Relaoding The Musket, Part 5 - Embarrassment Of Riches Adorn Patriots' Offensive Line. Really.

Mason (69) should have a roster spot all sewn up, but the same can not be said for Cannon (61)

It's called having too much of a good thing, and the New England Patriots have that all over their roster.

Think about it: On defense, they have what has to be the best safety depth in the league, a pair of linebackers that are sure to be in the top 30 of the NFL's 100 best players, and a defensive line that has too few spots for a plethora of outstanding run-stuffers, edge setters and pass rushers...

...while on offense they have the greatest quarterback who ever lived, backed up by the most game-ready sophomore in the league, a set of tight ends that are so good that they dictate what receivers are kept on the roster to complement them (not to mention , and a collection of running backs that fit the philosophy perfectly - and an offensive line absolutely stocked to the brim with talent.

That is a far cry from what we witnessed during the second half of last season, and that we heard from the media and other casual fans, but last season was an aberration in that injury - to the line and to many skill position players - dictated what the line was: a collection of matadors who simply stepped aside and let quarterback Tom Brady deal with the onslaught of pass rushers.

Which is bullshit, of course, but fans can be excused for seeking a scapegoat after the huge egg the Patriots' offense laid in the final two months of last season, misguided as it is.

Because it's not like the Patriots' offensive linemen suddenly sucked after years of stout protection - and truth be told, they really weren't that bad, given the circumstances.  There is no hiding the fact that the struggles of the offense were directly attributed to the struggles along the line, but the aforementioned circumstances put the injury-decimated line in the no-win position of being no more than a levee attempting to hold back a tsunami.

Six playoff teams gave up more sacks and quarterback hits than New England's offensive line did in the regular season, including two conference championship game participants and the eventual Super Bowl champions - and in the post season, all three of the Patriots' fellow conference championship participants gave up more sacks, but none of them allowed their quarterback to be hit more than Brady was.

Perhaps that was because no one threw the ball more than Brady, as he dropped back an insane 49 times per game in the playoffs, a full 19 more than both Super Bowl participants.  When put in that context, the Patriots offensive line was actually the best team at protecting their quarterback.

Where they fell short is in the running game, running the ball just 31 times in their two playoff games while calling 98 passing plays, a balance disparity of 76% to 24% in favor of the passing game - and if one were to eliminate Brady's rushing attempts, they would discover that the running backs to handoffs from Brady just 22 times.

Arizona was in the same boat, so to speak, losing in the NFC Championship to Carolina and abandoning their running game when they fell behind by 17 points in the first quarter while Carolina enjoyed balance on a epic scale, and the Broncos were almost perfectly balanced in their narrow win over New England, who simply had run out of players for Brady to hand off to.

What does this have to do with the offensive line?

When the Patriots lost LeGarrette Blount to a season-ending hip injury in week 14 against Houston, they lost much more than just a player - they lost the ability to create balance, and when a team becomes one-dimensional in the manner that New England did, it affects the offensive line more than any other unit on the offense.

Think about it.  When a team doesn't have a very good passing game and are forced to run the football, the defense can load up the box against the run and leave their corners one-on-one with the receivers, rendering the running game inert.  By contrast, if a team doesn't have a running game to speak of and are forced to the air, the defense can pin their ears back and come after the quarterback, overwhelming the offensive line with sheer numbers.

That is exactly what happened to the Patriots' offensive line last season.

Their troubles began in the preseason when starting center Bryan Stork suffered a concussion which eventually landed him on the team's injured reserve list, with a designation to return, leaving the job to Ryan Wendell - but when undrafted rookie David Andrews beat out Wendell for the job, New England found themselves starting the season with all three interior line positions manned with rookies.

Career backup Josh Kline was added to the mix, spelling left guard Shaq Mason and right guard Tre Jackson and for the first three games, things seemed to be on the up-and-up for New England, as Andrews was drawing raves for his technique, Mason for his athleticism and Jackson for his sheer size and toughness - and when combined with veteran bookends in identically-sized tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer, the Patriots looked to have one of the more intriguing young lines in the NFL...

...but that all changed in a week 5 matchup with the Cowboys in Dallas, as New England lost blindside mauler Solder and his backup, young LaAdrian Waddle, in consecutive series - Waddle suffered a shoulder injury and would return in a few weeks, but Solder was shelved for the season with a torn bicep.

Vollmer moved from the strong side to take over on the left and swing tackle Marcus Cannon filled in on the right, but the following week in Indianapolis started a turnstile of revolving linemen - Cannon started at left tackle against the Colts and Vollmer went back to his accustomed right tackle, but Cannon lasted only one quarter, forcing the Patriots to bring in their third line grinder in Cam Fleming...

And so it went, as New England ended up starting 13 different offensive line combinations and never finding that cohesive bond due to minor injuries among the interior linemen, Solder's injury and Stork's absence until he could come off the IR in November.

The issue, of course, was with the swing tackle depth, as neither Cannon nor Fleming were consistently effective.  In fact, things got so bad that upon Stork's return, the team started him at right tackle against the Giants in Week 10, rather than go with what they knew wasn't going to work against New York's elite pass rush.

