This Patriots Starter Will Be the First to Lose His Job in 2020

The New England Patriots lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement last spring. However, the tight end came out of his retirement and signed a deal with Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots thought it would be easy to replace Gronk, but it didn’t work at all. They couldn’t replace the tight end with all the players on the roster. Journeyman Matt LaCosse tried to help the team cope with the loss, and many thought he would start games in 2020. However, this Patriots starter may lose his job.

Two selections from the 2020 NFL Draft may give LaCosse a hard time he may not be able to handle all the pressure. These two will give him enough competition. In other words, LaCosse is not guaranteed a starting spot in September.

UCLA’s Devin Asiasi was the first of two tight ends the Patriots selected in the third round. He has great athleticism and an excellent speed coupled with soft hands. Asiasi may easily become a Pro Bowler if his gift as a route runner are boosted. LaCosse had 13 catches for 131 yards in 2019. Asiasi may easily triple these numbers in his debut season with the Patriots.

Another selection to challenge the Patriots starter

The Patriots also selected Dalton Keene from Virginia Tech in the third round. His “ceiling” is a lot higher than the one of LaCosse. His teammates called him “Rambo” in college, and we can freely say that LaCosse can work as an H-back, tight end or fullback. He can sure provide nice blocking and YAC ability.

The Patriots may cut LaCosse because head coach Bill Belichick is pretty satisfied with his young players. The coach selected some really great players in the 2020 Draft, and he is ready to enter the season without the key players he lost in free agency.

New England will enter the season without TB12, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins. The team also lost a few other players, and they can easily replace them. Replacing Brady is the most challenging task for the Patriots ahead of the new season. Let’s see how will the whole thing end for the Patriots.