5 Questions New England Patriots Must Answer In 2016 NFL Training Camp

The New England Patriots are expected to be one of the top contenders in the AFC once again this season. Even though Tom Brady will serve a four-game suspension to start the season according to a report from USA Today, there are still a lot of reasons for the Patriots and their fan base to believe that they will be just fine.

Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches in the history of football and will find a way to get through the first four games and continue to be successful.

Looking ahead to the Patriots’ 2016 NFL training camp, there are a lot of question marks that they will have to answer. They have put together a very talented roster, but there are a lot of potential holes as well. Other teams around the conference have also taken steps forward with the Patriots in their sights.

Simply focusing on the AFC East division, the Patriots do not have an easy road ahead of them. Miami is going to be a team to be reckoned with, while Todd Bowles and the New York Jets are a dangerous team as well. Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills have the potential to take a huge leap forward as well.

All of that being said, what five questions must the New England Patriots answer during 2016 NFL training camp?

Perhaps the biggest question in the NFL right now, is whether Jimmy Garoppolo can step up and fill in for Tom Brady in the first four games of the season. New England has too much talent to go up against in the AFC East to get off to a slow start. If Garoppolo can win three out of the four games, the Patriots will be just fine.

Who Will Step Up as the Starting Running Back?

New England currently has a lot of running backs who could end up starting. Dion Lewis is the early favorite after his big tenure with the Patriots last season, which WEEI.com laid out, but LeGarrette Blount, Donald Brown and Brandon Bolden could very well push for playing time as well. The Patriots need one player to separate themselves in training camp to earn the starting job.

Will the Patriots’ Pass Rush Pick Up Where It Left Off?

Last season, the Patriots finished the year with just 49.0 sacks. That placed them second in the NFL, with the Denver Broncos leading the league with 52.0 sacks. New England’s pass rush was a big part of the reason that they were serious contenders in the AFC and they need their defense to pick up where it left off.

If the Patriots want to contend for a Super Bowl appearance, they will need their secondary to step up. They finished the 2015 season 20th in the league in interceptions, with just 12. That number needs to improve in 2016 if they want to go up against the rest of the competition around them.

Do the Patriots Have Enough Receiving Options?

Whether the starting quarterback is Garoppolo or Brady, the Patriots need their receivers to be very consistency. Rob Gronkowski is one of the best targets in the entire NFL and Julian Edelman is solid as well, but outside of those two there are question marks. New England will need to see whether their wide receiving options are good enough throughout training camp and preseason action.

Do you think the New England Patriots should be considered serious Super Bowl contenders this season? What are your biggest questions about the Patriots heading into 2016 NFL training camp? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[AP Photo/Brad Penner]