Now, according to my math, New England did exactly nothing to rectify the issue with tackle depth, leaving the team's fate in the hands of Cannon, Fleming and Waddle - but while that will cause shivers down every Patriots' fan's spine, it has to be remembered that all of them suffered from the imbalance in the play calling which by the time the season ended was being dictated solely by however many pseudo-healthy bodies they could put on the field.

Waddle has untapped potential as a blindside protector, having played on the left at pass happy Texas Tech, and holding his own against the best the Big 12 had to offer as far as pass rushers are concerned, including future All Pro Von Miller - the same Von Miller who shamelessly abused Cannon and Fleming in the AFC Title game and who did the same to Carolina in the Super Bowl to garner MVP honors.

But that doesn't mean there isn't hope for the edges in the event of injury, as the aforementioned elite tight end tandem of Rob Gronkowski and former Chicago Bear Martellus Bennett will rarely - if ever - come off the field because of their skill not only as pass catchers, but also as devastating run blockers.

Gronkowski has always been a factor in the running game, but so was Michael Hoomanawanui, who was dealt to New Orleans at the end of September, upgrading the Saints' edge blocking by a significant margin while leaving New England with a gimpy Williams and little else opposite Gronkowski.

In return, New England shored up the interior of their defensive line with three-tech Akiem Hicks and, in truth, he was a main cog that allowed the Patriots' defense to carry the team through the difficult last two months - but maybe they wouldn't have had to rely on the defense as much had they kept Hoomanawanui...

...but that is a double-edged sword, and pointless to even argue, especially since the position is now well-stocked with H-back types and monstrously complete tight ends, so the tackle depth isn't as critical since there are so many folks able and willing to lend a hand if the onus falls to one of the depth options already on the roster.

One of those options was thought to be third-round pick North Carolina State rookie Joe Thuney, but on second glance Thuney is sort of an enigma.  He has the length to play on the outside, but has short arms and panics a bit with speed rushers and has a tendency to latch on if he thinks he's going to be beaten on the corner, and tends to lean on them if they try inside technique.

So, many are expecting Thuney to compete for a spot on the interior, where he can slide-step to mirror three techs and his short arms and tendency to lean won't cause as much of a balance issue.  In that respect, Thuney is a project, but with upside and a great teacher in line coach Dante Scarnecchia, he should be a depth fixture all over the line, particularly on the inside

Besides, on the inside is where the embarrassment of riches lie as well as the resultant too much of a good thing.

Andrews proved that he could handle the pivot while Stork recovered on the IR, and offered a technically sound pass anchor, though he is undersized with a light lower body.  He doesn't offer and position flexibility, however, which limits his roster potential as Stork and newcomers Jonathan Cooper and Joe Thuney all excel at multiple positions, including center.

Of course, Stork's health is a concern, so the center position is volatile spot.  If Stork can stay healthy, he's the best option at the pivot, but will head ball coach Bill Belichick keep a pure center on the roster to back up Stork, or will Andrews find himself on the waiver wire come September?  One thing is for sure, with his body of work as a rookie, he won't clear waivers.

Both guard spots are wide open for camp competition, and Belichick has to hope that newcomer Jonathan Cooper rises above his incumbents and realizes his enormous potential.

Drafted seventh overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, the oft-injured Cooper came into the league lauded as an excellent pass blocker and works better from the left guard spot, which enables him to use his elite foot quickness and outstanding power to pull to the strong side and to stonewall bull rushing tackles...

...which is primarily what incumbent left guard Shaq Mason excels at as the class of 2015's best drive blocker, edging out the huge right guard Tre Jackson for that title.  Both struggled as rookies in pass protection, however, which lends credence to Belichick's insistence that Cooper be part of the compensation package in the deal that sent defensive end Chandler Jones to Arizona.

Kline is serviceable, if undersized, as a rotational guard, but his time in New England may be about to expire as Cooper, Mason and Jackson are the top three guards on the roster and Thuney is a virtual roster lock as a third-round draft pick.

Traditionally, Belichick has kept ten offensive linemen on his 53-man roster, and when you consider those four, plus four tackles and two centers, it leave nothing but the waiver wire for everyone else - that is, unless sixth-round pick Ted Karras puts his impressive lineage on display and steals one of the guard spots....

...but Karras seems destined for the practice squad, while Kline, either Marcus Cannon or Cam Fleming, Chris Barker and Keavon Milton attempt to latch on elsewhere.

That's what happens when you have too much of a good thing...

Balance, Health Key For Patriots' Offensive Line; Thuney's Versatility Boon For Unit

Thuney is a five-position mercenary, which makes him very valuable to Scarnecchia's offensive line.

Jonathan Cooper is a young, tough guard - which makes him fit right in with the interior of the New England Patriots' offensive line.

He missed his entire rookie season after fracturing his fibula in a preseason game, suffered a knee issue in his sophomore preseason that required weekly draining of fluid, along with a painful turf toe injury which combined forced him to miss almost all of the 2014 season, making his first career start in week 14...

...which lasted all of two games until he fractured a bone in his wrist, carrying over into the 2015 season, but was able to play the first nine games of the year before the knee problem arose again and ruined the rest of the season.

