The New England Patriots have a big offseason ahead of them after missing the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. With the Bill Belichick era in the rearview mirror, Jerod Mayo is the new head coach steering the ship and it's now up to management to give him the proper pieces to succeed going forward.
If the Patriots want to produce better results in 2024, shaking up the starting lineup is an obvious move. While some of New England's starters had decent showing last seasons, others were key reasons behind the team's shortcomings.
Here are four Patriots starters who must be replaced this offseason.
1. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
The Patriots hoped that JuJu Smith-Schuster would become their No. 1 wide receiver when they inked him to a three-year, $33 million contract last offseason. After all, the ex-USC Trojan is a former 1,400-yard wideout and just won Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs last February.
Unfortunately, the 27-year-old left much to be desired. Smith-Schuster started in seven of his 11 appearances, converting 29 receptions into 260 yards with one touchdown — by far the worst performance of his career. He also carried an abysmal 48.2 passer rating on the 47 targets he saw.
It's become increasingly clear that Smith-Schuster might not be the everyday starter that he once was. Yes, he nearly had 1,000 yards in 2022, but that had a lot to do with Patrick Mahomes passing him the ball. I just can't see him returning to that level in New England — especially with the Patriots likely using a rookie QB next season.
If the Patriots can replace Smith-Schuster with a WR1 through the draft or free agency, they can't afford to hesitate.
2. CB J.C. Jackson
The Patriots attempted to improve their cornerback room when they acquired J.C. Jackson and a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a sixth-rounder in October. Jackson previously signed with New England as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent four seasons with the franchise in his first stint.
While Jackson was an All-Pro second-team CB the last time Patriots fans saw him, that wasn't the case in 2023. The Immokalee, FL native started in six of his eight appearances with the Pats, recording 25 tackles and six defended passes while allowing 29 completions for 394 yards and four TDs on 51 targets.
Jackson went on to finish the campaign as Pro Football Focus' worst-graded cornerback in terms of coverage (30.8) and overall defense (34.8). So yeah, it's easy to see why Patriots fans wouldn't mind seeing him replaced.
3. OG Atonio Mafi
The Patriots selected Atonio Mafi 144th overall at the 2023 NFL Draft, hoping he could bolster the offensive line. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound guard was fresh off a second-team All-Pac-12 campaign at UCLA and looked like he had the tools to succeed on an NFL O-line.
Nevertheless, Mafi was the source of many Patriots fans' headaches this season. He allowed a whopping 32 pressures (24 hurries, 5 sacks, 3 hits) on 296 pass-block snaps and was even tied for the seventh-most penalties (7). When it came to PFF's grades for fellow guards, the San Mateo, CA native ranked second-worst at run blocking, fourth-worst at pass blocking, and second-worst overall.
Mafi only turns 24 in October, so, in theory, he still has time to get better. On the flip side, the Patriots need the best O-line possible if they want their future quarterback to succeed. Even though Mafi "only" started in five of his 17 appearances last season, it's clear that giving him more starts could be detrimental to the offense going forward.
For now, it's clear that a backup role is best for Mafi.
4. QB Mac Jones
It can be argued that no Patriots starter is more deserving of being replaced than Mac Jones.
Once pegged as New England's franchise QB, Jones was fairly abysmal throughout the 2023 campaign. The former Alabama gunslinger only made 11 starts due to his struggles, converting 64.9% of passing attempts for 2,120 passing yards, 10 TDs, and 12 interceptions with a career-low 77.0 passer rating.
Jones' play has declined ever since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021. Even though a turnaround isn't unfathomable (he's only 25), it's hard to have a ton of faith in a quarterback who was replaced by Bailey Zappe four times in 2023.
The Patriots currently hold the third overall selection at the 2024 NFL Draft, making it easier to imagine them replacing the struggling signal-caller. With a chance to draft someone like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams, there isn't a good reason to keep Jones as the starting QB in 2024 or beyond.
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