New England Patriots: 5 offseason needs in 2020
![Bill Belichick, New England Patriots. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c75287f37dded5e40426ed28ed1953e2ddf2ba717afea3b53e9eb3bc04c1629b.jpg)
4. A playmaking safety
The Patriots defense was an awesome unit for most of the 2019 regular season. That might cause some people to question whether or not New England really needs to spend valuable resources on the group this offseason.
Despite last year’s success, the answer to that question is still yes. A really talented safety could make the team’s secondary borderline unplayable. The aforementioned Gilmore is an All-Pro cornerback. The McCourty brothers hold up very well at one corner and one safety spot too. Plus, Devin is a free agent.
That leaves Patrick Chung as the spot that New England has a chance to upgrade. He’s still a solid starter, but he leaves something to be desired when you start to compare him to the best safeties in the NFL. Just imagine what Belichick could do with an athlete like Tyrann Mathieu patrolling the final third of the field.
Admittedly, there aren’t many guys like Mathieu out there. That doesn’t mean the Patriots shouldn’t work hard to unearth a hidden gem at safety in the draft or via free agency. New England doesn’t need to spend a ton of money or draft capital to make this happen. One shrewd safety addition could help get the Patriots another Super Bowl title in short order.