The New England Patriots Will Have The Best Offense In The NFL Next Year
By Cyrus Geller
Is this really such a bold statement?
Last season the New England Patriots entered week 17 as the highest scoring team in the NFL. After sitting their starters for the season finale against the Bills, they finished fourth in points as Jimmy Garoppolo only managed to put up nine points against Buffalo.
However up until that point, Tom Brady and company were absolutely unstoppable, looking like the best overall offense in the league for the majority of the season. They had the most dominant offensive weapon in the game in Rob Gronkowski, a LEGIT number one receiver in Julian Edelman, and two guys in Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola that could win 1-on-1 matchups against lesser corners most of the time. Oh, and by the way, they were led by the best quarterback in NFL history: Tom Brady.
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Fast forward to 2015, and New England has all of these things, plus one addition that I think will prove to be big: tight end Scott Chandler. The Patriots were extremely successful running the two tight end set with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski from 2010-12, and I think they could have the same kind of success with Chandler now in the fold.
Chandler is a massive 6’7, which is much too big for safeties, and too big for most linebackers as well. In addition to this, he is pretty athletic for such a big guy, making him a mismatch nightmare much like Gronkowski is. When you put those two on the field at the same time, linebackers and safeties will get eaten alive. And if they choose to go to a nickel defense? All Tom Brady has to do is hand off to LeGarrette Blount, and the Pats will pound the ball right down your throat.
Then, just when you think you might be able to contain the beasts at tight end, the fourth best offensive weapon in the game is flying right at you. That’s right, Julian Edelman. Other than Gronk, Dez Bryant, and Megatron, there is not a single weapon I’d rather have than Edelman. His quickness is surreal, he is an excellent route runner, has a great pair of hands, and most importantly: he is the toughest dude in the game. He has the heart of champion. He refuses to quit. What he did in the Patriots’ playoff run last year was ridiculous. Pats fans sometimes complain about a “true number one receiver”, but folks, Edelman is all that and more.
If there is one thing to be concerned about with this offense, it would be the interior of the offensive line. Dan Connolly is still a free agent, which leaves a gaping hole at left guard for the Pats. Now, I don’t care how they replace it, whether it is via free agency or the draft, but they need to get that taken care of. Brady has a plethora of weapons to throw to, but if he gets constant pressure up the middle, it won’t matter. I think Bill Belichick will look to add another young stud in the draft to pair with Bryan Stork, which will not only help keep Brady upright this year, but it will help solidify the line for years to come.