Rob Gronkowski has retired and now the New England Patriots have to find a way to replace his amazing skills in the passing game.
There isn’t any other way to put it. Losing Rob Gronkowski is a major blow. The New England Patriots offensive has lost one of its core pieces.
When Gronkowski was at his prime he absolutely took over games. There wasn’t a catch that was out of reach. Tom Brady could just throw a ball up and there was a good chance that he would make the catch.
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Even though Gronkowski wasn’t the same player that he was last season, he still made some key plays. In the Super Bowl he iced the game away with an amazing diving catch in the red zone.
Losing Rob Gronkowski is a major blow to the New England Patriots offense. He was the greatest tight end to ever play the game. Without him your passing game isn’t looking so strong.
Now there is a giant hole in the New England Patriots passing game. Tom Brady’s life won’t be as easy as it once was. He will definitely have to work harder to find the open man.
So who will be the guy to step up? All of the pass catchers on New England’s roster will have to improve. If they don’t this season could be a major disappointment.
The Patriots passing game will look rather different in the 2019 season and these are the 3 guys who will anchor the passing game.
1. Julian Edelman
On offense your No.1 target is rather clear. Julian Edelman is the guy that Tom Brady will be looking to get the ball to on every play.
Edelman is the perfect slot receiver. He knows how to gain separation and is a great route runner.
Even though he missed 4 games last season he was still the Patriots top receiver. In 12 games he racked up 74 catches for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns.
As soon as Edelman returned to the field it was like the offense flipped a switch. All of a sudden everything started to come together.
Now Edelman will have to continue to churn out these great numbers. At 32 I don’t know if he will be able to do so.
So expect Julian Edelman to get plenty of targets in 2019. They will definitely need him to continue to be the great slot receiver that he has always been.
2. James White
James White may be listed as a running back, but he might be better at catching the ball out of the backfield than running between the tackles.
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Last season, White was probably the team’s offensive MVP. He had an amazing season. White tallied 87 catches for 751 yards and 7 touchdowns.
When White gets into open space he is dangerous. It seems like he is one of the toughest players to tackle. He is only 5’10” so he has a low center of gravity, but he can also juke a defender out of his shoes.
In 2019 I expect White to do wonders catching the ball once again. Sony Michel has established himself as the top running back on the team. The duo of Michel and White should cause problems for opposing defenses.
James White is a problem for opposing defenses. The New England Patriots need him to continue to be the star that he was in 2018.
3. Josh Gordon
The fact that Josh Gordon is your 3rd best weapon in the passing game isn’t ideal. For all we know he might not even play this season, but looking at the roster right now he is the 2nd best wideout.
When Gordon was on the field he played great. He is such a talented wide receiver. He was the deep threat that the New England Patriots offense needed.
In 2018 Gordon only played in 11 games, but still was one of the Patriots best receivers. He racked up 40 catches for 720 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Gordon was forced to leave the team to take care of some personal issues and now will need to be reinstated before playing again.
If Gordon can stay on the field for an entire season the Patriots will be golden, but I’m not confident that will happen.
So the New England Patriots offense will have to step it up next season if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl.