The New England Patriots’ team-building philosophy is not centered around a few high-priced star players, but instead based on the idea that a strong foundation across the board is the secret to success. Of that, the team has had plenty under head coach and de facto general manger Bill Belichick since 2000. Heading into his 21st year at the helm, however, the Patriots’ depth will be tested in truly unique ways coming off an offseason dominated by personnel changes.
Not only did New England lose core players such as Tom Brady or Kyle Van Noy in free agency, the team recently also saw six more men decide to sit out the 2020 season: the NFL and NFLPA added an opt-out clause to the Collective Bargaining Agreement due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and the Patriots are the most active team in the league so far when it comes to players taking advantage of this opportunity.