Yes, the New England Patriots are coming off an impressive win in Super Bowl LI. Yes, they stormed back from a huge deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons. And yes, they have the best quarterback in the league in Tom Brady.
Brace yourselves, though. If you thought the Patriots were dangerous in 2016, they will be even better in 2017. We might as well not play the season and already hand them the Lombardi Trophy. Somehow, Bill Belichick will have even more weapons at his disposal on both sides of the ball. Let’s look at some of the franchise’s movements during the free agent market:
First, they added the best cornerback available in Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore will play opposite Malcolm Butler, forming one of the best CB duos in the league. There’s a chance Butler isn’t with the Patriots by the time the season starts, however, so this scenario needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But even if Butler leaves, Gilmore represents an upgrade.
Second, they add Dwayne Allen to bolster the tight end position. Injuries and slow development have hampered Allen in recent years, though. And while he hasn’t been able to replicate his stellar rookie year, perhaps he just needs a change of scenery. And there’s no doubt that playing with Brady will only making better. Allen joins the team as a way to replace Martellus Bennett, who signed with the Green Bay Packers. Allen might not be ready to play as a top option in the passing game, but he should complement Rob Gronkowski quite well.
And if you thought adding Gilmore and Allen wasn’t enough, the Patriots found a way to acquire Brandin Cooks. Sure, they had to part ways with their first-round pick in this year’s Draft. But Cooks gives New England something they hadn’t have in a few years: a legit deep threat in the passing game. Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan excel in deep routes, but Cooks is a burner. He’s going to be a huge difference maker for the team, and will make the offense even better than last year.
Just in case you were wondering, the Patriots could also re-sign two free agents like LeGarrette Blount and Danny Amendola. If that’s the case, then the offense would have Amendola, Blount, Gronkowski, Hogan, Edelman, Cooks, Allen, Matthew Slater, Dion Lewis and James White. This offense should cruise rather easily in the AFC.
So football fans need to prepare. If you didn’t like the Patriots winning the Super Bowl last year, you might as well not watch next season. There’s no question they are candidates to win it all for the second straight year.