Few years in recent memory were as turbulent for the New England Patriots as 2018. Right from the start, it was a roller coaster. The Patriots reached their seventh straight AFC title game and won in dramatic fashion. They were defeated in a Super Bowl in which they benched starting cornerback Malcolm Butler. They saw retirement rumors surrounding quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski.
They lost some of their core players in the offseason. They made multiple trades and picked twice in the first round of the draft.