So when New England pulled off the trade to get rid of defensive end Chandler Jones and his enormous cap hit, the Cardinals sweetened the deal when they packaged Cooper in with a second round draft pick, essentially giving up on the former number seven overall draft pick in 2012 after just an eleven game body of work, Arizona coach Bruce Ariens stating that Cooper was "tough and athletic, just continuing to grow" but qualifying his actions by adding, "We don't have time for growth."

Perhaps that's the reason why, in a nutshell, the Patriots find themselves perennial favorites and in championship game after championship game while other teams' fortunes have them perpetually climbing the ladder - they take other people's projects that they have no time to develop and figures out ways for them to contribute while training them to be football players.

Many players are drafted out of college who are great athletes, but weren't afforded the luxury of perfecting their craft, instead are plugged into a system, are trained to perform in that system, and find that when they arrive in the NFL, their learning curve is protracted because they were essentially pawns that lined the coffers of their respective school's athletic department, with really no regard to their future other than, of course, the college degree they earn out of it.

Many NFL teams behave in that manner as well, especially the ones whose owners put tremendous amount of pressure on their coaching staffs to win now, so they draft the kids like Cooper who fit a particular style in college but struggled in the pros and were given up on because teams don't have the time to develop an imperfect being.

That trail of thought ends at the lighthouse.

This is what separates the Patriots from all other teams and Bill Belichick from all other general managers, the philosophy that begs for ambiguity, the one that seeks to accentuate a player's strength. All teams and coaches and general managers do this to some extent, but there has not ever been a football person who has taken other teams' cast-offs and improved his team by integrating their talent into his collective...

...kind of like a Borg approach - for those who dig Star Trek, you know that the alien species known as the Borg are a bunch of assimilated members of many different species, and who have prosthetic, mechanical limbs and other various body parts implanted in place of their severed original members, making them part of a collective "hive", each assimilated being adding his or her unique distinctiveness as a way of improving the whole.

It's whacked for sure, but it makes sense in a communal degree.  But not even Belichick has balls big enough go full cyborg on the NFL, so what he does is pay those players and promise them that if they just trust the coaches and do their job, then they will win a lot more than they lose, and if everyone does their job, the team has as good a chance as anyone to kiss a trophy.

Could that also explain Belichick seemingly thumbing his nose at the status quo in the draft?

Yes, it could, but that is a topic for another time but right now it is important for us to understand that
Cooper has a legitimate shot at jump starting his career in New England, but first he will have to earn a roster spot on an interior offensive line that is chock-full of young talent.

Cooper's first-round draft status carried little weight in New England, so no roster spot is guaranteed, especially given that Belichick surrendered top-three draft capital to select North Carolina State behemoth Joe Thuney, adding him to an interior mix with Shaq Mason, Tre Jackson, David Andrews, Josh Kline and Bryan Stork.

Mason appears to have a death-grip on the left guard spot, displaying rare athleticism in the running game to pull and drive defenders out of the hole, but the right guard and center positions are anything but settled heading into OTA's.

The Cardinals were toying with the idea of shifting Cooper - who had previously played at right guard - over to center before they dealt him to Foxborough, and Thuney practiced extensively at center as a Senior at NC State, both of whom add intrigue to the pivot position, which was manned by Andrews as a rookie for the fist half of last season, then taken over by the incumbent Stork after he returned from the IR.

The thing is, Stork also has position flexibility, having played guard in college and even has an emergency start at right tackle on his professional resume - in fact, the only player on the interior that really doesn't have documented positional versatility is Andrews, who is purely a pivot though he received reps at guard in last summer's training camp.

That could be a disadvantage for him, but Andrews has already made it tough to cut him, given his performance during the Patriots' 10-game winning streak to start the season.

So what the Patriots have on the interior are a bunch of guys who can play either guard or center, with the only players close to be a roster lock being Mason at left guard and Stork at center with a log jam at right guard between Cooper, Jackson and Kline - while the roster locks on the ends being Nate Solder on Brady's blindside and Sebatian Vollmer on the strong side.

And unless Thuney completely bombs in camp, he could very well become the unit's default lineman - because the value to the team is in his versatility, and perhaps his rare singular talent would have saved the offensive line last season when the injuries started to mount, or at least given them more of a fighting chance.

Regardless, Thuney's selection in the third round was a boon to Belichick. Most see him as a guard in the pros but with his overall athleticism and tremendous footwork, placing him solely on the interior would be limiting what the North Carolina State product brings to the field and not receiving full value out of their high draft capital investment.

Thuney's best destiny would be as five-position mercenary of sorts, as he could ably fill in at any position on the line - and not just fill in, but do so ably, as he has shown the dexterity and intelligence to show proper technique at every position.  These types of players are rare, with a young Logan Mankins being the last player that the Patriots had with such impactful versatility.

Needless to say, offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will love the kid's versatility and toughness - he played through injury most of his senior season and has that Mankins-like approach to the game.

