Surprising trio of Patriots players are not performing as expected this season

Being a professional athlete in Boston and New England has great expectations. Even though the Patriots are in the midst of a rebuild that has been testing the fan base's patience, you're expected to be successful. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has been the high point during an otherwise dismal season, and come the offseason, there's likely to be many roster moves.

With five games remaining, the 3-9 Patriots are playing out the string and trying to play spoiler for the contending teams on their schedule (Indianapolis, Buffalo twice, Arizona, L.A. Chargers), and that will also provide a chance for some floundering players a chance to prove to Robert Kraft and Eliot Wolf that they deserve to call Foxboro home beyond this season.

Three Patriots who have floundered over the course of the season

1. Ja'Lynn Polk

Wolf's decision to trade a second-round pick to the Chargers isn't producing a great return for the Patriots, as L.A. turned that into Ladd McConkey (49 catches, 698 yards, four touchdowns), while Polk hasn't been productive in New England. The rookie from Washington has just 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

Polk has been a model of inconsistency, and Maye has been developing more rapport with Hunter Henry, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne. Polk needs a strong finish, or he'll be another in a long line of wide receiver draft busts.

2. Jonathan Jones

It's becoming increasingly obvious that the veteran cornerback, who will be a free agent after this season, will not be around in 2025. Jones is on the wrong side of 30, undersized, and his ability to shut guys down in man coverage has diminished.

The centerpiece of that showed in Sunday's loss to Miami in which the Dolphins shredded the Patriots' secondary to the tune of 308 passing yards. Jones has been a great team player, but his play has gone downhill over the last two years. It's time for the Patriots to upgrade the cornerback position this offseason.

3. Vederian Lowe

Somebody from the beleaguered offensive line has to be on this list, and Lowe is the culprit after Sunday. The return of Cole Strange will certainly upgrade this unit, but Lowe committed three presnap penalties on Sunday, and in the second half of the season, that's inexcusable.

Lowe has been the centerpiece of the issues up front since he was acquired from Minnesota in the summer of 2023. If some serious improvements don't happen over the final five games, the team should look into moving on from him this offseason.

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