The New England Patriots are entering a season full of question marks, but these players are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
We don’t know when the NFL season will start. We don’t even know if it will start at all, but right now it gives us hope looking forward to what could become of the New England Patriots 2020 season.
This is the start of a new era in New England. The roster has undergone quite the transformation and pillars of the franchise have left. The status quo has been demolished and a new foundation will be set at Gillette Stadium.
Because of this, New England Patriots fans will be focused on some new players while others will still have the focus of the loyal fan base. It is time for new leaders and stars to emerge.
Devin McCourty, Julian Edelman, and Dont’a Hightower will have an increased leadership role. On both sides of the ball there needs to be improved play. Even the kicking game has undergone a transformation.
It will be interesting to see what new stars emerge and who falls into obscurity. There are definitely players who are looking to make up for a poor 2019 season.
So these are the 5 players you are going to want to watch in 2020. They have a lot to prove and depending on how they do, they could become a major part of the Patriots team for now and possibly the foreseeable future.
Jarrett Stidham
It’s not a surprise but all eyes will be on Jarrett Stidham. He has been handed the toughest job in the world. Stidham has to replace Tom Brady.
Stidham has some large shoes to fill. It’s highly unlikely that he will succeed in replacing Brady but no matter what people will be watching.
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I am really excited to see what Stidham can do. He played at a big SEC school and got to study under the greatest quarterback of all time. I think Stidham will surprise a lot of people.
The Patriots are not guaranteed to win 11 or 12 games anymore. Now every game will be a challenge.
But I’m hopeful that Stidham will lead New England in the right direction. He possibly can even lead them into the playoffs.
The New England Patriots offense has a chance to be more exciting. Stidham has a quality arm which might lead to some more deep balls being thrown. Patriots fans aren’t exactly used to seeing that.
So Jarrett Stidham will have the eyes of the entire NFL on him and we will just have to wait and see what he can do.
N’Keal Harry
N’Keal Harry had an interesting season. It started off poorly with him missing him a lot of games due to injury that occurred in the preseason.
Even then when he finally made it on the field he struggled. He and Tom Brady were not on the same page. Wel all know how much Brady loves rookie receivers.
But we got to see some flashed of what Harry can do. He is an athletic receiver who can make some great plays.
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Last season Harry had 12 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. After drafting Harry in the 1st round that was well below expectations.
But this season I am excited to see what N’Keal Harry can do. This could be a breakout season for the young wideout.
I expect to see Jarrett Stidham rely on Harry more. Unlike Tom Brady, he will actually trust the wideout. If Harry can make the plays he will put up some good numbers.
I can’t wait to see what Harry can do this season. All Patriots fans should be excited about the potential that he possesses. He very well might become the Patriots No.1 wideout once Julian Edelman retires.
Ja’Whaun Bentley
Ja’Whaun Bentley burst onto the scene in 2018. He became a quality linebacker that the Patriots could rely on. Then he got hurt and missed the rest of the season.
In 2019, Bentley was able to stay healthy but still started the same amount of games (2). He did improve though with 44 tackles.
The reason to focus on Bentley is I want to see if he continues to progress. Bentley has shown some potential to be a middle linebacker you can build your defense around.
Bentley is great at stopping the run and also is serviceable in coverage. If we can see Bentley improve as a pass rusher he could become a replacement for Dont’a Hightower. Sadly Hightower isn’t a spring chicken anymore and now that linebackers are retiring closer to 30 he might not be playing a lot longer.
Also, the Patriots lost both Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts to free agency. Bentley should get a lot of playing time in 2020.
So I will be keeping an eye on Bentley. Hopefully, he will improve on a quality start to his career.
Chase Winovich
Chase Winovich is another young player whose career has gotten off to quite the start. He has become a great addition to the Patriots defensive line.
In 16 games last season, Winovich racked up 5.5 sacks and 26 tackles. That is pretty impressive for a rookie.
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This season more responsibility will be put on Winovich. The Patriots will need Winovich to continue to get to the quarterback.
If we see Winovich get closer to 7 sacks this season he could become the Patriots supreme rusher. Those types of numbers are close to what New England was getting from Trey Flowers (if that is the case the Patriots better not let Winovich go).
I think we will see Winovich improve. He showed so much talent as a rookie and now that he has former college teammate Josh Uche on the roster I think he will be even better. Those two could become a very dangerous duo.
In his first season, Winovich became beloved by fans. He is just a guy that fans can relate to and also reminds you of Rob Gronkowski (he is like a diet version of Gronk).
So make sure to keep an eye on Chase Winovich in 2020.
Sony Michel
Sony Michel was a topic of contention in 2019. After a superb start to his career, 2019 was quite the letdown.
Michel put up similar numbers compared to 2018, but he failed to gather yards at a reasonable pace. Every run seemed to go for 1 or 2 yards. Michel just wasn’t the same player in 2019.
Now there will be a lot of pressure on Michel. There is no doubt that New England will have a more balanced offense. Michel and the rest of the running backs will be getting a lot more carries.
Michel needs to accumulate yards at a much better pace in 2020. Last season it seemed like all Michel could do was run into the offensive line. That can’t happen again.
Hopefully, Michel will bounce back. If he doesn’t the Patriots could look at another option at running back.
So now all we can do is wait and hope that the NFL season starts on time and we get to see the New England Patriots back at Gillette Stadium.