It's tough to predict what the New England Patriots offense will look like next season after quarterback Tom Brady left the franchise in free agency following an enormously successful 20-year run in Foxboro.
We don't even know who will replace Brady as the starting quarterback, although 2019 fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham is the most likely candidate after serving as the 42-year-old veteran's backup in 2019.
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Ex-Patriots tight end Christian Fauria made the case Thursday on WEEI's "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" radio show that New England's offense will be better off next season without Brady.
Here's his explanation:
They’re better off without him. Can I tell you why? And it has nothing to do with Brady’s skillset. It’s not because he’s not good or he can’t throw it or he’s lost some speed on his fastball. It’s because where he was in his career, his age, what he wanted to achieve and what the Patriots were trying to achieve were completely different. So it was never going to work out. They were never going to see eye to eye.
This offense is not going to be able to move forward with Brady as the quarterback, not because he sucks. Those throwaways were important. It’s because he wasn’t willing to adapt. There’s the difference. He wasn’t willing to let N’Keal Harry grow.
Fauria was adamant his argument didn't have to do with Brady's talent declining.
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I don’t think Brady is a bad quarterback. I think he is going to win the MVP with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think he is going to win the Comeback Player of the Year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think he is going to win the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With a veteran group that is already established that doesn’t need a lot of time to get going. Can you imagine Brady right now trying to do what he did last year this year with less time together and still knowing the window is closing on his career and the Patriots are taking a different direction? The fact is that he is not going to be able to evolve and grow. He’s going to have an anchor around him and that’s going to be not get in trouble, don’t throw picks. And it has nothing to do with his ability. I feel where the Patriots are they are better off — even though I don’t think Stidham is a good quarterback — without him this year.
Fauria makes some interesting points.
The Patriots need to develop some of their younger offensive players, and Harry is definitely one of them. The 2019 first-round pick had his rookie campaign derailed by injury, and giving him every chance to enjoy a bounce-back season should be a priority for the Patriots in 2020. Brady didn't always show a ton of trust in some young wide receivers. Stidham, who's obviously at a different stage in his career than Brady, should be more willing to work with players in Harry's position.
Perhaps the biggest benefit for the Patriots offense in 2020 will be health. The team's offense was significantly impacted by injuries to key players last season. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn, center David Andrews, as well as wide receivers Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu, were among the many offensive starters who battled injuries throughout 2019. Andrews missed the entire season due to blood clots.
It's also quite possible that Stidham will be a competent starting quarterback. He impressed in training camp and the preseason last year, and many of his teammates and former coaches have showered him with praise all offseason. NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms actually thinks Stidham is more talented than Miami Dolphins quarterback and 2020 No. 5 overall draft pick Tua Tagovailoa .
The Patriots still have enough talent on both sides of the ball to be a competitive team without Brady next season. It's hard to bet against a Bill Belichick-coached team, especially one that has so much veteran experience.