Many feel that Scarnecchia coming out of retirement to pick up an offensive line that was seen to underachieve under Dave DeGuglielmo will be a windfall to the unit, but not even the amazing Scarnecchia can change what these guys are, which is a drive blocking, power-running unit.  In the two seasons that "Scar" was dipping his toes in the sand, Belichick brought in three of the most powerful drive blockers in the last two draft classes...

...center Bryan Stork in 2014 and guards Shaq Mason and Tre Jackson last season.  Together with Solder, Vollmer and the heft of the tight ends on the roster, the Patriots should have been a top 10 rushing team in 2015, but due to injury and ambivalence toward the running game by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the running game scared no one, mired in the bottom three units in the entire NFL.

With a running game being a quarterback's best friend, the combination of injury and McDaniels' neglect of balance in the offense left Brady and his offensive line no friends to lean on in tough times, instead, the line was outnumbered and overwhelmed and Brady took an epic beating.

DeGuglielmo took the fall as a convenient scapegoat, the Patriots opting not to renew his contract, but the simple fact of the matter is that he had very few options in his coaching style other than trying to figure out a way to stem the onrushing tide of pressure from opposing defenses, which proved to be futile.

Scarnecchia is a team player, but is also very vocal and won't hesitate to let Belichick and McDaniels know where he and his charges stand.  He has earned that right, much like Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel did when they acted as sounding boards for Belichick at the start of his dynastic run.

They are what they are, and what the Patriots' offensive line is built for is to make the opposition respect their running game, which has a trickle-down effect of Brady's masterful play action fakes becoming a legitimate weapon again and giving the linemen a chance to anchor in their stances and to throw the first punch, both things keeping the pass rushers off of Brady in the pocket.

It really is that simple.  We already know that the Patriots have one of the most progressive offenses in football - what with the best quarterback to ever play the game playing pitch and catch with a monstrous collection of tight ends and some of the toughest covers in the league - but that means very little without balance between the running and passing.

A couple of different factors can affect how many and which offensive linemen make the roster.  First is Scarnecchia's presence and his preference for solidifying his offensive line early in the team-building process, then letting the depth players left over fight it out for a spot on the roster. Scarnecchia will have his starters set before the first preseason game and ride them through rough patches to build cohesion.

Secondly is the fact that Belichick signed Martellus Bennett and Clay Harbor to team with Rob Gronkowski to give New England the best set of tight ends in the game.  Bennett and Gronkowski may be the two most complete tight ends in the league, and having them in the game running out of 12 personnel means that the need for a swing tackle is not as critical as it has been in the past...

...solely because there is not a scenario in the play book that the team benefits from having either of those guys out of the game, so neither will be replaced by a swing tackle on short yardage as both are among the best blockers at the position.

Last, is the development of Thuney.  If he is what Belichick envisions him to be - sort of a swiss army knife - then that should open up a roster spot somewhere else.

So in Belichick's perfect world, He would have Solder and Vollmer, healthy, as his starting tackles with mid-2015 pickup LaAdrian Waddle and Thuney as swing tackles, Mason and Jackson as guards with Cooper and Thuney as reliable depth, and Stork at center backed up by Andrews - eight linemen with a possible ninth being tight end Michael Williams, who is a dual threat as drive-blocking tackle in the running game.

It's a different look for sure, and perhaps a bit early to make such a forecast - especially considering that super-sized tackle Marcus Cannon has always been a favorite of Scarnecchia's, and it's common knowledge that he loves undersized scrappers like Josh Kline and David Andrews fighting on the interior...

...but whatever happens in the team-building process, one can be reasonably certain that balance is on it's way to Foxborough. and with balance, an effective offensive line, a clean Brady lots and lots of points.

It really is that simple.

New England Patriots' Projected 53 Man Roster - remastered...

The following is a rolling 55 man roster that will be updated as situations warrant.  Generally there are but 53 players on an active NFL roster, but the Patriots have received an exemption from the NFL to carry two extra players in advance of Brandon Browner's and Brian Tym's four game suspensions to begin the season.  

When Browner and Tyms are reinstated for Week 5 - assuming both are kept on the inactive/suspended list - they will be added to the active roster and the 54th and 55th players will be waived or an injured player can be placed on the IR.

The emergence of wide receiver Brian Tyms as a legitimate downfield threat for the New England Patriots has caused us to revisit our original projected 53 man roster - as has Bill Belichick's recent propensity for favoring the 3-4 base defensive alignment over the 4-3 defense that has been his "base" for the past four seasons.

In our previous pre-camp roster, we projected that the Patriots would keep just two quarterbacks - Tom Brady and second round draft pick Jimmy Garoppolo - and the results in the first preseason game against the Washington Redskins qualify the notion.  In fact, despite the passage of time and Belichick's multi-dimensional shift in defensive philosophy, there are only a few changes from the original:

Quarterbacks (2)

12 - Tom Brady
10 - Jimmy Garoppolo (R)

No changes from original projection

Yes, still only two quarterbacks.  This is not to say that Ryan Mallett will be traded, but the fact that he was limited in OTAs and in minicamp and was wearing a brace on his left knee was a curious development, and he didn't do himself any favors in his preseason opener meltdown.

