Heading into the 2020 season, the winds of change are prevalent at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots will begin to embark on a season unlike any other. With new faces on both sides of the ball, this will be a season of excitement and unknowns.
This will also be a challenging season for the Patriots coaching staff as they look to fit these new pieces into the organization. It will probably lead to a style of football that Patriots fans haven’t seen before. In this case, that may be a good thing, with the AFC running through Kansas City. The rest of the conference will have to think outside the box in order to dethrone Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
I take a look at four reasons for optimism for New England in 2020.
The signing of Cam Newton
Cam Newton is undoubtedly a major reason for optimism as the Patriots head into training camp. After being signed by the team at the end of June, Newton has created a quarterback competition for the Patriots.
Newton has battled some injuries throughout his career. Particularly last year, he struggled with foot injuries that prevented him from playing past Week 2. Judging from his social media posts, he’s ready to prove people wrong and show he’s healthy.
A healthy Cam Newton gives New England a player with a strong arm and tremendous mobility. That’s not something the Patriots have had in a quarterback for the last couple of decades. If Newton can get back to even 70 percent of what he was at his peak, he would give the Patriots a jolt offensively, in what would otherwise be a rebuilding year. He certainly offers a reason for optimism as he looks to navigate the toughest schedule in all of football.
N’Keal Harry should be healthy
A healthy N’Keal Harry is a reason for optimism as well. The 2019 first-round draft pick was bothered by injuries throughout the entire season last year. Now, he appears to be healthy and ready to go.
He showed spurts of his ability last year. In limited action, he recorded 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Harry displayed his freakish ability to leap and translate his athleticism against the Chiefs last year. Overall, it never seemed like Harry and quarterback Tom Brady were on the same page, but that may change this year.
A healthy Harry he should be able to help New England stretch the field. A reliable downfield weapon is not something New England has had in quite some time. They always have receivers that have shown great ability after the catch, but fail to do it consistently. Harry is a reason for optimism as he figures to be a major part of the New England wide receiving corps not only now, but in the future.
A youth movement at linebacker
A new group of young linebackers is certainly a reason to be optimistic. Led by second-year linebacker Chase Winovich, this group should definitely pave the way for the future. Winovich recorded 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season. The Michigan product showed that he was certainly worthy of generating buzz for his sophomore season.
These days, athletic and fast linebackers are what teams need in order to stop pass-happy offenses. Starting with the likes of Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, New England is seeing a change of the guard at the position. Gone are the likes of Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Jamie Collins. In are new linebackers that will be tasked with firming up the defense for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps the most impressive resume out of the rookies belongs to Jennings. He recorded 193 tackles and 14.5 sacks in four years at Alabama. Now, he will be tasked with helping New England get decent production from the linebacker spot.
No matter which way you slice it, this young linebacking group certainly is a reason for optimism.
A secondary of returning veterans
The New England Patriots secondary still has a ton of talent. Led by 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, the unit should be in for a good season in 2020.
Aside from Gilmore, there are several other players in the unit that played well last year. Jason McCourty is one of them, after recording 40 tackles and an interception in 12 games. Although his numbers were a bit down from last season, he still should be able to provide an impact on a defensive unit that is undergoing a youth movement.
With some of the passing offenses New England has to face this year, the cornerbacks will have to be on the toes.
Having Gilmore on the field takes away that side of the field. With McCourty showing consistency over the past couple of seasons in New England, he is a player that can be counted on to help stabilize the unit. Add in the likes of J.C .Jackson for example and New England has viable starters and depth to keep offenses like Kansas City at bay.
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