Former Patriots exec believes team will be awful in 2024

It's no secret that the Patriots will have their hands full during the 2024 season, with new head coach Jerod Mayo trying to navigate his first season in charge. It's a lot of pressure for someone new to the position, and based on how the team fared last year, there are high expectations for the right improvements to put the team back on track.

So far this offseason, it seems like the new regime has done exactly what needed to be done to put together a better roster.

Players who were not instrumental in the team's success were let go, and those who were integral during their tenures were re-signed or extended, most notably Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, and Mike Onwenu.

Eliot Wolf also had a successful draft, by all accounts. They prioritized the offense by selecting seven offensive players of their eight picks, including quarterback Drake Maye. The additions of Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk will inevitably be upgrades, along with tight end Jaheim Bell, who is expected to be Hunter Henry's right-hand man.

The impressive defense from last year is mostly intact, which is a good sign for the Patriots, who survived many games they could have easily been blown out of because of the dominance of their defensive roster.

But despite all the improvements made, there isn't much optimism about how the team will fare this season, mainly due to the questions surrounding the offense and the unfortunate luck of having one of the toughest schedules in the league.

It's the basis of why analysts don't see the Patriots as a better team than they were just one year ago, including former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi, who believes they will have no shot this fall.

Michael Lombardi has zero optimism for the Patriots 2024 season

During a recent appearance on "VSiN," Lombardi was asked about his former team and immediately made it clear he is not buying what they're selling. He noted their lack of upgrades at critical positions like kicker and offensive line being "up in the air."

His biggest concern, however, is the absence of Bill Belichick and how that will ultimately impact the better part of the roster, the defense.

"The strength of their team was their defense last year; it's not going to be this year, it's probably not going to be as good. ...If you think you can just let Belichick, walk out of the building and the defense is going to improve or stay the same, you got another thing coming."

To a degree, he makes a good point, as Belichick was known for being a defensive genius. However, Mayo worked alongside the head coach his entire coaching career, after being coached by Belichick for his NFL career as a linebacker on the Patriots defense.

Inevitably, much of Belichick's knowledge will be engrained in Mayo's brain, and Patriots players have raved about how great he is at communicating and discussing football.

Although Lombardi's concerns are valid, it's far too early to conclude that they won't be a better team under Mayo. A lot will be revealed during training camp and preseason, so we'll just have to wait and see.

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