His awkward slide at the end of a seven yard scramble against the Redskins would be the perfect excuse to land him on the PUP list to start the season - and the timing would be right as the activation of players that start the season on the PUP occurs just before the trade deadline.  He looked ok after the slide but, well, you know?  This is Bill Belichick we're talking about here. 

Rookie running back James White

Running Backs (4)

22 - Stevan Ridley
34 - Shane Vereen
28 - James White (R)
46 - James Develin
  

No changes from original projection

With contracts coming due on Ridley, Vereen and Brandon Bolden, it goes to figure that the Patriots are not going to be able to negotiate contracts for all three, so dumping Bolden now and training replacements for the other two is just smart business - though it is possible that Ridley and Vereen could be around beyond this year if their price is right.

Develin is looking more and more like a classic H-Back with his versatility, and will figure as a tight end as well as a fullback in this offense.

Tight Ends (3)

87 - Rob Gronkowski 
47 - Michael Hoomanawanui
45 - D. J. Williams 


No changes from original projection

Gronkowski appears to be on track for the start of the season, which clears up the tight end picture a bit.  While Gronk is an all-around force, Hooman is a decent blocker and has shown good hands in his few targets.

Williams has been in the elague for a few seasons, but has never shown the type of production that Green Bay had hoped for when spending 5th round draft capital on him in 2011.  In college, he was considered one of the top pass catching tight ends in the country. H-back James Develin factors in here as well.

Second year receiver Josh Boyce

Receivers (8)

80 - Danny Amendola 
11 - Julian Edelman 
17 - Aaron Dobson 
19 - Brandon Lafell  
85 - Kenbrell Thompkins  
18 - Matthew Slater 
82 - Josh Boyce
84- Brian Tyms (suspended 4 games)

Added Tyms since original projection

The status of Dobson's foot and the thought that his conditioning will be an issue upon his return may upset this apple cart, otherwise, this is a solid group with a good mix of individual skill sets.

New addition Lafell is a veteran who understands coverages and where the sticks are, and could be in the mix at the "move" type tight end position. Tyms has flashed in practice and came through with the performance of the night for the Patriots in the Washington loss.  Boyce and Slater figure prominently on special teams as well.

Offensive Linemen (9)

77 - Nate Solder 
70 - Logan Mankins
76 - Sebatian Vollmer
63 - Dan Connolly
61 - Marcus Cannon
67 - Josh Kline
71 - Cameron Fleming (R)   
69 - Jon Halapio (R) 
66 - Bryan Stork (R) 

Added Connolly since original projection

Noticeably absent from this list are last season's starting center, Ryan Wendell as incumbent right guard Dan Connolly has played first team center in practice and in Washington - and he will stick as the starter at the pivot until the injured Stork is ready to take over, but that may be a while if he doesn't return to camp soon.

Halapio and Fleming are rookie depth at this point as Kline has seized the right guard position. Cannon provides quality depth on the bookends and at guard in a pinch.

Defensive end Michael Buchanan (99)

Defensive linemen (10)

50 - Rob Ninkovich 
75 - Vince Wilfork 
93 - Tommy Kelly 
95 - Chandler Jones 
99 - Michael Buchanan
74 - Dominique Easley (R) 
94 - Chris Jones 
96 - Sealver Siliga
71- Zach Moore (R)


Added Moore since original projection

Siliga and Chris Jones have suffered injuries in the past week, making depth at tackle a bit light, but if the team is truly switching to more of a 3-4 base look, they are not as debilitating as the would in a 4-3 look, but they do limit the versatility of the group as a whole.

The Siliga injury also leaves Wilfork as the only true nose tackle on the roster, so the status of Siliga bears watching.  The five techs are in abundance, however, with Kelly, Chandler Jones, Moore and Easley, if he doesn't start the season on the PUP list.  Veteran 4-3 defensive end Will Smith may find a spot if Easley can't go, though his coaches in New Orleans thought of him as more of an outside linebacker.

Buchanan and Ninkovich are outside linebackers in the 3-4 but we keep them as line depth because they could fill many different roles, including Ninkovich as an edge setter as a defensive end.

Linebackers (6)

54 - Dont'a Hightower 
91 - Jamie Collins 
51 - Jerod Mayo 
45 - Steve Beauharnais
44 - Darius Fleming
55 - James Anderson


No changes from original projection

This group is being subjected to a possible change in philosophy, though the team has always featured some 3-4 and nickle elements to their base 4-3 over the past few seasons, and they have players with enough versatility to pull off a switch to a primary three man front, and also on the second level, but it's an odd mix of tweeners as far as inside or outside designations.

The starting four on the second level in a 3-4 is subject to much conjecture, as Hightower and Mayo were terrific interior defenders in college but have been playing on the outside in the Patriots' 4-3 since.  Collins is a pure strong side linebacker if there ever was one, but the weakside has been manned by Mayo for the past couple of seasons, and the only other pure weak side 'backer on the roster is newly acquired James Anderson.

Rookie free agent corner Malcolm Butler

Anderson actually is an all-around veteran talent that adds a lot of versatility to the scheme and the coaching staff likes Beauharnais a lot, and he is also versatile enough to play in the middle or on the weak side.  Fleming is a pure edge defender, and was a terrific one in college, but in both of his seasons since being drafted in the 5th round by San Francisco in 2012, he has torn the ACL in his left knee.

