NFL insider ranks Patriots poorly in power rankings after Tom Brady departure

The New England Patriots aren't going to have an easy ride after the departure of Tom Brady, and one NFL insider wasn't good to the six-time Super Bowl champions in his NFL Power Rankings as a result.

While Pro Football Talk's Peter King ranked Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 5, the Patriots fell to No. 21, and he provided some insight as to why he ranked Bill Belichick's squad so low. 

"The reviews on the 133rd pick in the 2019 draft, Jarrett Stidham, are good, but the shadow of the 199th pick in 2000 will always be a long one for anyone who plays quarterback in New England," King wrote of the Brady-less Patriots. "There is no book on Stidham, a tough kid who will not be afraid of the hot seat, but his goal is to keep New England in games and leave the Patriots with a decision to make on a quarterback in the 2021 draft. Whatever happens, America will be watching: Four of their final nine games will be in prime time. I think this season breaks the Patriots’ 11-year stranglehold on the AFC East, but I’m pretty sure everyone in that building wants to rub our faces in such predictions, and that’s a great motivator."

New England has dominated the NFL over the last two decades with Brady at the helm of their offense and even managed to build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Now Belichick's team will need to prove themselves in the post-Brady era, and it's not going to be easy.

While there will be immense pressure on second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham to succeed in the shadow of Brady, Belichick is also going to need to prove he can win without Brady.

Unfortunately, Brady isn't the only player the Patriots lost in free agency. Ted Karras, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Jamie Collins all found new homes and kicker Stephen Gostkowski also was released by the organization, so things don't get any easier on the roster front.

New England still has some solid talent on their roster, though, but they're one of the hardest teams to project heading into the 2020 campaign. King ranked New England's AFC East rivals in Miami and Buffalo at No. 19 and No. 13 respectively, but only time will tell if those two organizations can finally overtake the Patriots.