New England Patriots with Most to Prove in 2016

Not a year goes by that the New England Patriots aren't thinking about doing anything they can do to improve their roster.

There's no room for players who aren't living up to their contract, haven't shown enough signs of improvement or haven't stayed healthy. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is no stranger to making some difficult decisions when it comes to players who have played important roles for the team in the past.

With the Patriots, it's not about "what have you done for me lately?"; it's about "what will you do for me in the future?" And if these six players don't do good things in the future, their time with the Patriots may not last too long. 

Marcus Cannon

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In the grand scheme of things, the Patriots' problems aren't that big. Their focus this offseason has been to improve the depth chart behind their starters, and that is where the focus should remain, beginning with the backup offensive tackle spot. 

Make no mistake, the Patriots' tackle depth was depleted by injury in 2015. Their fourth and fifth offensive tackles (the fifth was actually a center, Bryan Stork) were the starters for Week 10 against the New York Giants. But time and time again, whether it was on the left or the right side of the offensive line, backup Marcus Cannon was exposed in the starting lineup. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Cannon ranked 44th out of 59 offensive tackles in pass-blocking efficiency. He allowed 31 total hurries (19 hurries, eight hits, four sacks), which ranked 40th, but he only played 365 snaps in pass protection, the fewest of the 59 qualifying tackles. 

Unless returning offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia still sees something in Cannon, the Patriots should be looking to upgrade the position this offseason. Given the fact that Cannon was drafted when Scarnecchia was a coach the first time around, it's possible that he still sees potential in the former fourth-round pick. But if Cannon continues to play the way he played last year, the Patriots can't justify keeping him around.

Aaron Dobson

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This is officially Aaron Dobson's second year in make-or-break mode; he had an up-and-down season in 2015, and he suffered yet another season-ending injury. Dobson has dealt with an injury at the end of each of his first three seasons in the league, and before each of those injuries, he was as consistent as cottage cheese.

Dobson played a good amount in the first three games of the season (144 out of 228 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus), but he didn't produce enough to warrant the playing time (nine catches, 101 yards). Yes, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski were soaking up targets, but Brandon LaFell had his fair share of footballs thrown in his direction in 2014 despite the presence of those two.

At this point, all we've seen from Dobson is inconsistent play and injuries. It's time that Dobson proves he can be more. And with the acquisitions of veteran wide receivers Chris Hogan and Nate Washington, the Patriots now have viable alternatives in the event that Dobson doesn't step up to the challenge.

Danny Amendola

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Over the past two years, wide receiver Danny Amendola has proven that the Patriots weren't crazy to sign him in lieu of Wes Welker back in 2013. He once again dealt with an injury in 2015, but it did not run his season off the rails as it did in his first year with the Patriots. He finished with 65 receptions for 648 yards and three touchdowns, the highest totals for each in his three-year Patriots career. 

So why does he have something to prove? Two reasons: salary and future role.

For starters, Amendola will count $6.8 million against the salary cap in 2016, according to Spotrac, which is more than either Edelman ($4.4 million) or Gronkowski ($6.6 million). There's also some question as to the size of Amendola's role going forward. With the acquisition of Martellus Bennett, the return of the two-tight end offense appears imminent. 

That means fewer snaps for the slot receiver and more exclusive roles for boundary receivers like Edelman, Hogan and Washington.

The Patriots will always be a game-plan offense, so having a talented slot receiver will never be a burden—especially with Tom Brady at quarterback. That being said, the money may not be in line with Amendola's outlook in 2016.

Tre' Jackson/Shaq Mason

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Tre' Jackson (63) and Shaq Mason (69) were both up and down as rookies.

The Patriots haven't exactly invested a heavy price in their offensive line. Guards Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason were selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Yet with just one year of experience for each, the Patriots will be in trouble if one or both linemen don't step up in 2016.

They're banking on big improvements from both with the return of Scarnecchia to the fold. Scarnecchia has a proven track record of developing raw but talented offensive linemen into starters, and he had a hand in scouting both Jackson and Mason, as well as 2014 fourth-round pick Stork. 

The expectation is that both Jackson and Mason will take major steps forward in 2016 with a full year of experience under their belts and better coaching. Josh Kline took over as needed when injuries cropped up or sometimes as a stopgap solution.

Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer are great building blocks on the outside, but until the interior offensive line play improves, the Patriots offense will fall short of its full potential.

Dion Lewis

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When the Patriots lost running back Dion Lewis in Week 9 against the Washington Redskins, their running game took a hit that never healed. The offense sorely needed his skills and ability to make defenders miss—the run blocking on the offensive line was such that no other kind of running back stood a chance.

That being said, the obstacles ahead of Lewis amount to more than just recovering from his torn ACL and the subsequent surgery to repair it. The typical 12-month timetable would put him back on the field in early November, but ACL rehab has advanced, and it is not uncommon for players to be ready to hit the field eight or 10 months later.

There will also be some questions as to whether Lewis was a one-year wonder, and given that he's recovering from a torn ACL, the 2016 season is not likely to be a good barometer one way or the other. 

Lewis will have stiff competition in the form of James White, the running back who took over the third-down responsibilities when Lewis was injured. If the Patriots sense that Lewis has taken a step back or is less than 100 percent, White is a strong alternative to push for that playing time.