New England Patriots: 5 Burning questions for the 2020 season
5. Is 2020 the start of a rebuild?
Over the past two decades and even beyond that, the New England Patriots haven’t had to deal with the idea of possibly going through a rebuilding season or rebuilding period. In 2020, one question is if that will indeed be the case both this season and for the next few years.
Following the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady this offseason after he bolted from New England to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent, it is the start of a new era in New England and that could result in a rare rebuild for at least this season.
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As odd as it will be to witness Brady taking the field in a new uniform and with a new team in 2020 and beyond, what might be even weirder is the fact that the Patriots will have a new quarterback under center this season for the first time since 2000.
While the Patriots try and fend off a rebuilding period, they are going to have to try and quickly replace some key pieces on both sides of the ball and most notably at the quarterback position to find a new player to be the franchise staple moving forward.
As of now, second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham appears to be the frontrunner to replace Brady under center in New England, but there is no way of fully telling yet just how quickly he will be able to take things over or if he is indeed the quarterback of the future for the franchise.
If Stidham hits the ground running and appears to become a hidden gem that Bill Belichick and company so-often find, a rebuild might not have to be in consideration. If he does struggle and the Patriots decide they need to end up looking elsewhere at the quarterback position, a set-back season and ultimately a rebuild would be the result.
If a rebuild does happen, we could also end up seeing players such as veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman and other long-time Patriots players also leave the team before the 2020 year begins.
With a new era beginning in New England, it will be interesting to see if the Patriots can continue to plug-and-play players on the team or if this is ultimately the start of a rebuild in Foxborough and within one of the most storied franchises in the NFL.