What must the New England Patriots focus on this offseason?

The Tennessee Titans’ victory marks the end of the 2019 New England Patriots. Here’s what the Pats must do this offseason to remain Super Bowl contenders.

1. Re-sign Tom Brady

After 19 years as the Patriots starting quarterback, Tom Brady will hit free agency for the first time in his career.

Despite the drop-off in stats for the 42-year-old veteran – whose 24 touchdown passes is the lowest tally from him since 2003 – it’s tough to put the blame fully on Brady’s regression. While the tape will show that No. 12 certainly isn’t the pinpoint-passer he once was, his supporting cast was undoubtedly the weakest he’s had in some time.

Should the Patriots be unable to bring Brady back for 2020, their options aren’t fantastic. The free agency class for quarterbacks (as of January 5th) is led by names such as Phillip Rivers, Case Keenum, Jameis Winston, and Teddy Bridgewater.

I can’t see this team being led by Jarrett Stidham or Cody Kessler next year. Stidham has a bright future in my opinion, but he didn’t look good in the few appearances he made this season.

Drafting a QB is a possibility. Outside of the top-three quarterbacks in the draft class (Burrow, Herbert, Tagolaivoa), I would say Georgia QB Jake Fromm is likely the most NFL-ready and can probably be snatched up with a second round pick (if the Pats are willing to trade back into the second round).

But at the moment, it is still unsure if he will return to Georgia for his senior year or commit to the NFL draft.

Without a surefire replacement, bringing Brady back should be a top priority for New England.

2. Fix the tight end position

When Rob Gronkowski retired back in March, I don’t think anybody expected New England to be able to directly replace the offensive threat he brought every time he stepped onto the field. Still, I don’t think anyone expected the trio of Ben Watson, Ryan Izzo, and Matt LaCosse to struggle just as much as they did this year, either.

The three tight ends combined for a measly 418 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The lack of a big receiving threat tight end really showed, especially late in the season when the offense desperately needed a spark to get them going.

Luckily for New England, there are certainly some solid names out on the free agent market, such as Eric Ebron, Hunter Henry, and Austin Hooper. Tight end should be a primary position the Patriots target in free agency to put some life back into their receiving core.

3. Use draft capital wisely

At the time of writing, the Patriots are projected to have 12 picks at the upcoming NFL draft in Nevada. This includes three third-round picks, thanks to compensation for losing Trey Flowers and Trent Brown in free agency last offseason.

New England must capitalize and make the most of all three of these picks.

Over the past five drafts, the Pats have selected nine players in the third round. Their track record there isn’t too good unfortunately. Last year, they selected Chase Winovich, Damien Harris, and Yodny Cajuste. While Winovich has played very well in his rookie season, Damien Harris only had four rushing attempts all season, and Cajuste still has yet to see the field as a pro.

In 2017, New England took Derek Rivers and Antonio Garcia. Derek Rivers has six career games played under his belt, and Garcia has none. Not great.

In 2016, they selected Jacoby Brissett, Joe Thuney, and Vincent Valentine. Thuney is still a stable piece of the O-line, Brissett was traded two seasons ago, and Valentine only lasted one year in New England.

In 2015, they selected Geneo Grissom, who actually has the longest Patriots career out of all these players somehow… but he was never anything special.

Needless to say, Belichick’s recent track record for third round picks hasn’t been great. Making the most out of these selections could very well be the difference between a successful offseason and a forgettable one.