Deatrich Wise looked like a total gem after the New England Patriots found him in the fourth round in 2017. He seemed to be booming with upside after a strong start to his NFL career. But then, week after week, the same Wise kept showing up. It wasn’t that he was a disappointment — to the contrary. Wise was beloved inside the Patriots’ locker room and was a situational contributor for his New England tenure. That’s what he was in Year 1 and that’s what he is after four years.
But he never took the next step. In that respect, we know what the Patriots will get from Wise in 2021. He has decided to re-sign with New England, a decision made a few hours into the tampering window on Monday. Wise played 55% of snaps in New England’s 3-4 defense in 2020. And if they run that same defense — it seems likely they will — then Wise will again get a shot to earn a similar workload.
New England is upgrading at outside linebacker, with Matthew Judon joining the fold. Chase Winovich, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings comprise the outside linebacker spot with upside. It’s likely New England will add more defensive ends to compete with Wise, rather than just edge-defending linebackers. And it’s possible Wise’s workload will be diminished in 2021, with the Patriots clearly making an effort to bring in new talent after a down year for the defense. But New England gets a reliable player on the field — and a happy-go-lucky locker room presence. He may not put up huge numbers for New England, but he’ll be a steady performer.
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