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W
hile the New England Patriots have made some moves this offseason, some experts still think they lost out.
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The Patriots are a year removed from an offseason where they spent an exorbitant amount. In 2021, New England brought in Jalen Mills, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Matthew Judon last offseason. While some of those moves were a success (Judon and Henry) some players struggled (Agholor and Smith).
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine took a look at the winners and losers of the 2022 offseason and while the rest of the AFC East improved, the same can’t be said for New England according to the analyst.
“The Jets made this list as a winner,” Ballentine stated. “So did McDaniel and, by extension, the Dolphins. The Buffalo Bills are once again Super Bowl favorites. That leaves the Patriots as the only team within the division that can’t say it got appreciably better.”
Ballentine added that while New England is a loser, Mac Jones could lift the Patriots into a playoff spot.
“Fortunately, Mac Jones showed during his rookie year that he has the potential to be a franchise quarterback,” Ballentine continued. “His development could keep the Patriots in the thick of things within the division. But nothing the team did this offseason moves the needle.”
Who Has New England Gained This Offseason?
New England’s biggest move is without a doubt DeVante Parker. The wide receiver is now the only one on the Patriots roster to have ever recorded a 1,000 receiving yard season. While Parker struggled to stay healthy last season, New England will be looking to revitalize his career.
Mack Wilson will be looking to do the same after he was traded to the Patriots in exchange for Chase Winovich. Both parts of the trade struggled with their now former teams and will be excited for a fresh start in 2022.
New England also brought back Malcolm Butler. The Super Bowl hero will be the top cornerback for the Patriots and will be fresh off a season full of rest as Butler retired ahead of the 2021 season.
With the losses that New England suffered, the Patriots will need Butler at the top of his game.
Who Has New England Lost This Offseason?
The Patriots have had some major departures prior to the start of the season. New England’s biggest loss has been J.C. Jackson. The All-Pro cornerback departed to join the Los Angeles Chargers and will leave a massive hole in the secondary. Over the last two seasons, Jackson recorded 17 interceptions.
Butler will be the main guy to replace Jackson. At 32 years old, it will be difficult for the cornerback to do it on his own.
The Patriots also traded away Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mason was a key part of the offensive line and will now be replaced by young Michael Onwenu while rookie Cole Strange is on the opposite side.
So while calling New England losers might seem harsh, they have suffered some key losses heading into the 2022 regular season.