Offseason Changes
Key Additions: Cam Newton, Adrian Phillips, Brandon Copeland, Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche
Key Losses: Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, Elandon Roberts, Phillip Dorsett
The departure of Tom Brady dominated the headlines, and rightfully so, as he left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Patriots lost a number of key pieces on their defense this offseason with the departure of Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts to the Miami Dolphins while Danny Shelton and Jamie Collins went to the Detroit Lions.
The strength of this franchise last year was without a doubt their defense and the team tried to replace some of these pieces through the NFL Draft with the selections of Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche with their first two picks.
The wildcard, and the one player that will likely have the most say in whether the Patriots remain the best in the division is Cam Newton. The Patriots played the long game and got a steal by adding the former MVP but the question is certainly durability. The former Carolina Panthers quarterback has dealt with his fair share of injuries as of late and if he can regain some of the magic from 2015, when he won the MVP, the New England Patriots are likely not going anywhere.