ESPN article says Patriots could very well finish in last place this season

BOSTON -- Last year was a big problem for the New England Patriots. This year ought to be better -- a lot better.

On the latter point, just about everyone agrees. But a new article on ESPN.com judging offseason overreactions believes that last place could still be in the cards for Bill Belichick's team.

ESPN senior NFL writer Dan Graziano looked at 10 offseason "overreactions" on Friday and assessed the probability of each one actually coming true. The first on that list involved the Patriots finishing in fourth place in the AFC East, behind the Bills, Dolphins and Jets.

"I don't think it's automatic that they will [finish last]. Don't get me wrong," Graziano wrote.

Graziano noted that Mac Jones and the offense is due for a major increase in production coming off the Matt Patricia disaster, and that the defense could be elite.

"So yes, the Patriots might just have a good team this season," he concluded. "The problem is, they could have a good team and still finish last in this stacked division."

Part of the reason for that projection has to do with the Jets adding Aaron Rodgers. The Jets went 7-10 last season despite having a league-worst team quarterback rating of 75.0. Though Rodgers will almost certainly make the Jets a much better team, Graziano said they're still not a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

"Yes, the Jets' young core is talented and exciting, but it also is very young. It's easy to make Tom Brady/Bucs comparisons and say Rodgers is the experienced veteran who can help teach the youth how to win, but Rodgers hasn't exactly been a postseason superstar recently with the Packers," Graziano wrote. "He turns 40 in December and pulled a calf muscle on the first day of minicamp, a reminder that everything rests on his ability to hold up physically."

This is, of course, the time of year when projections and predictions are running wild all across the internet. The NFL season remains an unpredictable challenge for those trying to see the future. For now, though, it's noteworthy that despite some significant offseason strides, the lowest possible expectations still remain on the table for their forthcoming season.