6 important Patriots entering their last season in New England

Brenden Schooler

Special teams players are not often considered an important part of any NFL roster, but on a team that values the performance of the third unit, it's crucial to keep a player like Brenden Schooler for as long as he plays at a high level.

The decision by Bill Belichick to move on from Justin Bethel and keep Schooler during his rookie season was questionable at the time, but he became Matthew Slater's protégé and has played that part well in the years since.

His tough style has made for many flashy moments during his young career, and his determination to make big plays resembles some of the Patriots' best special teams units in years past. With a new special teams coordinator in the mix, plus Slater's new role as a member of Jerod Mayo's staff, Schooler is in good hands to continue rising among the best special teams in the league.

He already proved to be well on his way by earning All-Pro honors for his performance throughout the 2023 season. He's become the latest undrafted success story for the Patriots and hopefully that will continue beyond the upcoming season.

The three-year veteran already shared his desire to take on more of a leadership role, and now that he's the face of the unit, he can share all the wisdom Slater bestowed upon him and his tenacious attitude with his teammates to bring back a solid third unit that the Patriots were once known for.