New England Patriots: 2020 offensive needs surpass quarterback

The New England Patriots have lost Tom Brady, but their offensive needs are more than just a new quarterback.

The New England Patriots are going through a bit of a transition period and everybody knows it. Tom Brady is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer and everyone is focused on who will be the next quarterback. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the quarterback is not the only issue for their offense.

There is a reason Brady was rumored to want change in personnel to return to New England in the first place. If the team is to continue their streak of consecutive playoff appearances and 10-win seasons, they have to get to work on patching holes and improving areas of the offense that struggled last season. Issues at tight end, offensive line and wide receiver may not get the headlines of the Patriots quarterbacks but they are still immensely important.

Tight end is one of the biggest needs for the Patriots offense. As a position group last season, the tight ends were virtually non-existent. This unit failed to even come close to filling the void left by Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. They failed to give a receiving threat or duplicate his blocking abilities to help the run game.

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Benjamin Watson played injured and has since retired. Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo did not seem to gain Brady’s trust in the passing game and both struggled at times in the running game. LaCosse and Izzo are still on the roster and the remaining free agents are pretty underwhelming. Unless the team is considering a trade, tight end could continue to be a black hole for this team.

The 2020 NFL Draft is not considered to be tight end heavy and counting on a rookie tight end is generally ill-advised. The Patriots could consider taking a shot on someone like Delanie Walker and hope he still has something left in the tank or they can take a shot on someone from a grouping of Charles Clay, Ricky Seals-Jones or Clive Walford and see if they can make the most out of flashes and potential.

Another issue last season for the Patriots was their offensive line. The lone bright spot last season was Joe Thuney. He has now been hit with the franchise tag and is part of the reason the team is up against the salary cap. The tackle position was an issue last season and this may not change.

Marcus Cannon struggled with consistency and, now that Dante Scarnecchia has retired, Cannon may no longer be a stable player for the team. Isaiah Wynn struggled with injuries for the second season in a row and then also struggled with consistency. After a great 2019 season, Shaq Mason regressed and was a liability far too often.

Meanwhile, David Andrews missed the season with blood clots in his lungs and is considered no guarantee to return in 2020. His backup, Ted Karras, just signed with Miami. The team drafted Yodny Cajuste and Hjalte Froholdt in last year’s draft but, due to injury, neither played a regular-season snap.

The Patriots need more consistent play at left tackle this season but it is unlikely they can convince Jason Peters to sign a below-market deal. They will have to look to draft another tackle but, at No. 23 in the first round, they will more likely either have to reach or look to take a developmental prospect in a later round. Improving the offensive line would be a big help to both the quarterback and the run game.

New England’s wide receiver situation is a current unknown. Julian Edelman is their top returning receiver but who knows how he’ll play without Brady at quarterback. The other issue with Edelman is the wear and tear on his body. Nobody knows when the next big hit could be his last.

Mohamed Sanu struggled after injuring his ankle during the Philadelphia game in Week 11. He has since undergone ankle surgery and hopefully an offseason to learn the offense will help him. He is also a candidate to be traded or cut. There is optimism for the receiver position with Tom Brady now elsewhere, as odd as that may seem.

Rookie receivers N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers struggled to get on the same page with Brady. This was a constant issue for any new receiver during Brady’s last decade with the team. He always seemed to be especially impatient with younger players. They may have their answers at receiver in-house now that the two-decade veteran is gone.

If Harry can live up to the potential the team saw in him to take him in the first round, he could be the No. 2 receiver Edelman will need for the offense to thrive. Meyers showed a very good rapport with potential starter Jarrett Stidham in the 2019 preseason. He seemed tentative while working with Brady. If he can build on the chemistry with Stidham, he could prove to be a solid No. 3 or 4 receiver.

The potential is there for both Harry and Meyers but, if the team does not find them ready, perhaps new signee Damiere Byrd can help. He should at least factor into the return game. If Meyers is not ready to be a consistent slot threat, the team could reach out to Rashard Higgins, who showed flashes out of the slot in Cleveland.

Hopefully, they could strike a deal with someone like Higgins, Justin Hardy or Taylor Gabriel for their ability to work out of the slot. And they can take a look at Chester Rodgers if they want more size. If not, the draft is deep at the receiver position this year. Adding another wide receiver to develop with Stidham or another quarterback is not a bad idea either.

Now that the Patriots are entering an era of life after Brady, they can no longer count on their quarterback to mask the deficiencies in other areas of the offense. As it was, Brady was unable to do this last season. With a renewed energy and eye toward the reloading, they can start to build up the other areas of the offense.

With the first big wave of free agency past and the Patriots up against the cap, it will not be a quick fix. With the right value signings and a careful draft, the team may not be Super Bowl contenders next year, but they could be AFC East contenders. With this reality, they could still reach the 10 win plateau and make the playoffs to continue these unprecedented streaks.