Patriots: 2 players who justified team’s faith and 1 who hasn’t
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots have tried to build for the future over the last few years, especially since a Tom Brady departure seemed inevitable. While the effort to get younger has been admirable, not every signing or draft pick has been a home run.
New England obviously wasn’t given a ton of functional draft capital to set up the best foundation, but Bill Belichick has managed to rope in some young contributors that could end up looking like cornerstones that this franchise can build around.
On the flip side of that coin, some youngsters have been given plenty of chances to make themselves a part of the future in New England, and they continue to fail in a categorical fashion. The Patriots put faith in them, and their play has not backed up the trust that New England placed in them.
Two players stand out as reaches who made the Patriots proud, while one in particular looks like a disappointment who needs to work overtime if he wants to get back into Belichick’s good graces.
2 players have been good investments for New England, but 1 has failed.
Patriots Win: DE Chase Winovich
Winovich’s high motor and flowing locks made him an unmistakable presence on the field during his first two seasons in New England, and his production started to match the hype he picked up while starring for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.
He came to the Patriots with some concerns, such as his average athleticism. But with 5.5 sacks in his second season in the pros, Winovich is looking exactly like the type of high-impact player New England anticipated he would be.
Chase Winovich is making the Patriots proud.
Winovich will not be the main edge threat this season, as New England spent a ton of money on former Baltimore Ravens end Matthew Judon, but that might actually help Winovich continue to grow and expand his game. It will be Judon that will take on the best offensive tackles from any given team.
That will create mismatches. Winovich is a lethal pass rusher when he gets a full head of steam, and a third-round pick becoming a quality starter for Belichick is an impressive accomplishment. The Patriots should be very excited about the potential Winovich has since he should continue to progress over time.