Corners (6)

24 - Darrelle Revis 
39 - Brandon Browner (suspended 4 games) 
26 - Logan Ryan 
37 - Alfonzo Dennard 
25 - Kyle Arrington 
29 - Malcolm Butler

No changes from original projection

Undrafted rookie free agent Malcolm Butler has a big opportunity to make the Patriots' roster - and even stick once Brandon Browner returns from his suspension. Redskins' quarterbacks targeted Butler seven times but the rookie allowed only two catches, and both of them he still had tight coverage, losing one by being outjumped and the other was just a perfect throw and a terrific catch.

The other corners are absolute locks.

Safeties (4)

30 - Duron Harmon  
32 - Devin McCourty  
23 - Patrick Chung    
27 - Tavon Wilson 

Removed Jemea Thomas since original projection

Solid group of safeties, with Chung brought back to be that intimidating presence in the middle in the nickle and dime situations. Tavon Wilson has shown an immense amount of growth in his game over the offseason, perhaps working with Revis for a month in Arizona had something to do with it.

Wilson looks decisive and brought the wood against the Redskins.  Obviously, it takes more than one game to turn around a couple of years of futility, but he's off to a good start and may end up giving Harmon a run for his money at strong safety.

Specialists (3)

6 - Ryan Allen 
3 - Stephen Gostkowski 
48 - Danny Aiken

Aiken wins out over Tyler Ott in the competition for long snapper, though Aiken will probably be on a short leash after his late season air mail struggles.  Allen and Gostkowski are as dependable as they come.

Offense: 26
Defense: 26
Specialists: 3 
Total: 55

Patriots to focus on depth against Redskins; Mallet scheduled to start

Brian Tyms has had a tough life.

His parents both abusive and neglectful, the New England Patriots receiver bounced from one foster care group home to another until he finally landed in a permanent home at the age of 12, where years of love and respect from his foster parents somewhat soothed over the pain of his parents drug-addled existence and subsequent related deaths.

Tyms has a shot at the roster, but will have to make his mark on special teams

Sports, particularly basketball and football, helped him channel the anger and disappointment - but in starting organized sports so late in his childhood - he didn't play football until his senior year in high school - he didn't attract any scholarship offers.

Undeterred, the 6' 3", 210 pound Tyms hit the books and the field at Broward County Community College before enrolling at Florida A&M, where his exceptional grades and constant haranguing of the coaching staff earned him a walk-on tryout and, eventually, a scholarship.

Tyms is uniquely qualified to endure the rigors and constant disappointment that comes with the life of an undrafted free agent in the National Football League, what with bouncing from the San Francisco 49ers to the Miami Dolphins to the Cleveland Browns and now in camp with the Patriots, where he will get the opportunity to strut his stuff against the Washington Redskins on Thursday night.

Tyms has been a steady, if unspectacular, contributor in camp and catches everything that the quarterbacks throw his way, and has built a particularly strong rapport with backup signal caller Ryan Mallett, whom it is being reported will actually start the team's preseason opener at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland...

...which is neither here nor there, given the fact that the Boston media are issuing conflicting reports regarding who is starting the game, though it goes to figure that Mallett will get the majority of the reps no matter who lines up first, and Tyms could be the player that benefits the most.

Brady won't play, but Mallett (15) and Garoppolo (10) will see action

If the Patriots are indeed shopping Mallett around as most media outlets are speculating, we will be in for a pass-heavy game with players like Tyms, Wilson Van Hooser and Derrick Johnson getting extended looks while veterans Josh Boyce and Brandon Lafell will see more than they would otherwise, as it would go to figure that an impressive resume tape on Mallett would include every throw an NFL quarterback would be likely called upon to deliver.

In that scenario, the tight ends should see some significant action as well, as Justin Jones and Asa Watson have a golden opportunity to tighten up the race to make a roster spot for themselves in the absence of Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui.

If the Patriots are not shopping Mallett, there will still be balls in the air, but the Patriots would likely sustain a more balanced attack as there are some questions as to the pecking order amongst the running backs, which also will involve the tight ends as inline blockers and safety valves in play action.

Linebacker depth on display:

With there being zero doubt about the three starting linebackers for the Patriots, there is some conjecture as to what kind of depth the team possesses.

At this point, backup run-stuffer Steve Beauharnais has had a ferocious camp and is a virtual lock, as is cover 'backer James Anderson.  The former Panther and Bear Anderson represents possibly the best nickle linebacker the Patriots have fielded in more than a decade, if not longer.

If there is to be a sixth - and perpetually game-day inactive - linebacker on the squad, it will likely be between veteran journeyman Darius Fleming and rookie free agents Deonte Skinner and Cameron Gordon, though the raw and smallish Gordon may ultimately end up on the practice squad.  Both will get long looks this evening.

Garoppolo in a real game situation:

Some guys leave it on the practice field, some are gamers.  Is Jimmy Garoppolo one or the other, or neither?  Patriots' fans may be pleasantly surprised to find out that Garoppolo has never really been a workout warrior, but has proven time and again in college that he steps up and delivers in actual game situations.

