4 Patriots who won’t be on the roster in 2021
Here are four players who won’t be with the Patriots in 2021.
The New England Patriots avoided maximum embarrassment on Sunday when they ended the 2020 season with a win over the New York Jets. For a minute there, you surely thought they were going to lose, based on how everything was transpiring.
But they pulled out the W, ended a respectable 7-9 with all things considered, and will look to orchestrate some sort of a roster re-tool in 2021. As the days go by, we have a clearer picture in regard to who will remain with the franchise and who won’t, merely based on injuries, performance and contract situations. It isn’t rocket science.
This year’s Patriots were unrecognizable, and next year’s will be too, especially when you consider the overarching changes that need to be made in order to get this team back to where it was just a year ago.
While there will be a number of other, tougher roster decisions to come in the next few months, these feel like they’re already set in stone. In fact, one already is.
4. Cam Newton
Cam Newton and the Patriots have reportedly agreed to part ways.
Let’s start this off with an easy one. Though we were understandably excited about Newton in a Patriots uniform for years to come after his Week 2 performance against the Seattle Seahawks, he’s been nothing but (sadly) dreadful ever since. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns. That’s all you need to know.
It was obvious all year that Newton’s shoulder still isn’t 100%. Say what you want about grasping the offense and learning a new system — but that wasn’t the issue with the former MVP. His awareness in the pocket was nonexistent. He missed easy throws. His delivery was far too long.
It just didn’t work out. There’s no doubt that the Patriots and Bill Belichick enjoyed Newton’s presence. The man’s effort and work ethic were praised on a weekly basis and his personality was certainly embraced by most in the organization.
But with the Patriots looking at a completely different direction after 2020 didn’t go their way in so many respects, this was the one more that felt like a foregone conclusion after Week 16.