5 Patriots newcomers who could make big impact this season

The Patriots do not rebuild, they reload.

Mike Constantino | Jun 23, 2019

5 Patriots newcomers who could make big impact this season /

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.- Bill Belichick reminds us often that roster turnover is a simple reality of the creation of any NFL team. All 32 squads add and lose numerous players each offseason.

Through free agency, trades and the 2019 draft, New England has acquired a handful of guys who could splash onto the scene and make a big impact right away. It is also important to note that several players who came to the team last year via the 2018 NFL Draft or free agency ended up missing time to injuries, so there will be a number of new faces that fans will need to get familiar with. For the sake of this article, we will just focus on the true newcomers, players who have been added to the team in recent months.

It is always fascinating getting to know the new guys because Belichick and the rest of his staff always seem to have a knack for finding certain qualities in these players that other coaches and teams could not make proper use of.

Besides the now-retired Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots core is still intact. With those familiar faces in addition to the new guys, New England should be a very strong team yet again.

Here are five newly-arrived players in New England that could have a big impact on the team's success this upcoming season.

1) Michael Bennett, DE

Bennett, 33, is a veteran who has played 10 NFL seasons with Tampa Bay (2009-12), Seattle (2013-17) and Philadelphia (2018). Last season with the Eagles, Bennett recorded nine sacks, which was good enough for second on their team. Bennett was on the Seahawks when they lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX due to Malcolm Butler's game-winning interception, and he does not refrain from elaborating on how much he used to hate the Patriots. That hatred has since been tucked away because Bennett now realizes how excited he is to play for a team that continues to win.

Bennett adds great skill to an already very talented New England defense. If the name Bennett rings a bell to you, it is because Michael Bennett is the older brother of former Patriots tight end, Martellus Bennett. Michael is no stranger to New England's success and with him bringing some extra skill to the Patriots D-line, this team is primed for a very big year defensively.

2) Damien Harris, RB

A few weeks ago, I ranked the current Patriots running back position. In those rankings, Damien Harris was placed third, behind Sony Michel and James White. Since that article was released, more news about Sony Michel's health has been made aware of. The idea is simple, if Sony Michel is banged up when the season begins, Harris will be the Patriots' starting running back. White is in the game to catch passes and take quick draws up the middle and he cannot withstand carrying the ball 30 times a game. Michel and Harris can withstand that though, and Harris could be primed to have a very strong 2019 season, just like Michel did last year.

Last year, as Michel exited his collegiate career at the University of Georgia and arrived in Foxborough, no one really knew the levels in which his productivity could reach. As we now know, he quickly became an extremely important player in the New England offense. Harris is in the same boat this year, and if the Patriots' need him to fill in for Michel, he should have close to, if not the same type of productivity. He is strong, intelligent and very tough to tackle, not to mention he can also catch the ball out of the backfield and block in pass protection.

Of course, we want Harris, Michel, and White to all be healthy in the backfield at the same time. However, if Michel or White are hurt at any point in the season, which is tough to avoid in football, then giving Harris some more touches is by no means a loss for the Patriots.

3) N'Keal Harry, WR

For the first time in as long as Patriots fans can remember, there are a plethora of questions wrapped around the team's passing game. Who is Tom Brady going to throw the ball to? Gronk is gone, Chris Hogan is gone, Ben Watson is suspended for the first four games, and who knows about Josh Gordon. Besides Julian Edelman, there are no answers right now.

It is also worth noting that Edelman has always been able to work off of other pass catchers and that is why he has been so good while lining up in the slot. With Gronk and some other guys gone, Edelman is going to be defended by the opposing team's best defensive back every single week. It will be interesting to see how Edelman handles this change.

Belichick was well aware of this issue, as he took N'Keal Harry with his 1st round pick in this year's NFL Draft. Edelman needs help this year, and there has been some early pressure put on Harry to produce right away. He should be more than capable though, as he appeared in 37 career games over three seasons at Arizona State and hauled in 213 receptions for 2,889 total yards and 22 touchdowns. Last season, Brady threw for 4,355 yards, and if he is going to be anywhere near 4,000 yards this year, Harry will need to be a viable target.

4) Jamie Collins Sr., OLB

Jamie Collins played in New England for the first three and a half years of his career, so he is more of a notable returner than a notable newcomer. Nonetheless, he is new to this year's Patriots team and there is a lot of buzz around his arrival.

It is tough to decipher the role in which Collins will embark on during his second stint with the Patriots. Both the linebacker and defensive end positions are loaded with talent, and there are only so many players allowed on the field at once, which mean Collins will have to play at a high level if he wants to see the playing field in Foxborough.

Last year with the Browns, Collins quietly had one of the best seasons of his career, which tells us one thing: He can still play at a high level and as we all know, Belichick will always find room for a player who can produce. Collins is excited to be back with an organization that helped kickstart his career and he could very well turn himself into a critical piece of the Patriots' defensive puzzle.

5) Demaryius Thomas, WR

For any football fan, it has been unfortunate to see how Demaryius Thomas' career has unfolded the past few years. During his nine and a half years with the Broncos, he had some tremendous seasons, specifically from 2012-2016, where he had 1,000 receiving yards for five straight years. Last year, during his short time with the Texans, Thomas tore his achilles, an extremely tough injury for any athlete. At the end of last season, Houston released Thomas.

It has been reported that Thomas is recovering well from the achilles injury, which explains why Belichick took a chance on him and signed him to a 1-year deal. Thomas is a notable newcomer because he is still a good football player, and as stated, the Patriots are in desperate need of solid pass-catchers. Thomas brings a veteran demeanor to the team and if he can become acclimated with Brady and the offense, there is reason to believe that Thomas could find new life in his career while with New England.

Do not expect Thomas to put up crazy stats like he did when he was in his prime with Denver. But if healthy, he can add some talent to the Patriots' receiving core. Running routes alongside Edelman and catching passes from Brady could be just enough for Thomas to find himself again in this league.

Published Jun 23, 2019

MIKE CONSTANTINO