Five Key Patriots For Third-Straight Super Bowl Trip

As we settle into the void and mentally prepare for the coming Patriots campaign, it’s hard to be too reflective about the team without getting sucked into a meaningless direction. There’s just so much noise — the centerpieces of the Patriots current dynasty are in the middle of it all — Belichick, Brady, Gronk and Edelman are pretty much the only employees in Foxboro that get any attention these days and most of it is of the shit-stirring negative kind.

That leaves the great majority of the 2018 Patriots team somewhat in the dark. Coming off a Super Bowl loss is always so painful and strange. Yes, you had a great season and came within inches of the goal, but the ending was a painful car crash that easily overshadowed most of how impressive the 2017 team actually was.

When the Patriots experience the kind of injuries the 2017 team did, they usually fall short. 2005 they didn’t make it out of the divisional round, 2013 and 2015 they bowed out in Denver. Going toe-to-toe with Philly was more impressive and unlikely than most would give them credit for.

Is there any questions that Dont’a Hightower and Julian Edelman (cough, or Malcolm Butler) could’ve swung a third Super Bowl title in four years the Pats’ way? Thems the breaks when you’re in Patriots Nation at this stage.

The Patriots were the same old Patriots in 2017. There’s plenty of chatter about what was going on both in front and behind the scenes last season, but what we once again saw on the field right till the end was a resilient, tough football team that took a 60-minute perfect game to defeat.

There’s little reason to think that won’t once again be the case this year. The Patriots are healthy and have added a number of interesting free agents. All that adds to an influx of intrigue at a number of positions.

Here are five guys that I’ve been focusing on as I twiddle my thumbs counting down till training camp.

1. Adrian Clayborn — Clayborn was with the top unit in the minicamp one the defensive right side. By trickle-down effect, Clayborn is really the replacement for Rob Ninkovich, a somewhat(?) surprising retirement early in training camp last season. I’m not sure if the Pats expected Nink to call it quits, but it thrust rookie Dietrich Wise into a prominent role and put even more pressure on Trey Flowers. Now Flowers will likely switch over to Ninkovich’s former left side spot, where he played down the stretch last season. Flowers will have to drop into coverage more on the left side, so it’s vital that Clayborn be everything they need him to be on the right side. He certainly has the skillset to set a hard edge and also cause disruption, but every defensive end goes through adjustments in New England. Just ask Cassius Marsh. If Clayborn delivers it will lock down the front of the defense and allow them to get creative with Hightower, and maybe Derek Rivers.
2. Jordan Matthews — I’m pretty sure I mention Matthews in everything I write these days because I just believe without Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman (for the first four games probably), Brady must find a new go-to guy who can get open quick. This is most critical on third down where the Pats fell from 4th (45.8 percent) to 10th (40.6 percent). And that was still with super clutch Danny Amendola! Matthews led the league in yards from the slot from 2014-2016. Stats like that give me optimism that he’s going to pair with Chris Hogan to make the majority of the Patriots passing attack. Hogan isn’t that slot guy. Hogan is best as the outside X-receiver, a spot he excelled in solely in 2016. That role was reduced with the addition of Brandin Cooks and then Edelman’s injury. Hogan’s at his best running the deep slants and that’s what he should return to with Cooks gone and Matthews’ presence. If Matthews clicks with Brady he might be next in the Brown-Branch-Welker-Edelman/Amendola line.
3. Trent Brown — I’m all over the map with the big tackle. I could see him cut, I could see him the backup swing tackle, I could see him starting at left tackle. What’s gonna happen? Isaiah Wynn seems to fit the athletic model despite his size limitations. The Patriots’ offense seems very different depending on whether Brown or Wynn is at left tackle. LaAdrian Waddle is somewhere in the middle and that’s why we can’t rule him out for multiple spots either. But I think Brown is the first chip to fall. If he just can’t get out on screens or struggles against speed rushers it will limit the playbook. If they don’t mind and like his size and mauling ability it might spark the Pats’ ground game. No question left tackle is the most interesting spot on this team in camp.
4. Jason McCourty — Between being Dev’s twin and putting together a solid start to his career with crappy teams, we all just penciled in Jason to start with Stephon Gilmore. But then a funny thing happened on the way to minicamp. He was hanging out on the sideline and not starting, watching rookies like Keion Crossen and JC Jackson makes plays in his place. Maybe it’s an injury or maybe it’s not, but until I see McCourty out there with the 1s I should refrain from putting him atop the depth chart. No one wants to hear it but Eric Rowe could possibly be the starter, at least out of the training camp gate. Unless Crossen or Jackson are the real deal, and that might be more exciting than having the McCourty secret twin code defensive backfield.
5. Harvey Langi — Langi is another one I think I mention a lot and that’s because I am very curious if he makes a move to the middle after spending many, many preseason snaps last year on the edge. Langi settled in at middle linebacker in college after playing multiple positions, including running back early on. He was active but undersized for the edge, though his quickness still allowed him to make some plays. He’s not the “thumper” that Elandon Roberts is, but is more athletic. A Bruschi-style move to the middle could give the Pats a good option at a spot where they struggled last year — covering the middle of the field. Give me the Hightower-Langi-Van Noy linebacking trio.