FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- After assessing what might be the top areas of vulnerability for the New England Patriots through 12 training camp practices, a Twitter follower suggested balancing out the ledger by identifying the top areas of strength.

Good call, @LastExposFan.

So outside of top-notch coaching from Bill Belichick and his staff, here is one view on the top five things the Patriots have going for them entering the 2020 season:

1. Cam Newton and the QBs: It is interesting to think where the team would be had Newton not agreed to play for a modest one-year deal when the Patriots were tight to the salary cap in late June. Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer would be dueling it out for top billing, and it would be a tough call on which direction they would go.

Instead, things are lining up for Newton to be QB1, and his unique physical traits and dual-threat capabilities spark hope for an offense transitioning from Tom Brady. Instead of a situation where the Patriots would have to support their quarterback, Newton himself is capable of lifting up the offense as long as he stays healthy.

Belichick was effusive in his praise of Newton while speaking to Sirius XM NFL Radio on Monday.

With Stidham and Hoyer behind him, it looks like three solid layers should Belichick need to call on his depth.

2. Stephon Gilmore and the CBs: The Patriots returned their entire cornerback personnel in 2020, headlined by Gilmore, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Gilmore missed five practices of training camp, but when he returned, he glided across the field to break up passes like he didn't miss a beat.

Add in veteran Jason McCourty (a possible captain?), third-year riser J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones and 2019 second-round pick Joejuan Williams, and the Patriots have the foundation to match up with a variety of opposing pass-catchers.

Even some of the bottom-of-the-depth-chart personnel -- such as trade acquisition Michael Jackson and undrafted free agents D'Angelo Ross (2019) and Myles Bryant (2020) -- have accounted well for themselves.

3. Interior offensive line: With no live tackling in training camp, it's a challenge to get a real feel for the running game, but it sure seems like left guard Joe Thuney, center David Andrews and right guard Shaq Mason have effectively served as the foundation of the Patriots' offensive house.

When you're solid up front, good things often result. The Patriots have more questions at tackle -- where Isaiah Wynn looks to stay healthy on the left side and Jermaine Eluemunor seems entrenched on the right -- but the interior has potentially never looked better.

4. Running backs: In red zone work during last Thursday's practice, Newton delivered a laser to running back James White on a slant route for a touchdown. It was a reminder of White's critical role as the primary pass-catching back, and Newton seemed to spend much of the practice going in his direction. That might have been a result of receivers and tight ends being locked down.

Between White in the passing game and 2018 first-round pick Sony Michel and 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris in the more traditional running game -- and veteran Rex Burkhead contributing across the board -- this is a strong group.

Harris' soft hands in the passing game have also been hard to miss in camp, making him a potential dual-threat option after a quiet rookie season.

Now veteran Lamar Miller could be part of the mix after being activated off the physically unable to perform list on Monday. That's about as deep as it gets on the depth chart.

5. Jake Bailey: The second-year punter has wowed his teammates with some of his work on plus-50 attempts, when downing the ball near the goal line is the goal. When there's more room to work, he shows plenty of power, too.

When Belichick's Patriots have been at their best, it's been a complementary approach that weaves offense, defense and special teams. Between Bailey and gunners Matthew Slater and Justin Bethel, the Patriots have the initial pieces of a possible dominating punt team.

Of course, the hope is not to be punting too often. But when the Patriots do, they seem to have a unit that can impact the outcome of games, or at the least, the field-position game.