The New England Patriots officially entered the post-Tom Brady era earlier in the offseason when he decided to depart for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many will be watching to see if they can continue to succeed without an NFL legend.
There is no doubt that the Patriots will need a variety of different players to step up to remain atop the AFC East standings in 2020. They finished with a 12-4 record last season with the Buffalo Bills finishing close behind going 10-6 overall and earning a Wild Card spot.
It wasn’t just Brady that departed the Patriots this offseason. The team’s linebacking corps took a hit with Kyle Van Noy and Jammie Collins signing with new teams. They also lost impact on the trenches on both sides of the ball with Danny Shelton and Ted Karras signing elsewhere, too.
It has become a habit for New England to operate in a way where they rely on player development to address a lot of their future roster needs before tey become apparent problems. They are able to allow veterans to walk in free agency without overspending to retain them, as a result.
With that being said, here are five Patriots players to keep a close eye on during the upcoming 2020 NFL season.
