OK....I guess I'll attempt to comment on the first option of your post since nobody else has.
I doubt very seriously if Jordan Thomas will be cut or traded. I honestly think we will keep all 4 of our top TE's. With the trade of Hopkins for David Johnson, I think OB is wanting to try and turn our offense into what NE had when Gronk and Hernandez were rookies. The pats didn't really need a star WR, the TE's were the main guys, and the RB's were mostly dump-off guys. I think we'll be running 2 TE sets almost exclusively. The WR's will be running mostly crosses and underneath routes, but still have the deep threat option with Fuller.
If this is what OB plans, the RB's won't be called on to carry the load. They will be receiving options more often than not, with the occasional run to keep the defense honest.
With the roster that we now have, I can see us being successful. To do this, as much as I hate it, trading Hopkins was necessary. Hopkins was Watson's safety blanket. Now that Hopkins is gone, Watson will be forced to throw to someone else.
I don't like OB, so I am very cautiously optimistic, but I can see the potential.