As the New England Patriots are continuing their first losing season in years, the question is now arising about their roster quality, suggesting their young players and recent draft choices made by the team haven’t met the mark.
This is ever so important issue in their Post-Brady state.
The last time the Patriots had a losing season was back in 2000. That year was coach Bill Belichick’s first year with the team. Since then, the team has had unprecedented success with six Super Bowl wins with their former star quarterback Tom Brady. Brady had been essential in their past success along with Belichick.
In 2017, the team had drafted four players and only two of those are still with the team. Those two players are Derek Rivers and Deatrich Wise Jr., who are reserve defensive ends.
From their 2018 draft selection, they traded cornerback Duke Dawson and only have four players from that draft year still on the roster. Their 2019 first-round pick wide receiver N’Kneal Harry has not developed well in comparison to other first-round wide receivers from that same draft class. Their 2020 draft picks have not been developing with the only exception being their sixth-round offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, who has become a starter.
Belichick responded when asked if he has trouble getting good production from their draft picks. “Any time you bring a player on to your team, you put him into a role or situation that you think fits him,” he said. “Sometimes you have to modify that a little bit as you get to know the player. Then you work with him to try to develop that. He competes with other players at whatever position it is or whatever role it is.
Belichick later added that he is confident in his choices. “Ultimately we choose, I choose, the best player out of that competition,” he said. “So that’s really the process. I don’t know how else to answer the question. Obviously, each player is different, each player competes with different players, positions are different.”
