Winners and Losers of New England Patriots' Offseason so Far
We're used to seeing the New England Patriots do their fair share of winning on the football field—the team hasn't had a losing campaign since the year 2000. The franchise recently received its fifth set of Super Bowl rings, which is a testament to the sustained success.
The Patriots have also been considered big winners of this offseason as well, with additions like Stephon Gilmore, Mike Gillislee, Kony Ealy and Brandin Cooks expected to bolster the roster.
Of course, not everyone in New England has been winning so far this offseason. While the team as a whole looks stronger on paper than it did before the offseason, things haven't been universally great on an individual case-by-case basis.
Training camp for the Patriots won't begin until late July, and the team's first preseason game isn't until August 10. However, there have already been some winners and losers this offseason in New England. We're here to examine the biggest winners and losers as the Patriots head into summer.
Loser: Dion Lewis
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Running back Dion Lewis has been sort of a jack-of-all-trades during his time with the Patriots. He has run the ball, caught passes out of the backfield and from the receiver position and has also returned kicks. Unfortunately, Lewis is in a contract year and hasn't been helped by this offseason's additions.
New England brought in two new running backs to help share the load in the backfield, Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead. The fact that Burkhead and returning back James White can both be used as runners and receivers—the same way Lewis is often used—could significantly cut into Lewis' playing time.
White, by the way, was given a new three-year, $12 million extension this offseason. He, Gillislee and Burkhead are all under contract for at least the next two seasons.
The Patriots also added pass-catchers Brandin Cooks and Dwayne Allen in the offseason, moves that could further diminish Lewis' role in the passing game. With fewer touches, Lewis could have a difficult time putting up the kind of numbers that would justify a significant contract in New England or elsewhere.
Lewis, to his credit, is focusing on his role this season, not the future.
"You can't think of who they bring in and why did they bring them in," Lewis explained, per Doug Kyed of NESN.com. "You've just go to compete against those guys and do the best you can and try to get a role on the team."
Lewis will probably have a role this season, but the offensive additions could make it difficult for him to earn a role—and a hefty payday—beyond 2017.
Winner: Trey Flowers
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Second-year defensive end Trey Flowers had a breakout year in 2016, leading the defense with 7.0 sacks. Now entering his third season, Flowers should have some help along the defensive front to help take some pressure off of him as he continues to develop as a pass-rusher.
Last season, the Patriots relied on Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long in a three-man defensive end rotation with Flowers. Long and Sheard combined for just 9.0 sacks, and the Patriots only produced 34 sacks on the season.
This offseason, New England traded for Kony Ealy and signed Lawrence Guy. They also drafted edge-rusher Derek Rivers in the third round to help bolster the pass rush. On paper, the new-look front should prevent opposing offenses from primarily focusing on slowing Flowers.
The addition of cornerback Stephon Gilmore should also prevent opposing quarterbacks from having as many open looks in the passing game. If he and Malcolm Butler can consistently shut down a quarterback's first two options, Flowers and the rest of the New England pass rush is going to have just a little extra time to reach the quarterback.
Loser: Malcolm Butler
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On one hand, the addition of Gilmore will help Butler because it will give him a quality running mate in the New England secondary. On the other hand, the addition puts a pretty big cloud over Butler's future with the Patriots.
Gilmore was given a five-year, $65 million deal in free agency. Butler was given a first-round tender as a restricted free agent and will play for just $3.9 million in 2017.
Financially, Butler has lost in a big way this offseason. Not only has he been forced to watch as his new teammate gobbled up large chunks of future cap dollars—money that may now prevent the Patriots from inking Butler to a long-term deal—but Butler has zero security beyond this season.
One significant injury in 2017 and Butler may never cash in with a big second contract.
According to safety Devin McCourty, the entire offseason drama hasn't affected Butler's focus on the coming season.
"No matter what happened off the field. It hasn't bothered him to me, that I've seen, in any way," McCourty said, per Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com.
Realistically, though, Butler cannot possibly be satisfied with how the offseason has unfolded.
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Winner: Matt Patricia
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We should probably give an honorable mention to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for winning with his new toys. However, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia seems to be an even bigger winner thanks to the pieces that have been added to his side of the ball.
Patricia oversaw a defense that was already pretty darn good in 2016. In fact, the Patriots led the league in scoring defense with an average of just 15.6 points per game allowed.
