5 NFL teams that need to embrace tanking for the rest of 2020

5. New England Patriots

Before the season, the New England Patriots were talked about as a possible sleeper in the AFC if they had a rejuvenated and a defense that matched the 2019 version. Even after a few key players on the defense opted out because of COVID-19, the Patriots still appeared to have the pieces in place to push for a division crown or a wildcard.

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Cam Newton was playing well, making plays with his arm and his legs, and the defense appeared to be good enough to carry the team when the offense faltered. That all came crashing down as the team was ravaged by COVID with Cam Newton missing a key matchup against Kansas City and the team unable to practice before a home game against the Denver Broncos.

Now the Patriots sit at 2-5 with a difficult schedule ahead of them after a Week 9 tilt with the Jets and there are rumors of them shopping All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore. If they receive anything in the range of a second-round pick for Gilmore they should absolutely make that move as Gilmore is 30 and has just one more year on the five-year, $65 million deal he signed in 2017.

The Patriots can move Gilmore, continue to shut down offensive weapons like Sony Michel and Julian Edelman, let Newton play out the rest of his one-year deal and find themselves picking in the top five or 10 for the first time in decades.

It almost seems like a no-brainer for the Patriots to effectively shut it down for 2020 and reload with either a rookie quarterback or trade for a veteran in the offseason.