The next New England Patriots quarterback is going to need help. Heck, Tom Brady needed help in 2019. He was struggling to keep the team’s offense afloat, particularly later in the season when defenses seemed to crack the code on how to defend New England.
So when someone else takes over for Brady, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this offseason, that quarterback is going to need increased support from the cast around him. Presumably, the next quarterback is Jarrett Stidham, though he’ll be in competition with veteran Brian Hoyer. And there’s no ruling out a possible late addition to the mix this offseason.
There’s not much more Julian Edelman can do for the offense, so we omitted him from this list. Here are the players who need to step up in 2020.
RB James White
He was one of Brady’s favorite targets. Can he be the same for Stidham (or another quarterback) in 2020? White managed 72 receptions for 645 yards and five touchdowns last season, which was down from his career year in 2018. But the 28-year-old has plenty of gas left. It will be interesting to see how White transitions to his next quarterback and whether he’ll maintain his production — or perhaps even elevate it — in the next chapter for the Patriots.