However, we did see in Super Bowl LI how an elite offense like the Atlanta Falcons could do damage against even Patricia's unit. To counter, the Patriots got younger on the defensive front—presumably adding more burst to the pass rush—and added a Pro Bowl cornerback to play opposite All-Pro Butler.
The ability of Gilmore and Butler to match up with top receivers one-on-one should give Patricia even more flexibility with his defensive scheme. It doesn't hurt that the team brought back versatile linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
Don't be a bit surprised if Patricia's defense is even more dominant than the unit we saw a year ago.
Loser: Danny Amendola
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Wideout Danny Amendola had a hand in helping the Patriots win Super Bowl LI. However, his future with the team beyond 2017 is in question. He is entering the final year of his current contract and was forced to restructure his deal for the third time to even stay on the roster this offseason.
Taking a pay cut is never a good way to start an offseason, but things got even more uncertain for Amendola when the team added Cooks to the receiver room. He and Julian Edelman are now likely the Patriots' top two receivers. Either Chris Hogan or second-year man Malcolm Mitchell will probably step onto the field when Edelman slides into the slot.
This leaves Amendola with a role as backup slot receiver and as a return specialist. As is the case with Lewis, this could make it difficult for Amendola to put up noteworthy numbers on offense this season.
For a player in a contract year—especially one who will turn 32 in November—all of this makes for a losing offseason. It's hard to see Amendola being on the New England roster beyond 2017. If the new additions lead to a lackluster season for Amendola, it's also going to be hard to net a sizable contract next offseason.
Winner: Rob Gronkowski
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Injuries robbed tight end Rob Gronkowski of the majority of his 2016 campaign, but the monstrous pass-catcher is back and appears to be 100 percent.
"All the hard work you put in is what you're going to get out of it," Gronkowski said, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "I love to put in the work, love the challenge sometimes. So it is what it was. Now I'm good to go."
In addition to being healthy, Gronkowski watched as the Patriots added Allen to complement him at the tight end position. The addition of Cooks should also help Gronkowski put up numbers as the receiver's speed will make it difficult for opposing teams to shadow Gronk with two defenders.
Gronkowski has plenty of reasons to want big numbers this season, after signing a restructured deal with the Patriots. His new contract is an incentive-laden deal that could pay him up to $10.75 million in 2017, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
More money, more weapons around him to command defensive attention and a clean bill of health make Gronkowski a definite winner of the offseason.
Loser: Cyrus Jones
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Butler isn't the only cornerback on this list who has had a rough start to the offseason. 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones also hasn't had a winning offseason.
The first blow for Jones came when the team added Gilmore. His addition will help keep Jones buried on the depth chart, as Gilmore, Butler and Eric Rowe are likely to be the team's primary corners. Had the Patriots not brought in Gilmore to replace the departed Logan Ryan, Jones might have had a shot at earning more playing time.
Jones had a hard time getting on the field as a defender last season, and when the team tried him as a returner, the results were often disastrous. He returned 19 total kicks and fumbled the ball five times.
According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Jones is still struggling as a returner in offseason workouts.
"Maybe the Patriots should at least temporarily allow Cyrus Jones to exclusively focus on playing cornerback, Howe wrote last month. "Jones struggled again as a punt returner Thursday during practice. He misplayed several balls, either losing them in the wind or outright dropping them."
Given Jones' continued struggles as a returner, it could be hard for him to get on the field at all this year. The fact Lewis and Amendola could both see even more time in returner roles only increases the chances that Jones will be a complete afterthought.
Winner: Tom Brady
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It's been a pretty good offseason for quarterback Tom Brady so far. He just picked up his fifth Super Bowl ring, he has a healthy Gronkowski on the practice field and he picked up a slew of new offensive weapons.
Brady wasn't wanting for weapons last season, but New England has added Gillislee, Burkhead, Cooks and Allen to the crew. This gives the offense, and Brady, a ton of flexibility in the passing game. It won't matter is the offense is in a four-receiver set, a two-tight-end formation or if three are three backs in the backfield—Brady will have multiple quality targets in each.
Let's not forget that Brady, even as he approached age 40, is playing at the top of his game. In just 12 games, he passed for 3,554 yards, 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He did it without Gronkowski on the field for much of the year.
With Gronk back and guys like Cooks and Allen also in the mix, Brady could be virtually unstoppable in 2017.
*All contract information via Spotrac, unless otherwise noted.
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