This is not to say that the Eastern Illinois product is going to light it up, and there is every reason to believe that he will stink up the joint.  But here's the thing: some guys are just gamers, and we'll find out tonight if Garoppolo has any of that in him as far as the pro game is concerned.


Connolly, Klein and who backs them up:

In the unfortunate absence of rookie center Bryan Stork, Belichick has been running mostly with Dan Connolly at center rather than incumbent Ryan Wendell, and second year man Josh Kline has all but assumed the right guard position held down last season by Connolly.

Belichick has talked up Wendell recently, which is usually the kiss of death.  The boss does praise players who do a good job for him, but Belichick got right into what sounded like a scripted list of accolades last week - almost like a letter of recommendation - as he spun a yarn of how Wendell went from being cut and then to the practice squad and eventually to starting center.

Don't be surprised if Wendell is an early cut, as Belichick likes to release veteran players whom he respects early enough in the preseason to allow them time to latch on somewhere else.

Expect Marcus Cannon, Jordan Devey, Braxston Cave and rookies Cameron Fleming and Jon Halapio to get the majority of the action as Belichick attempts to start putting his offensive line together.

How much does Browner play, and where?:

There appears to be quite an amount of conjecture as to where Brandon Browner will fit in this secondary, but those who have taken the time to do any research at all will discover that he lost his starting outside corner job to Byron Maxwell last season in Seattle, and was relegated to nickle and dime duties covering the double slot.

With the Pro Set virtually assured, White will get every chance

At issue is a lack of deep speed and seeming difficulty turning to look for the ball without losing his man in coverage, particularly down the sidelines.  We may see that manifest in some manner tonight as Browner will probably receive a good number of reps. 

He will play outside and inside, with his best spot as an enforcer and intimidator over the middle, perhaps even in coverage on Washington's sensational sophomore tight end Jordan Reed.

Another intriguing point of focus should be on corner depth, particularly with rookies Malcolm Butler and Travis Hawkins displaying good anticipation in camp, with Butler even taking snaps with the first team opposite Darrelle Revis at times.  Both are in the mix for a sixth corner and will get plenty of looks on Thursday night.

First real look at the running game:

The Patriots' typically do not tip their hand as to scheme and such in the preseason, but with the tight end-centric offense essentially on life support, Belichick will most likely return to the Pro Set on offense this season, featuring backs with diverse skill sets in a split backfield, one tight end and two wide receivers.

Why?  Because the aforementioned diversity within the running back corps is the key to keeping the opposing defense back on their heels as both Shane Vereen and rookie James White are equally adept at pass catching as they are running the ball, and to make sure that one or both are in the backfield at any one time can create mismatches on the second level and effectively set up the play action.

It will be interesting to see how power back Stevan Ridley is used in the Pro Set, as he has taken reps as a lead blocker in the split backfield - ala Sammy Morris - in camp at times, with favorable results.

So....Vereen, White, Ridley and...who else?  Brandon Bolden is reportedly dealing with an undisclosed injury and is back in Foxborough, so big backs Jonas Gray and rookie Stephen Houston will get some looks against the Redskins - and it's pretty safe to say that it is those two and Bolden are in competition for one roster spot.

All three have good hands out of the backfield and all of them have a powerful running style, but whomever emerges with the fourth spot in the backs rotation will most likely be rendered a game day inactive, but when you're talking about making an NFL roster, those things don't necessarily matter as much as getting your foot in the door.

Belichick in the spirit (of '76) in regard to Patriots' offensive line

Bill Belichick is on record as saying that the 1976 Patriots are the best team ever to be assembled in Foxborough - a virtual "who's who" in franchise history.

For those that are too young to remember or who were not not even born yet, that Patriots' team was the first in franchise history to actually contend for a title after ten years of futility in the old American Football League segued into seven more lean years upon the merger of the AFL with the National Football League, going 11-3 and earning a wild card berth and losing to the Oakland Raiders in the infamous Ben Dreith Game...

The left side is set with Solder and Mankins, the right is a question mark

...featuring three separate very questionable personal fouls called on New England's defense in the final minute of the game that extended the Raiders' final drive when the Patriots appeared to have them stopped - and given that Oakland stomped the Steelers the following week in the AFC Championship and then did the same in the Super Bowl to the Minnesota Vikings, it would appear that the Patriots were robbed of their first World Title.

Which may or may not be true, but all of that detracts from the fact that when Belichick heaped such high praise on this unit, he did so from personal experience as he was under the employ of the Detroit Lions that season as an assistant coach, a Lions' team that handed New England one of it's three losses by building a big early lead and forcing New England to the air, neutralizing their potent running game.

Reloading the Musket - Part 6: Patriots' interior offensive line needs influx of nastiness

When Josh Kline started at left guard in a blowout win over the Baltimore Ravens, Patriots' fans were treated to the start of a career that could see the undrafted rookie free agent find a regular home on the Patriots' offensive line.

