New England Patriots: 5 third-year players with everything to gain in 2020

New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley can deliever.

With Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts departing the New England Patriots, third-year linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley has a major opportunity to shine in 2020.

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In racking up 44 combined tackles in 2019, Bentley bounced back nicely in his second season in the NFL in a limited role.

Let’s remember, he did turn heads in the first couple games of the 2018 season because he landed on injured reserve.  He also beat out Elandon Roberts for the middle linebacker starting role going into that season, so that fact made Roberts expendable in free agency.

So, what to expect in 2020 from Ja’Whuan Bentley?

With just himself, Dont’a Hightower and John Simon left from that “Boogie man” linebacker group, Bentley has a major opportunity to be the starting middle linebacker as well as a leader for the Patriots in 2020.

Compared to former Patriots player and current linebacker’s coach Jerod Mayo both on and off the field, Ja’Whaun Bentley is a player who exudes confidence and plays the game with a chip on his shoulder.

Healthy and with more snaps, he will really get the opportunity to finish what he started at the beginning of the 2018 NFL season and that is to be the team’s starting middle linebacker and be that run stopping force he was known to be coming out of college.