My initial read on the Patriots after they cut down to 53 players on Saturday for the first time this season: I sure hope Cam Newton is healthy and back to his old self.
A good quarterback covers up a team’s warts. If Newton, 31, can play like Superman again, then the Patriots could be contenders in the AFC.
But the 2020 Patriots definitely have a lot of warts. Newton’s receiving corps is, on paper, one of the worst in the NFL. The Patriots also lost five starters on defense and their starting right tackle to a combination of free agency and COVID opt-outs. They are sitting on $35 million in cap space, choosing not to sign any significant free agents. And Bill Belichick can’t seem to find a kicker.
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The 2020 Patriots are hardly a finished product, of course. History says Belichick will make probably a half dozen waiver claims and trades in the next few days, leading up to the season opener. But this sure looks like a rebuilding year in Foxborough. The Patriots will need excellent quarterback play to overcome their many deficiencies.
Let’s take a look at some of Saturday’s moves and the initial 53-man roster:
⋅ The roster of wide receivers is hardly inspiring. Even with Mohamed Sanu not fitting in well during training camp, I was surprised the Patriots cut him due to the lack of proven depth at the position.
N’Keal Harry has tremendous physical skills, but he is almost too physical at times, and can’t seemingly go two practices without getting banged up. His biggest hurdle is proving that he can stay healthy and be ready to go every Sunday. Newcomer Damiere Byrd had a nice camp, but he’s basically Phillip Dorsett — a 5-foot-9-inch speedster, who set a career high with 32 catches for 359 yards and one touchdown last year. Gunner Olszewski is another youngster with a lot to prove given he got hurt after eight games last year, and caught just two passes for 34 yards. Jakobi Meyers has questionable speed and couldn’t get on the same page as his quarterback last year. Even Julian Edelman has question marks; he’s now 34 with a torn ACL on his résumé, and had his practice time managed by Belichick in training camp. He’s also not playing with Tom Brady for the first time.
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Newton will have other weapons in the passing game, most notably James White and Rex Burkhead out of the backfield. But the Patriots have a lot of questions at receiver, and they seem to be putting a lot of faith in Harry making a big jump in his second season.
▪ Much like the Patriots are putting a lot on Newton’s shoulders, they are doing the same with their rookie tight ends, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, both picked late in the third round. The only other tight end is Ryan Izzo, a third-year player who is mostly a blocker and special teams contributor.
I have heard good things about Asiasi, an athletic receiver who has the potential to make an immediate impact, and Keene has an intriguing skill set as more of a hybrid H-back than a true tight end. But I still think this position group could use a proven veteran, and would like to see the Patriots pursue a trade for someone like the Browns’ David Njoku. At minimum, the Patriots need to be combing the waiver wire this weekend for help.
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▪ OK, so what’s going on at kicker? The Patriots released fifth-round pick Justin Rohrwasser, but also veteran Nick Folk on Saturday, leaving them without one on the roster.
Of course, Belichick may just be playing roster games with Folk — release him now to allow the Patriots to keep another player, then bring Folk back later this week. It’s also possible that Belichick wants to take a look at the other kickers out there; experienced kickers Greg Joseph and Chase McLaughlin were released over the weekend.
But it is disconcerting that Belichick hasn’t had a great plan at kicker since Stephen Gostkowski went down with a hip injury last year. The Patriots cycled through three kickers last season, then used a fifth-round pick on Rohrwasser, who couldn’t even make the team. It’s too early to bury the kid, who could certainly sign back to the practice squad and develop into a solid NFL kicker down the road. But why did the Patriots have to use a fifth-round pick on him? What a waste.
▪ Belichick kept 10 offensive linemen on his initial roster, which shows that there is a lot of uncertainty, particularly at tackle. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn was promising last year, but still needs to prove that he can stay healthy for 16 games. At right tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor looks to have the inside edge. But with three career starts, and none at right tackle, he is far from a sure thing, and the Patriots have (for now) also kept tackles Korey Cunningham, Yodny Cajuste, and Justin Herron. They also have two interior backups in Mike Onwenu and Hjalte Froholdt.
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Even center David Andrews has plenty of question marks after taking a year off due to a blood clot. The only sure things on the offensive line are guards Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason.
▪ The Patriots are keeping three quarterbacks for the first time since 2016, when Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games. It’s possible that Brian Hoyer could still be jettisoned, but I don’t see any reason for it because he’s a minimum-salary player, and brings a lot of value as a fill-in player and de facto coach. And given the realities of COVID-19, it’s probably smart to have three quarterbacks on the roster, just in case.
I assume undrafted rookie Brian Lewerke will also be back on the practice squad.
▪ Last year’s No. 1-ranked defense lost five starters, but the defense was always built back-to-front, and the Patriots still have an outstanding secondary. Cornerback is particularly loaded with Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, and Joejuan Williams. The safety position will miss Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon, but Devin McCourty is still a Pro Bowl-caliber player, Adrian Phillips and Terrence Brooks are capable veterans, and rookie Kyle Dugger is an elite athlete with a ton of upside.
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▪ The bigger question mark is in the front seven, where the Patriots will be counting on several youngsters to replace Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, and Jamie Collins. Third-year linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is stepping into a big role as a team captain and likely playcaller. Rookie linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche will be counted on to play more snaps than Belichick is usually comfortable with for rookies. Second-year pro Chase Winovich will take on a much bigger role on the edge.
The defensive line doesn’t have any dominant pass rushers, but that’s usual for the Patriots. Lawrence Guy is still a physical force up front, and the Patriots can scheme up enough pressure with Adam Butler, Deatrich Wise, and John Simon.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin
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September 06, 2020 at 06:30AM
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Initial 53-man roster observations: Patriots need Cam Newton to cover their many warts - The Boston Globe
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