The 2020 season was a challenging one for the New England Patriots. Not only did they have to deal with a Coronavirus outbreak in the middle of their first losing season in two decades, they also lost some key contributors from years past to free agency including, of course, long-time starting quarterback Tom Brady.
On top of it all, the Patriots also had one of the worst salary cap situations in the NFL. While they later created considerable space due to their league-high eight Coronavirus opt-outs, they were operating close to the cap when the new league year began in Mach.