The New England Patriots are headed into a 2020 season with significant turnover on offense, and the result has been that a number of the team’s players are getting a little too much hype.
With quarterback Tom Brady leaving this offseason, the Patriots have their most important position to replace. And it’s easy to imagine the offense regressing without the greatest quarterback of all time. But Bill Belichick did his best to bring in additional talent, and New England will develop the young talent they already have on the roster.
But let’s be sure to ease expectations on some of these players. There’s too much hype surrounding some of the talent on the roster. And circumstantially, that hype is largely focused on offensive players. So here’s a look at the five most overhyped players in New England.
QB Jarrett Stidham
Stidham has always been a compelling prospect, even going back to the pre-draft process when his quarterback guru Jordan Palmer reminded me that Stidham was going largely overlooked. It feels like the opposite is the case, just 14 months later. Stidham is one of the most interesting stories in the NFL with the Patriots hoping he’ll be a starter after they drafted him in the fourth round.
But they’re not going to just give him the job. They want him to compete against and beat out Brian Hoyer. Stidham may have a harder time than people think if the training camp schedule is shortened. Stidham has always been an interesting prospect, but it’s a huge step for a quarterback to elevate from a fourth-round pick to a starting caliber quarterback.