has been a foundational piece to a stellar offensive line when healthy. Starting left guard was given the franchise tag last offseason and he may be out of the Patriots' price range if he hits the open market. If the two sides can come together on a deal, however, he's obviously a key cog along the O-line. In the case of defensive tackle , it'll be interesting to see what the 31-year-old decides for his career going forward. But if he wants to play in 2021, he'd be a reliable piece in the middle of that front seven. As for players who the Patriots should let walk, and come to mind. While both are fan favorites who have contributed greatly to the organization over their respective tenures, they play positions that the club is fairly deep at and the money could be best spent elsewhere. For White, in particular, he should have a healthy market this offseason, which is good for him personally but not great for his prospects of remaining with the Patriots. This is where things could get a little me sy. We've talked about the uncertain future for Stephon Gilmore all season long, and that could come to a head this offseason. The star corner has one more year remaining on his current contract but it'll only pay him $7 million in base salary, which is hardly comparable to his peers. If the Patriots don't want to pay him top dollar as he rolls into his 30s, they could look to move him. A move of that magnitude is also a bit easier if they believe J.C. Jackson can be a legit No. 1 corner.While Gilmore's future is in doubt, so are a few other key pieces to prior championships. It's unclear if , who finished the season on IR and will be 35 by the start of next season, has played his last snap in the NFL. Then there are the opt-outs. It's not a guarantee that returns to the club after opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. By letting the linebacker go, New England could clear around $10 million off their cap. could also be expendable as the team could clear almost $5 million in space.These are some heavy-hitter names that the Patriots will need to get clarity on early in the offseason proce s so they can build a roster knowing who they have and who they don't for 2021. Let's face it, Belichick and the Patriots can't identify offensive talent at the draft. While it's still important to take stabs at the quarterback position, particularly with some of their higher selections, the Patriots should fade off picking skill position players at the draft and lean towards the Ryan Oreilly Jersey more reliable defensive side of the ball.Over the last few drafts, the Patriots have been able to find some promising players on defense. In 2020, , , and have all shown flashes. Meanwhile, and have shown some potential of being starters. It's not perfect, but they have a better batting average identifying defensive players at the draft than they do on offense, which is why this should be their strategy in 2021 where they are projected to have six picks in the first four rounds after the compensatory selections are handed out.With the Patriots likely spending big on offense this offseason, they'll need to cut costs somewhere, and finding young talent through the draft is the best way to do it. Doubling down on defense at the draft not only helps relieve the cost of big free-agent signings, but the Patriots could build an up-and-coming defense on the fly if they hit on a few selections. Click here Click here Click here  |
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