In the last 24 hours, the Patriots roster has drastically changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the Patriots as six players have decided to opt-out of the 2020 season. Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Brandon Bolden, Marcus Cannon, Danny Vitale, and Najee Toran have decided to forgo the 2020 season due to health risks and personal situations. The decisions are alarming for the Patriots as six of the fifteen players to opt-out in the NFL are from the Patriots. The players should not be chastised for their decisions because they are doing what’s best for them. However, their decisions will have a big impact on the Patriots season, considering the team got worse.
On the offensive side of the football, the Patriots lost depth with the players who opted out. The Patriots signed Danny Vitale to a one-year deal this off-season to replace James Develin, who retired. Vitale is an average fullback who can contribute to the running and passing game. Vitale opting out hurts the Patriots because they need a fullback in their offense. The Patriots are one of the few teams in the league that utilizes a fullback because they think it’s important in the running game. Losing Vitale will alter the way the Patriots approach their running game as they will have to either adjust their philosophy or sign another fullback. The Patriots also lost running back Brandon Bolden, a key special teams contributor over the last few seasons. Bolden is seldomly used on offense, but his special teams’ contributions are what make him an important player for the Patriots. The Patriots take special teams seriously as they pay significant money for special teams players. Without Bolden, the Patriots’ special teams will take a hit in 2020. Also, the Patriots lost starting right tackle Marcus Cannon and guard Najee Toran. Cannon has started for the Patriots the last couple of years and has played well. Cannon started fifteen games for the Patriots last season, which gave the Patriots offensive line stability. Losing Cannon is a major blow to the offense because he has been a reliable player for them. The Patriots don’t have depth at the tackle position, so the team could look to move Joe Thuney over to right tackle to replace Cannon. Najee Toran opting out won’t have a big impact on the Patriots because he is simply a depth piece. The Patriots are well-equipped at the guard position, so losing Toran won’t hurt the Patriots. The Patriots offense should be able to manage the departures, but the defense is a much different story.
The Patriots defense lost Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung, which causes a major blow to the Patriot’s 2020 plans. Hightower and Chung have been key contributors to the Patriots’ success this decade as they have played the majority of the snaps. Last season Hightower and Chung played 78% of the snaps, which highlights their production and overall reliability. The Patriots are losing two tough-minded players on their defense that contribute in multiple ways. Hightower has been excellent in the run game, and he has been the signal-caller for the Patriots defense. This is a big blow for the Patriots as they will have to figure out who is going to call plays this season. Chung is an important player for the Patriots because he can stop the run and is great at covering tight ends. Chung is the best on the Patriots at covering tight ends because he is physical and smart. The Patriots can find a way to handle the loss of Chung because their secondary is the deepest group on the roster. Hightower, on the other hand, will be tough to replace as the Patriots have lost all of their starting linebackers from last season. The Patriots will now have to trust Ja’Whaun Bentley to lead the group and call plays. Also, the Patriots will need rookies Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings to have great rookie seasons. The defense is going to suffer in 2020 with the loss of Hightower and Chung.
The only positive of the opt-outs is that the Patriots now have over 24 million in cap space. NFL teams receive a player’s salary if they are to opt-out, which gives teams a chance to improve their roster. The Patriots benefit from extra cap space as the Patriots have holes on their roster. The Patriots got worse today, and I think the opt-outs further prove that the Patriots are going to lose the division. The Patriots lack depth in key areas that I think will be hard to overcome. The linebacking core is thin, which worries me because the Patriots are going to be relying on rookies to perform right away. The Patriots also lack speed on offense, which will hurt them against good defenses. The Patriots have to improve their roster if they want to be successful in 2020. The Patriots can use the 24 million to sign Jadeveon Clowney to improve their defense. Clowney is an elite pass rusher, but he can also play linebacker, which would help the Patriots. Signing Clowney should be a no brainer at this point considering the Patriots have the money to get it done. The Patriots could also look to sign Mychal Kendricks or Mike Daniels to improve their defense.
The Patriots took a major hit in the last 24 hours with the changes on their roster. The Patriots are going to struggle in 2020, and the division seems to be over already. The Patriots have to sign players if they want to compete for the division this season. Patriots fans should continue to watch for other opt-outs as players have until Monday, August 3rd, to make their decision. The Patriots can’t afford to lose more players, so hopefully, the roster remains the same by Monday.
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