New England Patriots: 3 Glaring weaknesses entering training camp
The New England Patriots have some glaring weaknesses entering training camp.
The 2020 NFL season hasn’t begun just yet but the New England Patriots are already the most-talked-about team around the league as play continues to approach ahead of the new year.
There is no question the Patriots will look a bit different this season and it will be a very interesting year for Bill Belichick and company as they enter a new era of football in New England.
Following the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady via free agency this offseason, the Patriots have shifted gears with who will lead their offense this season for the first time in two decades and now has an eye on the future of that position moving forward.
After spending a majority of the offseason talking about whether or not second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham or veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer would ultimately take over under center in Foxborough, there is now another player to throw into the mix and who should be viewed as a frontrunner to land the starting role following the signing of former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in free agency.
While trying to break in and introduce a new quarterback into the offense, Belichick and company will aim to avoid any sort of rebuilding season to try and return to the playoffs once again at the end of the regular season.
Going into 2020, the Patriots are coming off of another AFC East title in 2019 with a record of 12-4 overall, finishing ahead of the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the division standings. The Patriots, however, were surprisingly bounced in the opening round of the playoffs while seeing their season end much earlier than they hoped.
In 2020, New England will have its work cut out for it to try and defend its division title and return to the playoffs at the end of the year no matter who takes over at quarterback. With the mix of new faces, the Patriots also hold the toughest schedule in the NFL this season.
As New England enters into a new era of the franchise and looks for its next quarterback to lead the team this season and beyond, the upcoming regular season will be very telling as to what direction the organization will be going in the next year or more.
With the roster continuing to fill out and the vision of this team starting to come into focus more leading into training camps and the start of the year, let’s examine New England’s roster and take a look at three early weaknesses still present for the Patriots.