Most New England Patriots fans would agree something needs to change.
The Patriots are 1-5 to start the 2023 NFL season, a step back from the mediocrity that plagued the franchise for the first three years following Tom Brady’s departure, and there’s little reason to believe a turnaround is imminent. New England just isn’t a good football team right now.
And therein lies the problem: The Patriots have so many issues, both offensively and defensively, that it’s difficult to plot a path forward. What tangible changes can New England make, at least in the short term, that’ll have a positive impact? A hard reset is looking increasingly necessary.
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FS1’s Colin Cowherd on Tuesday laid out a step-by-step plan for rebuilding the Patriots. It starts with moving on from Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, and potentially drafting a new quarterback — two massive developments, obviously, if executed.
“If I owned the Patriots, I would do three or four things in this order,” Cowherd said. “I would call Belichick, thank him, build him a statue, write him a check and move on. I would then hire Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Now, number three, depending on where I’m drafting, I would draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye over Mac Jones. But if I can’t get one of those two, then I would simply use draft capital, rebuild the tight end and wide receiver group and give Mac one more year to see if he can win games. It has not been fair.”
That’s a reasonable checklist. Even if you’re not sold on Johnson, specifically, as Belichick’s successor, the point still stands: It might be time for a fresh voice, with Belichick relinquishing his general manager duties or the Patriots cutting ties entirely. And New England definitely needs to take a long look at its quarterback position this offseason, with Jones underwhelming in his third season despite Bill O’Brien returning as offensive coordinator.
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Cowherd also took umbrage with the Patriots moving on from wide receiver Jakobi Meyers — one of the team’s few bright spots over the past few years — this past offseason while doing little else to improve the offense.
“That move alone illustrates how absolutely tone deaf to offensive skill players this organization is,” Cowherd argued. “The Patriots’ offensive skill positions looks like they’re trying to tank.”
The Patriots probably won’t return to Super Bowl contention overnight. After all, Tom Brady’s not walking through the doors in Foxboro. But the franchise needs to start somewhere, because the status quo sure is ugly.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
