Tom Brady is no longer a member of the New England Patriots and these five players will definitely notice his absence.
For a while now New England Patriots fans have come to grips that Tom Brady is no longer a part of the team. As they say, time heals all wounds.
Brady is now galavanting in Florida ignoring guidelines from health officials and holding workouts with his teammates. He really is trying to become the stereotypical Florida man.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
At first, it was terrible to see Brady leave. He should have spent his entire career in New England, but real life is no fairytale. Not every career has a storybook ending. At the end of the day, the NFL is a business.
So now the Patriots are entering a new era. This is the first time in a while that Brady won’t be under center. The keys will be handed over to Jarrett Stidham or Cam Newton.
It will be interesting to see how the Patriots do. Will they sink or will they perform well due to the coaching of Bill Belichick amongst other factors?
There will definitely be some players that miss having Brady around. having the greatest quarterback of all time as a teammate can make your life a lot easier.
Also, there is the personal connection. Brady made lots of friends during his time in New England.
So while some players might be better off, here are the three Patriots players who will miss Brady the most.
Julian Edelman
This is obvious. Julian Edelman didn’t just lose his quarterback, he lost his best friend. Edelman loved playing with Brady.
It seemed like Edelman took Brady’s departure to heart. For a brief period, he even unfollowed the QB on Instagram.
More from New England Patriots
- 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
- 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
- Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
- New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
On the field, I think there will be a lot more pressure on Edelman. He will be relied on even more to produce.
Also, there will be a chip on his shoulder to succeed. A lot of people give credit to Brady for Edelman’s success. This will be Edelman’s first opportunity to prove that he really is one of the best wideouts in the NFL.
Edelman will also be looked at as a leader in the locker room. He is now the grizzled veteran on offense.
It will be interesting to see how Edelman performs in his first season without Brady. I could imagine him having a career-high amount of catches or having a down year. We will just have to wait and see.
Edelman will be an interesting player to watch in 2020 and will be a key part of the offense. His season will play a major part in the success of the team as a whole. A down year for Edelman could make for a long season in New England.
Sony Michel
Brady and Sony Michel had an interesting relationship. There were definitely some growing pains when Michel was a rookie.
There were times when Michel would drop a pass or make a mistake and you could see that Brady was not happy.
Now there is a chance that Michel has success now that Brady is gone. It is likely that New England will be running the ball a lot more.
But Michel could struggle. Now that Brady is gone teams won’t have to protect against the pass as much. No matter how good Newton or Stidham ends up being, defenses will be much more prepared to defend the run.
Last season with Brady on the roster Michel still struggled to gain yards. His yards per attempt dropped from 4.5 to 3.7. If Michel continues to struggle the Patriots run game could be nonexistent.
That would be awful seeing that New England will have to have a more balanced offense in 2020.
So even though the Patriots will be running the ball a lot more. Michel could be missing Brady a lot in 2020.
3. James White
Brady and James White have built quite the chemistry over the years. White has become a crucial part of New England’s offense.
Even though he is a running back White became one of Brady’s favorite targets in the passing game. In 2019, White had 72 catches for 645 yards and 5 touchdowns. A lot of receivers would aspire for those numbers.
Now that Brady is gone it will be interesting to see how White is used. There is a chance that we see him used more in the running game.
Still, if White is used in the passing game his numbers could take a hit without Brady. Whoever is the new Qb will have to build chemistry with him right away.
So the Patriots offseason sure has been interesting and that was before they decided to sign Newton. This season seems to be filled with question marks and that can be interesting but also disheartening.