Taking the premise of the OP that Mitch is the starter in 2020, rather than picking him apart again...
OL has to be the number one focus of the offseason. Leno and Massie are on huge contracts and I don't know that you can get away from either of them in 2020. You may as well use that and bring in some legit competition in the draft. We currently have picks 47 and 51 so we should be able to hit on a tackle in one of those spots. I know people talk about BPA but realistically, if we don’t draft a tackle with one of those two picks, we are riding again with Leno and Massie which I think would be a huge mistake.
I would be fully on board with making whatever roster moves are needed to bring Scherff into the building. We’ve seen what one guy can do to upgrade a unit in Indianapolis (albeit a generational talent) and I think Scherff could transform the mentality of that group. The Pats have to pay Shaq Mason this offseason and may be that Joe Thuney hits the market. He’s an extremely versatile interior piece that I would look at if Scherff gets too expensive.
It would leave us with Leno – Daniels – Whitehair – Scherff/Thuney – Massie as the week one starters with the option to get Massie the hell out of there as soon as the rookie is ready. That leaves you continuing to develop Bars, Coward and Lucas with maybe another late round pick filling out the depth.
The injury to Hicks is a reminder that he is 30 years old and has 113 games under his belt. We knew how good he was last year but there’s nothing like an enforced absence to really understand how crucial he is to the defense. He takes that side of the ball from top 10 and solid to a destructive turnover machine.
Point is that the window is closing with him and Mack. We need a starter at TE that can start week 1 and produce immediately. I know we are a little wary of Ebron from his time in Detroit but I think you have to take a run at him, Henry, Hooper or Jarwin – that sort of calibre. Again, we have Burton on another big Pace contract that we can’t get away from and Shaheen is the worst player Pace has drafted, so that group will be eating a ton of cap space. And I know that Holtz and Horsted showed a little life against the Cowboys. But you absolutely cannot go in to 2020 with Burton, Holtz, Horsted and Braunecker as your TE group.
As for the rest of the roster, you have another second-round pick which you can spend on whatever you like really (CB to replace Prince, WR is a deep group despite not being a position of need, edge is a need, take your pick). Crucial he hits on this too.
I’m not sure what he does with Floyd right now. Another big decision he has to weigh up. I could go either way.
This is Pace’s broad roadmap to success and keeping his job in my opinion. He has to pray that Hicks and Mack can generate enough pressure and stay healthy to cover the defense maybe taking another little step back so that the resources can be switched to the offense. He needs Roquan and Jackson to become more consistent playmakers. It’s a tightrope and a lot of things have to go right on the defensive side of the ball but he doesn’t survive another season where the offense is 28th in the league so he better make it happen.