Report: Patriots Justin Bethel Recovering From Offseason Surgery

The New England Patriots are about to make some major changes to their roster. Patriots special teamer Justin Bethel had his offseason thrown off track.

New England acquired Bethel in October after he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. The special teamer recovers from shoulder surgery as confirmed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss who cited several sources.

Bethel was of great help for the Patriots special teams’ unit. The three-time Pro Bowler helped the team in the second half of the season. He and special teams captain and Pro Bowl selection Matthew Slater were among the best gunner combinations in the league.

The 29-year-old played 83 percent or more of special teams snaps in six of the nine games he played with the Patriots. Bethel recovered two fumbles during that period.

Reiss didn’t offer a timetable on Bethel’s recovery. However, the Patriots would be more than excited to have him healthy in 2020. Bethel will earn a base salary of $1.5 million in 2020. This is actually his final year under contract in New England.

Justin Bethel is a great option for the Patriots

This will be a rather long offseason for the Patriots. Wideout Julian Edelman was also set to undergo two surgeries to fix the issues he had in 2019. The Patriots need him healthy, too.

Tom Brady is another concern for the team. His pending free agency has raised so many questions. The Patriots may lose the star quarterback in free agency. Kyle Van Noy may also sign with a different team. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots should cut ties with veteran Devin McCourty.

Head coach Bill Belichick will make a few changes to the roster, and he may be interesting in selecting a quarterback or a wideout. The Patriots can acquire their new players through a trade, NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft.

Brady is a priority now, and Belichick needs his injured players ready for the training camp. The quarterback has yet to meet with the team, and this meeting will take place at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Let’s see what happens in the next few weeks. How will Belichick fix his roster?