The New England Patriots are a complete and utter mess so far in the 2023 season. The Pats have limped out to a 1-5 record through six games, getting blown out in two of those losses, before losing to their former backup quarterback in Brian Hoyer in Week 6. Things likely aren't going to be getting any better either, as the Patriots next two games are against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
With each crushing loss, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Patriots need to undergo a full-scale rebuild. Bill Belichick tried to rebuild this team on the fly after Tom Brady's departure, and while it looked like it was going to work out for a point in time, it's becoming obvious that a full reset is needed with this team.
While there are some salvageable pieces on defense, such as Christian Gonzalez and Kyle Dugger, the offense needs to be completely blown up. With the 2023 season already all but over for New England, let's take a look at three steps the team needs to take in order to get a head start on their rebuild.
Patriots must trade away whatever they can at upcoming trade deadline
As mentioned above, with a 1-5 record and an incredibly tough slate of games still on their hands, the Patriots season is basically already over barring one of the most surprising turnarounds in NFL history. With the 2023 NFL trade deadline on the horizon on October 31st, this is the perfect time to get the rebuild started by gutting this roster of the very little talent it already has.
Two guys who should almost certainly be traded are Kendrick Bourne and Josh Uche. Bourne has been the Patriots best wide receiver this year (28 REC, 307 YDS, 2 TD), and would easily be of use for a contending team looking for a talented secondary wideout. Uche is dealing with a foot injury and has just two sacks through six games, but he racked up 11.5 sacks last year, and could give a struggling pass rush a spark if he ended up getting dealt.
There are other guys who could be flipped, such as Hunter Henry or Mike Gesicki if a team needs a pass-catching tight end, but generally speaking, the Patriots aren't going to get much for any of their players, because they aren't particularly good. However, where the Pats are headed, you need all the draft capital you can get, which necessitates making some of these moves.
Patriots need to move on from Bill Belichick
We've already looked extensively at why it's time for the Patriots to move on from Belichick, and at this point, they are losing time by simply allowing him to waste the season with this incompetent team. From a rebuilding perspective, though, Belichick is 71 years old, and likely won't want to wait around for this team to get its act together. And quite frankly, he's proving that he isn't capable of being the leader that this team needs anyways.
It may not be fair, but Belichick had his chance to rebuild this team once Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Well, this is what the end result looks like. Belichick the GM has put together a painstakingly bad roster that Belichick the coach cannot do anything with. Even if he doesn't get fired midway through the season, there's virtually no shot Belichick will be returning for the 2024 season.
And truth be told, that's fine, because this team needs changes from top to bottom. New England needs a general manager with a background in talent evaluation who can draft a young core worth building around, while also identifying veteran free agent and trade candidates to come support that group. They also need a coach who is willing to put those players in the best position to succeed on the field. This season, Belichick has proven he cannot do either of those things, which is why it's time to move on from him.
Patriots have to draft Mac Jones replacement in 2023 NFL Draft
Belichick is rightfully going to shoulder a lot of blame for the Patriots struggles this season, but in the process, it's also become clear that Mac Jones is not the Patriots quarterback of the future. Jones has been dealt an awful hand when it comes to his coaching and supporting cast, but his confidence is shot, and there's pretty much no chance he succeeds as New England's quarterback anymore.
The good news is that there are a pair of star quarterbacks in Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina that are set to be available at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft class, and with the way the Patriots are playing, they will have a real shot at landing either of them. Both guys have way more upside than Jones, and if there's a chance to land them, the Patriots need to take it.
With Jones, he still has one more year on his rookie deal, and unless something drastic changes, the Patriots aren't going to pick up his fifth-year deal on his contract. A situation in which Jones plays out the final year of that deal while allowing the new quarterback to work behind the scenes makes a ton of sense, because if Jones struggles, you get that quarterback valuable game experience with extremely low stakes, but if Jones plays well, he builds trade value that the Patriots can capitalize on.
Jones doesn't have a future in New England anymore, but that doesn't mean that he still can't be a valuable asset for the franchise. If the Patriots play their cards right, they could have the best of both worlds with their quarterback situation here.
Follow Us
Subscribe