Rob Gronkowski is gone, but the New England Patriots have some offensive playmakers who can step up into important roles for the team.
While most of the talk surrounding the New England Patriots offense going into the 2019 season has been and will remain centered around two playmakers currently not on the roster, the team will be looking for new players to step up and make an impact.
Will Rob Gronkowski come out of retirement at some point in the season?
Will the NFL reinstate Josh Gordon giving Tom Brady another big target to throw to?
Those are certainly intriguing questions for Patriots fans, but at this point the team has to work with what they have and hope a young player like Braxton Berrios takes steps in becoming the next version of Wes Welker, Danny Amendola or Julian Edelman.
They also hope to get something out of veteran receivers Demaryius Thomas, Dontrelle Inman or Phillip Dorsett. If one or two of those players can enter Tom Brady’s circle of trust, the offense should be alright even if they get no production out of the tight end position.
Speaking of the tight end position, they need someone like Matt LaCosse, undrafted rookie free agent Andrew Beck or second-year tight end Ryan Izzo step up and make some kind of consistent contribution.
If the passing game struggles at first, the Patriots can turn to their running game. Behind a solid offensive line and with James Develin searching as a lead hammer at fullback, the team should have a solid rushing attack led by second-year player Sony Michel.
Though there are a lot of questions offensively, what we can count on is the team being versatile and adjusting their game plan according to who they are facing on a week-to-week basis.
So, as the team heads into training camp, here are the top 5 New England Patriots offensive playmakers without Rob Gronkowski or Josh Gordon in the mix.
5. Ben Watson
If the New England Patriots end up depending on 38-year-old tight end Ben Watson as one of Tom Brady’s top targets in the offense, then it may be a long season for the defending Super Bowl champs on the offensive side of the ball.
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While there are a lot of question marks at the tight end position following the retirement of one Rob Gronkowski, Watson does present some reliability and familiarity with Tom Brady.
With 35 receptions and 400 receiving yards in 2018 with the New Orleans Saints, Watson’s production wasn’t that far off from what Gronkowski did with the team in his final season. When he does return from a four-game suspension to start the 2019 NFL season, expect Ben Watson to become red zone target for Brady. He can also still do a little damage down the seams.
So, depending on whether another tight end currently on the team steps up as a playmaker, Watson currently stands as one of the top playmakers due to experience and what he can still do on the football field.
The New England Patriots would certainly be a better team if Ben Watson turns out to be more of a depth piece than a top playmaker.
4. N’Keal Harry
On size and talent alone, New England Patriots first-round pick N’Keal Harry projects to be one of the team’s top offensive threats.
However, much of what Harry does in 2019 will depend on the chemistry and trusts he forms with Tom Brady.
So far, the elder quarterback and young rookie wide receiver have been putting in the extra work it takes aside from the practice field to make sure that happens.
Unless Josh Gordon is reinstated before the start of the season, expect Harry to be that outside threat in the passing game the team has been searching for. Similar to Gordon, the Arizona State product has the ability and size to outwork defenders for the football, which may lead to Brady looking his way more as the season goes on.
A lot of pressure on the first-round draft pick?
There will be some, but as long as Julian Edelman also shares the field, N’Keal Harry will have time to find his way in the offense. With Josh Gordon being the X-factor in the New England Patriots offense, Harry may thrive during his rookie season as a third receiving option.
Whatever ends up being the case, expect Harry to have some impact during the season. He is too physically talented not to.
3. James White
Although Tom Brady has lost one of his top targets in tight end Rob Gronkowski, one of his security blankets still remains.
While all the offseason talks surround whether Gronkowski will return and the high expectations of N’Keal Harry, running back James White has flown under the radar.
Perhaps that is a good thing for the New England Patriots since White is coming off a season in which he caught 87 passes for 751 yards out of the backfield. With his 123 targets in 2018, there is no doubt the Wisconsin product will remain in Brady’s circle of trust and may be targeted even more depending on how things pan out with the tight end position.
With durability also being on his side, James White has also emerged as one of the team’s most reliable players. Although he tailed off towards the end of the season, just having him on the field gives opposing defenses a weapon to worry about.
On a depth chart that includes Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and third-round pick Damien Harris, expect James White to be the team’s third- or second-best offensive playmaker for a while until other players at other positions find their comfort zones in the system.
2. Sony Michel
If Sony Michel remains healthy all season, he will be one of the team’s top offensive playmakers in 2019.
While the New England Patriots second-year running back is not considered a top 5 running back throughout the league, his maturity and what he can be within the Patriots’ offense makes him one of the team’s most valuable players.
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Again, that is depending on health as Michel is already going into training camp coming off an offseason procedure on his knee. Though he is expected to be “full tilt” going into the season, there is no guarantee when it comes to the strength and readiness of Sony Michel once the 2019 regular season actually starts.
That’s why the team has invested in third-round draft pick Damian Harris to serve as a bit of insurance in case there are injury concerns with Michel or Rex Burkhead.
Still, what Michel is capable of bringing to the table is magnified by what he did in the team’s Super Bowl run last season. He set an NFL playoff record with six rushing touchdowns as a rookie and his late fourth quarter run against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII was enough to put the game away.
In nearly rushing for 1,000 yards in a rookie season in which he was limited, Sony Michel is simply a producer when he is on the field. That will only get better entering his second season. If he can starts catching the ball out of the backfield, Michel will be a great weapon for Tom Brady and morph into one of the most dynamic offensive players in all the NFL.
1. Julian Edelman
The top ranked New England Patriots offensive playmaker going into training camp is no doubt Julian Edelman.
Not only is he Tom Brady’s top receiver now that Rob Gronkowski is retired, he is the team’s most motivational player and perhaps the most important player.
While there are a lot of questions surrounding the offense due to unknowns at both the wide receiver and tight end positions, the Patriots will ultimately be alright because they have the uncoverable force known as Julian Edelman – even at 32 years old.
What the Super Bowl LIII proved last season and throughout the team’s playoff run is that he is a player worthy of Hall-of-Fame consideration. He is not a flashy outside receiver, but what he does in the trenches and in big games simply cannot be denied.
With a new two-year contract extension, it is a foregone conclusion that Edelman will end his career with the New England Patriots, and he should. The definition of what it means to be a Patriot, he is the engine that will make the offensive train conducted by Tom Brady flow.
He will also help and inspire young weapons like N’Keal Harry and Braxton Berrios find their own niches in the offense as the 2019 NFL season progresses.
There is no arguing this one. Julian Edelman is the top playmaker and one reason the defending Super Bowl champions will be okay without Rob Gronkowski.