NFL 2024 season - New England Patriots team preview

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss why they think the Patriots could be the worst team in the NFL this 2024 season. Hear the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

Let's start with the new England Patriots.

Give me, uh your one big thing for New England, that's on your mind right now.

Well, my one big thing for the Patriots this season is, can they avoid being the worst team in the NFL?

And I hate to start that negatively, but when you look at this roster and all they're dealing with, there's a real good chance this team is picking first in next year's NFL draft.

You think about the lack of talent they have and you're not just going to replenish that in one draft and they had to go get that franchise quarterback, which meant they couldn't trade down and add picks to bolster other positions.

This is still a very talented roster.

They mostly kind of struck out in free agency and also Jared Mayo is replacing a legend and Bill Belichick.

Look, we could talk all we want about Bill Belichick and the, the problems he had in his last few years, but I still believe Xs and Os wise on a game to game basis.

Bill Belichick still had his fastball.

He just didn't have any talent.

He, the Bill Belichick, the GM really screwed up, Bill Belichick, the coach, but going from that level of coaching, so Jared Mayo, a rookie head coach.

II, I just wonder if this is going to be the worst team in the NFL.

Not a great spot to start for the new England Patriots.

But I think if they could just not be the worst team in the NFL show some signs of progress.

I think that's the worst outcome for the New England Patriots this year.

One of the pillars I die on is benefit of the doubt in the off-season and you get benefit of the doubt when people trust your coach and when people trust your quarterback, I would argue that if you took the logo off the side of the helmet and the expectations for the Patriots we've had for a generation and just threw it away right now.

As much as I love Drake May coming out of college, I think he could be great.

You have a rookie quarterback that we don't know and you have a rookie head coach that we don't know if you put the same tandem together at almost any another team on a team that picked as high as they did this year in the draft.

The presumption would be that they're gonna stink.

I think the Patriots are in a new era of football where they're gonna have to get as used to losing as they were to winning for an entire era because until you've proven that you have Brady Belichick part two.

It is pointless to even give them that level of benefit of that.

I am out on the Patriots this year.

I am out on the Patriots moving forward until there is something to believe in.

And right now, Frank, to me, there's nothing.

Do they get the first pick?

Yes or no.

Yeah.

I mean, I don't know.

They're, I'll say this.

They're not number 32 in my countdown.

But the more I look at it, the more I'm like this really could be the team picked first in April.