New England Patriots: 8 newcomers who will make big impacts in 2021
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots took free agency by storm by spending like the team has never spent before.
With some flashy free agent signings on both sides of the ball, Belichick wasn’t playing around in adding some talent to his team which did spill over into the 2021 NFL Draft.
Not only did the Patriots coach and general manager add some weapons on offense, he drafted a quarterback in the first round, which again was uncharacteristic, but it was a need the team had to address.
Whether Mac Jones makes an immediate impact or not, the Patriots drafted their future while adding players in free agency and through the draft that can help the team improve on a 7-9 record in the 202 NFL season. Who will have the biggest impact?
Well, there are certainly a lot of first time Patriots to chose from. Here are 8 of them.
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No.8: Kendrick Bourne is tailor made for the New England Patriots offense
It is going to be weird not seeing Julian Edelman in a New England Patriots uniform in 2021. The retirement of No. 11 put even more emphasis on a positional need that has been plaguing the team for the last two seasons.
While Belichick did spend some serious cash at the tight end position, did he do enough at wide receiver by signing Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne?
The jury will be out on Agholor as the outside threat, but Bourne could really be the prize because he represents the type of receiver that usually flourishes in the Patriots’ offense.
At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Bourne is more a possession type receiver who fits that David Givens mode. With 217 catches for 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last 50 games played, Bourne will be a nice second or third option who will add both stability and reliability to the Patriots wide receiver group.
The prediction here is that he will have more of an impact than Agholor because of his versatility and ability to move around in different formations. He also can play the slot. He didn’t show much in the preseason opener, but Bourne will be a favorite target of either Cam Newton or Mac Jones early in the season because of his sure hands and route running.