The New England Patriots are no longer the class of the AFC East, never mind the AFC. However, they still reached the playoffs last season, losing to the Buffalo Bills in the wild card game. New England though is certainly having an interesting offseason.
Their defense, which was the strength of the team in 2021, lost most of its best players. Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Dont’a Hightower left in free agency, as did Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins. The Patriots have not made any big free agency signings to help fill that void.
Yet, inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is very optimistic. He went so far as to say that the veterans leaving is actually beneficial to the young guys. NBC Sports’ Josh Alper noted the comments Mayo made to NESN.
“I would say, even right now, not having some of those older guys in the room is beneficial for the younger guys because older guys would be bored out of their minds with some of the things we’re talking about. At the same time, it’s forcing young guys to really take that step forward, and really grow and develop without being hindered by any other guy’s experience.”
That’s a very intriguing way to look at it.
The Bills look like the heavy favorites to win the division again next season. The Miami Dolphins made some really big moves this offseason, putting them ahead of the Patriots in terms of talent. Don’t be surprised if New England falls back to 6-10 this year in the loaded AFC.
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