The New England Patriots won’t get to celebrate their sixth Super Bowl championship for long. This will be another offseason of intrigue for Bill Belichick and co.
What a difference a season makes. Last offseason, following a Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots were faced with offseason questions that were predicted to end the dynasty.
The Bill Belichick and Tom Brady relationship was fractured, and no one was having fun in New England (according to Lane Johnson). The NFL media and Patriots fans were enamored in the mysterious case of Malcolm Butler and Rob Gronkowski contemplated retirement until the last possible moment.
Fast forward a year and the team is Super Bowl LIII champions. Suddenly, Tom Brady is smiling ear-to-ear and ready to go for another season. Gronkowski is still contemplating retirement, but he seems more content with the team than he did a year ago.
Personnel wise, the Patriots have lost a few coaches, but the biggest questions surround which players they will bring back and how they will improve certain areas where they lack depth and talent. One of those areas is the wide receiver position in which rumors have already begin to fly about possible additions like Golden Tate, Demaryius Thomas and one Odell Beckham Jr.
On the defensive side of the football, the New England Patriots will look to get younger and faster as well. Through free agency and the NFL draft, Bill Belichick will be a busy man in that area like he always is.
Like every offseason, this will be an eventful one for the defending Super Bowl champions and here are five storylines of intrigue that will spark of the offseason.
What will Devin McCourty do?
As stable as the New England Patriots secondary was in 2018, they could be faced with a major role to replace in 2019 if safety and eight-time captain Devin McCourty decides to retire this offseason.
Of course, Patriots fans weren’t thinking about a possible retirement until the Rutgers alum served up this little nugget prior to Super Bowl LIII:
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"“I don’t know for sure, man. But I do look at it – if we can win this game, winning with my brother [Jason], I don’t know what else I could do that could top that. So I’m just trying to make sure I enjoy this season and enjoy these last couple days with these guys.”"
Well, the Patriots won the Super Bowl which marked McCourty’s third in a season in which he finally got to play with his brother Jason McCourty.
At the age of 31, Devin McCourty certainly has more in the tank. But, like he mentioned in the pre-Super Bowl statement above, there is not much left for him to accomplish in the NFL. Playing in 139 career regular-season games throughout his career, including 21 playoff games, there isn’t much more the New England Patriots could ask of McCourty.
Well, they could ask him to restructure his contract to save the team some cap space if he decides to return in 2019. Of course, if he calls it quit, the team will have some money to spend to find his replacement in free agency. If he returns, expect Bill Belichick to still draft a couple of safeties in the 2019 NFL Draft as he prepares for a future without the reliable veteran safety.
Will Josh Gordon be reinstated?
One of the big storylines in the 2018 regular season was the rise and fall of Josh Gordon in a New England Patriots uniform.
Noted as a low-cost risk when the team traded for him early in the season, Gordon put in the work on and off the field to establish himself within the Patriots’ offense. Establishing a good repertoire with Tom Brady, “Flash” Gordon contributed with 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns.
But just when it looked like he would be a reliable factor heading into the postseason, he was suspended by the NFL indefinitely prior to Week 16. His absence caused the team to change their approach offensively, which worked out for the best. The team even acquired an additional seventh round pick due to him not lasting the entire season.
The Patriots certainly survived without Gordon, but what if he is reinstated this offseason. Will Bill Belichick and the defending Super Bowl champions give him another try?
Reinstatement is not ruled out if Josh Gordon does what he needs to do to get better. With the NFL Players Association expected to set the groundwork for reinstatement come May, Gordon could be back preparing for football by training camp. The Patriots are probably the one and only team that may be willing to take another shot at Gordon at a team-friendly price.
Will Patriots draft Brady’s successor?
Well, after winning his sixth Super Bowl ring, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has made it clear that he is returning for the 2019 NFL season and may have a new contract to boot.
With that being said, Brady will enter the season at the age of 42 and while he appears primed to play until the age of 45, it is time for the Patriots to start thinking about his successor…again.
In having a slew of draft picks entering the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots will have some options when it comes to the quarterback position. Whether they take a shot with a quarterback like Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray if he drops to late in the first round or go with a prospect like Duke’s Daniel Jones, the team will set the framework for getting a guy in place to eventually replace Brady.
Now, there are some young veteran quarterbacks who may be available in free agency like a Blake Bortles, so drafting a quarterback in this draft is not necessarily a must. If the Patriots don’t see a fit in this draft, they will not waste a draft pick. That actually makes what they do surrounding the NFL draft that much more intriguing.
Will team re-sign Trey Flowers?
If Trey Flowers returns to the New England Patriots, it will be on a team-friendly deal.
As one of the top defensive ends entering free agency, there will be a lot of teams with a ton of cap space who could be willing to blow the 25-year-old defensive rising star out of the water.
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With just 6.5 sacks in the regular season, Flowers doesn’t stand out like a Jadeveon Clowney when it comes to pass rushers, but his versatility along the defensive line and playoff experience makes him a valuable player for teams to ply away from the Patriots.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Trey Flowers has put in the work and emerged as a clutch defensive player for the Patriots. But, with two Super Bowl rings already on his resume, it will be time for Flowers to cash in on a big contract.
As much as the Patriots value Trey Flowers and want to keep him, they will have a price in mind. If another team goes way above that price, Bill Belichick will move on as he has done so many times. Then again, he could surprise fans and give Flowers the big money.
It really all depends how the market is set and whether Trey Flowers is willing to play in New England for a little less than he will get elsewhere. Whatever he does, it could linger well into free agency like it did when Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower hit the market.
Have we seen the end of Gronk?
The biggest storyline of intrigue is of course the status of Rob Gronkowski.
Will the New England Patriots tight end retire, or will he be back to try to win a seventh Super Bowl title?
The one thing we know is he will take the necessary time to make his decision. With hints that he may be leaning towards retirement, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he does walk away from the game. Not only has he dominated the NFL from the tight end position throughout the years, he will have an opportunity to go out on top.
Add to the fact that his body has taken a beating and it will be a bigger shock if he decides to return next season. Whatever he does, the Patriots will start the path of looking for a replacement whether it is for this season or next season.
There will be some free agent options but expect the New England Patriots to draft a tight end or two in the 2019 NFL Draft. They will also look internally at young players like Jacob Hollister and Ryan Izzo.
In all, what Rob Gronkowski does will impact the offseason in some way. It’s obvious he can still play the game, it’s just a matter if he still wants to. Fans of the New England Patriots and the entire NFL will find out very soon.