NFL Writer Describes Patriots’ Offseason With Three Stirring Words

Surely, Bill Belichick needs no extra motivation to right the New England Patriots’ ship.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Monday urged the Patriots coach to upgrade the team’s roster aggressively for the 2021 NFL season.

ESPN ranked the Patriots 20th in their “way-too-early” NFL power rankings for 2021, and Reiss believes Tom Brady’s success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will fuel Belichick to accomplish his offseason mission.

Reiss describes the mission in three words: “Belichick’s Revenge Tour.”

“It’s time for the Patriots, who went 7-9 in their first year post-Tom Brady and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, to get aggressive in improving the talent across the roster — especially at quarterback, receiver and tight end,” Reiss wrote. “Just as Bill Belichick took an aggressive approach in the 2007 offseason, adding receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, he’s expected to be aggressive in that area this offseason, as well.”

Reiss’ view of the Patriots, recommendation to Belichick and choice of words to describe New England’s offseason task aren’t groundbreaking, as countless NFL observers expect the Pats to take such an approach. Nevertheless, the ranking ESPN gave the Patriots accurately represents the scale and urgency of the challenge.

The 2021 NFL league year will start in five weeks, and the Patriots then will be able to sign free agents and finalize trades.

But everyone knows Belichick already is working on finding solutions to the Patriots’ litany of problems.