Let’s not sugar coat anything here, this past season was rough for the Patriots. Injuries upon injuries just started adding up. At one point, it came down to Brady basically having a one man show.
But there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. The season is over, which means the Patriots have the entire offseason to build up the roster. Let’s take a look at what the Patriots need to improve upon if they want to hoist the Lombardi trophy next season.
Positions will be looked at and given a rating 1-10, with 10 being an urgent need to fix, and 1 being no need to fix.
Offensive Line: We all witnessed the fall of the O-line this season. The Patriots were switching players into positions they have never played before, and bringing in benched players. This clearly did not work well (especially against the Broncos defense in the AFC game where Brady was hit 26 times). As the day of the draft gets closer, keep on the lookout for players that could fill the gaps in the O-line.
Need for new players: 10/10
Quarterback: Tom Brady is the man under center. The future hall of famer is approaching an old age for a starting quarterback (he will be 39 next season). However, if he plays with the fire that he played with this season, I don’t see a problem with him. Also there is still Jimmy Garoppolo as the backup so there is no problem there either.Need for new player: 1/10
Running Back: Over recent years, the Patriots have done little to invest in the running back position and it showed this season. LeGarrette Blount was the primary, but he is too slow to be the main ball carrier.Dion Lewis is good as an all purpose back, and we should definitely have him in there.
The best news: star running back Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears is looking at other options. He is quoted saying “I’m not in it for the money. I want the ring.”
He doesn’t directly he wants to be a Patriot but the Patriots are an option because we are always contenders for winning another ring. Be on the lookout for more info about that.
Need for new players: 8/10
Defense: The defense is still solid. If it wasn’t for Chandler Jones’s bizarre incident and injuries, the defense wouldn’t have fallen.Eight years veteran linebacker Jerod Mayo has said that he will be retiring, which means that his position will need to be filled. A possible person to look for is Von Miller from the Denver Broncos (as long as they don’t franchise tag him, which they very well will do if they cannot reach a deal).
to the best teammate, toughest guys & realest cat walking. glad to strap it up w you Senor. @jerod_mayo51 #captain pic.twitter.com/gjmvXTx7e2
— Danny Amendola (@DannyAmendola) February 17, 2016
Need for new players: 4/10
Receivers: Julian Edelman is still a great wide receiver to have to slip through defenses, Gronk is the perfect tight end, and Danny Amendola is a good addition as another threat.
However, Gronk is really the only deep threat we have. Yes, we have Brandon LaFell but he didn’t have a great season and there is a chance he is not brought back.
If the Patriots want a good deep threat, then they should cut LaFell and use Keshawn Martin more often. They could also look at the free agent market and see if anyone might be willing to work with them (Marvin Jones, Alshon Jeffery, Jermaine Kearse, etc).
Need for new players: 5/10
So, what have we learned? Well, we learned that the Patriots desperately need a better offensive line, and hopefully a better running back situation as well (Matt Forte?). With this info, it will be interesting to see what moves the Pats make during the offseason.