Before every new NFL season, several players will need to go above and beyond to prove their worth and why they deserve a spot on the team. It's just how professional sports are.
It's very much a "what have you done for me lately?" league.
But a few Patriots have a bit more than that to overcome this summer as they prepare for the upcoming season, mainly because of how last year went. Some would even argue the same could be said for Bill Belichick, but that's a topic for another day.
With most of the longstanding issues from 2022 seemingly resolved, all that is left is to see if certain players can redeem themselves and get back in the good graces of their team and coaches before the season begins and if they can maintain that throughout the year.
Four players, in particular, seem to have the most to prove.
Mac Jones
The most obvious of the players needing to prove themselves this season is quarterback Mac Jones.
After completing a standout rookie season resulting in an appearance at the Pro Bowl, expectations were high for Jones' sophomore year. The build-up to the start of training camp excited many fans and media members, as the quarterback's new training regimen was continuously discussed online.
Jones spent time with several coaches nationwide to improve his body and performance on the field, hoping to build upon an impressive rookie showing. All that was great news for the team and exactly what you expected from your presumed franchise quarterback.
But it all came crashing down once he took the field in the summer.
With implementing a new playbook and scheme from the newly appointed offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, Jones and the rest of the offense could not do anything successfully during practices.
They were disjoined, uncomfortable, and unenergized, an unfamiliar scene for New England's practice field.
Not much improved throughout the regular season, either; from Jones suffering an ankle injury requiring him to miss weeks four through six and the offense's inability to overcome the challenges of working with Patricia, it was an uncharacteristically bad overall performance for the team.
Unfortunately, despite the obvious factors contributing to Jones' poor performance, he received the most criticism for the failed season, and his attitude throughout didn't help.
His lackluster and inconsistent performance led to many calling for backup Bailey Zappe to replace him permanently and is said to have created tension between him and Belichick. This led to the head coach not declaring him as the QB1 and allegedly pushed him to entertain the idea of trading him this offseason.
Now preparing for his third season in the NFL with a third offensive coordinator, Jones has a lot of improvement to show he can be exactly the type of quarterback the Patriots need.
So far, he's received a lot of praise for his on-field performance and work ethic, on top of coming into practice with a much more optimistic attitude. It's being said that a big reason for this change is the presence of Bill O'Brien, who brings the experience and expertise needed to get the offense as a whole back on track.
Jones will have to put in the extra work to demonstrate he can return to his rookie form and lead the team to success for years to come. Because if not, Belichick will quickly move on from him as soon as possible.
Kendrick Bourne
Unfortunately for Kendrick Bourne, he finds himself in nearly the same position that Mac Jones is heading into this upcoming season.
Although he may not play what is deemed to be the most important position on the field, the Patriots have been endlessly searching over the last few years to find productive and reliable receivers to elevate their offense.
Bourne looked like the right guy for the job during his first season in New England, becoming the number two guy just behind Jakobi Meyers. His catch percentage, touchdown total, yards per game, and yards per reception were the best of his career and put him straight on the path to potentially stealing the unofficial title as Jones' favorite target.
But like Jones, the addition of Matt Patricia as the offensive play-caller took a toll on his performance.
After completing that memorable 2021 season, Bourne barely saw the field the following year. Some of it may have to do with his mindset and effort, as the receiver said as much last week after OTAs, but a lot of it had to do with a rumored season-long feud with Patricia that began during the summer.
Despite knowing how much of a playmaker Bourne was for the team, Patricia chose to constantly keep him sidelined each and every week. So much so there were even some games where he was on the field for just one snap.
Throughout the season, the media continued to ask him about his limited usage in hopes of (probably) getting some off-the-cuff, untraditional Patriots answer. However, Bourne remained mostly tight-lipped, sharing an optimistic viewpoint while also acknowledging his frustrations.
Now that Patricia is gone and Bill O'Brien is in, there is hope he will better utilize Bourne's skillset and implement him far better than last season. And although that may become a reality, he still has much to prove before the season begins.
Can he become a reliable target for Jones again?
Will he be able to better deal with frustrations compared to last year?
And will he put in the work required to demonstrate why he should remain on the team?
Only his performance over the next three months can determine those answers. Hopefully, Bourne realizes the magnitude of this opportunity and proves why he's an important asset on this offense.
Trent Brown
The Patriots offensive line was a jumbled mess for most of the 2022 season.
A lot of factors certainly made it that way, such as a new and inexperienced offensive line coach (Matt Patricia), injuries making it difficult to maintain consistency, and mistakes from a few of the players leading to a season-high number of penalties.
One of the leading contributors to those struggles is gone (Isaiah Wynn), but Trent Brown was also a frontrunner in creating problems for the line.
The most unforgivable issues brought on by Brown were his 13 penalties, most of which came before the snap and eliminated successful plays, and his inconsistent protection, which led to allowing eight total sacks on Patriots' quarterbacks throughout the year.
There were also instances of what appeared to be an overall lack of effort and energy from Brown sporadically over the weeks, which led to more issues for the offense to attempt to overcome.
On top of his in-game struggles, Brown also has more competition this summer.
Since the offensive line was a consistent weak point of the team last year, Bill Belichick prioritized improving it through free agency and the draft. The additions of Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff in March, plus rookies Sidy Sow and Andrew Stueber, make it all the more vital for him to return to being a mainstay on the line.
If not, releasing or trading him would result in a cap savings of $11 million, according to Spotrac, which could be the right incentive for Belichick to stick with the newcomers and cut Brown if he doesn't perform up to par.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Generally, a newly acquired player through free agency wouldn't necessarily have a lot to prove in their first season with a new team. But because Bill Belichick appeared to pass on re-signing Jakobi Meyers to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster, the receiver has to prove he was worth the risk and the investment this summer.
The connection between Mac Jones and Meyers was evident and felt by anyone who watched a Patriots game over the last two seasons. He even had a noticeable bond during the 2020 season with Cam Newton, who Meyers credits for saving his career.
He joined the team as an undrafted free agent who did not contribute much in his first season. However, with the help and belief from Newton, he quickly ascended to the top of the receiving corps and became Jones' most reliable and favorite target in every game.
Now that Smith-Schuster is set to fill his position on the offense, he has big shoes to fill in, replacing Meyers' production and proving he can be the WR1 the Patriots need.
There are several questions following the newest New England receiver before even stepping onto the field, most of which surround his fit on the team.
Can he form the same or similar connection with Jones that translates onto the field?
Will he quickly pick up Bill O'Brien's offense and immediately contribute?
Was his performance with the Chiefs a result of catching passes from a talent like Patrick Mahomes? Or even his time spent in Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger? Or can he be productive with any level quarterback?
He will have a lot of work catching up to where his fellow receivers are and gaining continuity and trust with Jones. The pair could utilize their desire to solidify their roles on the team this season as a motivating factor to get on the same page quicker than anticipated, creating an even smoother transition in the regular season.
Fortunately for Smith-Schuster, his quarterback has already raved about their limited offseason work together so far, providing more optimism that he can be a possible upgrade to Meyers. He brings a dynamic and explosiveness the team is currently lacking, which makes the choice ultimately up to him to prove the doubters wrong and make an immediate impact, especially to those still upset over Meyers departing for the Raiders.