Suffice to say the New England Patriots, even after the draft and start of free agency, have some holes on their roster.
Make no mistake, the Patriots addressed some of their needs. Third-round picks Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi should bolster what was a listless tight end group, while the Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche picks will fill some of the voids at linebacker. And, like it or not, it seems Jarrett Stidham is their guy under center unless Bill Belichick pulls off what now would be considered a stunner to acquire/sign a signal-caller.
But, how about wideout?
Tom Brady clearly was frustrated with that group last season, and ESPN’s Football Outsider’s named it the Pats’ biggest roster hole heading into the upcoming season.
“Maybe Julian Edelman will recover well from the handful of injuries that plagued him during the 2019 season,” they wrote. “Maybe last year’s first-round pick, N’Keal Harry, will take the next step after a lackluster rookie year. Maybe a healthier Mohamed Sanu will be able to operate in the middle of the field better with a healthier Edelman to help him. Maybe 2019 undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers will build on a surprising rookie season and blossom into more than a role player. The Patriots’ only effort to address all this uncertainty was signing Damiere Byrd, who posted a -4.6% DVOA rating with the Cardinals in 2019.”
The Patriots clearly don’t view this group as poorly as ESPN does — Belichick defended the group after passing on wideouts in what was a receiver-loaded 2020 draft. Still, it’s tough not to view this WR corps without a healthy amount of skepticism.
