The AFC East is projected to be possibly the strongest division in the NFL this coming season. The Bills, Jets, and Dolphins all have high aspirations, and should be in the thick of the playoff picture when all is said and done. And then there are the Patriots.
Patriots Depth Chart: Enough Weapons For Mac Jones?
Remember when Mac Jones threw an absolute LASER to Hunter Henry for a late touchdown in Indy? 🤯 #ForeverNE • #Patriots pic.twitter.com/wBFZw5fzoY
— ⅃AͶᗡOͶ ᴴᵒᵖᵏⁱⁿˢ (@sadpatsfan__) August 23, 2023
New England spent the better part of two decades making life miserable for the other three. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick formed what wound up being the greatest dynasty that the game has ever seen, winning 16 of a possible 17 division titles from 2003 until 2019, gathering up six Super Bowl rings in that time.
But the tables have turned recently. Brady left a few seasons ago, and things haven’t been the same since. They have an even .500 record over the three years, and made the playoffs once. Things may get even worse in 2023, as New England has, on paper, one of the most talentless teams in the NFL.
Look no further than the offensive weaponry that quarterback Mac Jones has to work with. The Patriots will start the season DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster as their top two receivers, with Tyquan Thornton in the slot. Smith Schuster hasn’t had a 1,000 yard season since 2018, and has a total of three touchdowns over the last two seasons. He did get close to the 1k yardage mark in 2022, but it took playing with Patrick Mahomes in order to even have a chance. How will he do with Jones throwing him the ball?
Parker, Smith-Schuster Should Lead The Way
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The #Patriots haven’t made a decision yet on if UDFA QB/WR Malik Cunningham will be kept on the 53 man roster, per @jeffphowe
He’s balled out this preseason and definitely deserves a shot somewhere if it isn’t in New England. pic.twitter.com/uMS6fZ6J7C
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 28, 2023
Parker is entering his second season with the Patriots, catching 31 balls last year for just over 500 yards. He figures to be well past his prime (if he ever had one), and may not be Jones’ favorite target, despite being brought in to be just that. Thornton caught 22 passes last year and scored two touchdowns.
Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, and Demario Douglas will likely round out the top-6. Malik Cunningham is a fringe hopeful who will find out his fate in the coming hours.
There is a newcomer at tight end in Mike Gesicki, who will likely split time with high-priced Hunter Henry. These two might be the most reliable of any target that Jones has.
And then there is Mac Jones himself. The Patriots are obviously not sold on his potential to be the next franchise quarterback. There was a mid-season benching in 2022, and rumors that he was on the trade block as recently as this off-season. It will certainly be a make-or-break year for the third-year QB out of Alabama, as the team has Bailey Zappe waiting in the wings if mistakes do begin to occur.
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