Patriots Starting Offense on Valentine’s Day Is Undesirable

The NFL calendar serves as a reminder that Valentine’s Day is a long way from the start of the regular season. Teams still have more than six months to improve their rosters through trades, free agency, and the NFL Draft. The New England Patriots will need to make plenty of upgrades to the team that finished 4-13 in 2023. No aspect of the Patriots roster needs more attention than their offense.

New England’s offensive struggles last season are not breaking news.  Some defensive coaches were brought back to work under head coach Jerod Mayo. But the Patriots replaced their entire offensive staff, including offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Their starting offensive tackles are set to hit free agency, including the team’s offensive MVP from 2023, Mike Onwenu. Starting left guard Cole Strange ended last season on injured reserve and his return date is still unknown.

People are debating on what the New England Patriots need most on offense. In reality, they need almost everything. If the 2024 season were to begin in six days instead of six months, the starting unit would leave a lot to be desired.

Starting New England Patriots Offense on Valentine’s Day

Quarterback – Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe

Running Back – Rhamondre Stevenson

Wide Receivers – DeMario Douglas, DeVante Parker, and JuJu Smith-Schuster

Tight End – La’Michael Pettway

Left Tackle – Vederian Lowe

Left Guard – Atonio Mafi

Center – David Andrews

Right Guard – Sidy Sow

Right Tackle – Conor McDermott

Where do they go from here?

It is hard to imagine New England heading into Week 1 without upgrading at least five of these positions. They continue to search for a franchise quarterback while needing to find that player both weapons and protection. Pettway is the only tight end currently on the Patriots roster. There is a lot of work to do.

This is not being written to discourage New England Patriots fans about the 2024 season. It is just a reminder of how much work there is still to be done. One player, or even a few, isn’t going to turn things around for New England. The Patriots need to make several changes to their offense if they want to feel love from their fans in the fall.