The New England Patriots’ season ended after they fell to the Denver Broncos 26-16 in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, so it’s time to turn our attention to what’s next.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ front office will have plenty of questions to address in the coming months, but what do you think is the team’s biggest position of need this offseason?
New England’s passing offense struggled mightily this season as its receiving corps was ravaged by injuries and bouts of inconsistency. With the departure of Wes Welker, wide receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman (who will become a free agent)Â filled his void admirably, but would the Patriots benefit from adding another target to Tom Brady‘s arsenal?
As for tight ends, the Patriots might be wise to add another one to their roster to either serve as a complement to Rob Gronkowski or a fill-in if Gronk isn’t ready to return at the start of the season. When Gronkowski went down, Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan stepped up, but giving Brady another pass-catching tight end could be beneficial for the Patriots’ offense.
The Patriots emerged as a running team this season, and the credit belongs to the combination of LeGarrette Blount, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. The trio of backs carried New England’s offense when its passing game faltered, but with Blount slated to become a free agent, will the Patriots re-sign him or choose to go after another running back?
On the defensive side, the Patriots’ secondary could use a boost. Along with Edelman, cornerback Aqib Talib likely will be one of New England’s biggest free-agent priorities. The Patriots’ secondary was absolutely picked apart by Peyton Manning on Sunday and would benefit from the addition of a playmaker or two.
The Patriots have lots of decisions to make, but which position do you think they should target this offseason?