Perhaps not in Mankins' spot, because though the wear and tear of nine NFL seasons have taken their toll on the 2005 first round draft pick, he's still tough-as-nails and carries a mile-wide vicious streak into each contest - turning each game into a brutal street fight.

Mankins remains a fearsome blocker despite wear and tear

Why would anyone want to replace Mankins at this juncture, when the Patriots respect what he brings to the field so much that they have not even approached him about ways to trim down his $10.5 million 2014 cap hit, which is second highest on the team behind Tom Brady's - and has an even higher cap hit in 2015.  In fact, the Fresno State product has three seasons remaining on a six-year, $51 million deal, with two installments of $4 million still remaining in guaranteed signing bonus money.

But why wouldn't the team approach the five-time All Pro to gain cap relief, particularly when they had already tried to negotiate similarly with All Pro nose tackle Vince Wilfork?

Because just as it is in the trenches with Mankins and his tempo-setting nastiness, so it is at the negotiating table.

As a restricted free agent following the 2009 season, the Patriots tried to low-ball Mankins by placing a tender on him that would have required any team that signed him to surrender a first and a third round draft pick to New England, which no team would do - but instead of signing his tender, Mankins demanded a trade and sat out of all mandatory offseason workouts, preseason games and a full half of the 2010 season...

...reporting and signing the Tender in week nine, solely to be able to collect the accrued year toward free agency - and he started immediately and earned both Pro Bowl and All Pro honors in his abbreviated season - then immediately slapped the franchise tag on him when able to do so.  Mankins signed the $10 million tender and reported to camp, prompting the Patriots to offer Mankins the highest salary ever tendered to an interior lineman at the time.

His no-nonsense, stand-his-ground approach is what makes Mankins such a trusted and immovable commodity, plus he has been named to the Pro Bowl five consecutive times heading into the 2014 season, and to the All Pro team four straight times - so any talk of Mankins not being able to earn his salary, even when dealing with major injuries, is a pile of bad noise.

So Kline can pretty much forget seeing much of the field on the left side of the Patriots' offensive line for a while, barring another concussion to left tackle Nate Solder, which is why Mankins slid over to tackle in the Ravens' game, opening up the spot for Kline to do his thing...

...but that doesn't preclude him from making some noise on the right side, where Dan Connolly is in the final year of a three year contract and carries a $4.1 million cap hit for this season, but also would count a little over a million in dead money were he cut.  Many have tried and failed to unseat the undrafted free agent, but perhaps this is the season that a similarly obtained player finally sends Connolly on his way.

The worst-case scenario for the Patriots isn't that bad at all.  Assuming health, the Patriots could field the same starting lineup that they've relied upon for the past two seasons, and though the play of the line slipped somewhat last season, at their best they are still a top drawer unit.

Mankins and Connolly flank incumbent center Ryan Wendell, who was surprisingly re-signed by New England last month to a healthy two-year $8 million contract that does not bind the team to much dead money at all if he doesn't make the team, and is mostly incentive-laden if he does....

...and twin giants bookend the line, the aforementioned Solder protecting Brady's blind side and Sebastian Vollmer manning the right if fully recovered from a gruesome broken leg in the middle of 2013 - if not, the enigmatic Marcus Cannon would take the spot, though the wide-load mauler is better at the right guard spot and excellent in spot duty at both tackle positions.

Not a bad lineup, but age, injury history and eroding skill have permeated the unit that the Patriots would be well advised to address in the draft, and by taking stock in what is on the roster already.

With the status of Vollmer's leg up in the air, the decline of Connolly and Wendell, the mystery of Cannon and the concussion history of Solder, the offensive line is sorely in need of capable fill-ins, if not replacements in some instances - and the one lineman available in free agency that could have could have upgraded the line, former Kansas City Cheifs' right guard Jon Asamoah either wasn't pursued or found a better deal in Atlanta...

...a deal that was just slightly above Connolly money, which mixed in with Wendell's deal tells us one of three things:  Either the Patriots feel that last season's decline in efficiency was an aberration; they feel that the answer to their dilemma are already on the depth chart; or they plan on addressing their needs in the draft.

And, as always, it's probably all of the above.

Wendell's slip in performance level from 2012 to 2013 was so abrupt that one has to wonder if he was dealing with some nagging ailments that affected his lateral agility, as he was atrocious in pass protection - and as the anchor of the protection unit, his deficiencies impacted every position along the line, particularly the play of the guards who were forced to lend a hand at times so that Wendell and Brady didn't get bulldozed.

Whatever the case, the middle rounds of the draft are filled with nasty-tempered centers eager to mix it up on the NFL level, and there may even be an answer already on the roster.

Braxston Cave spent all of 2013 on the practice squad and was one of only a handful of players that survived the roster purge just before the beginning of the league year in early march and signed to a Future's contract.  The 6' 3", 305 pound Cave earned third-team AP All American honors his season due primarily to his grit and determination, and is well acclaimed for his football intelligence.

He's not terribly athletic, though he makes up for that with technique and leverage and probably spent many hours working with position coaches on his choppy footwork and his inadequate handwork - which means that he's a project with no guarantees, which also means that the Patriots likely will draft a guy or bring some competition in with some rookie free agents.

Colorado State's Weston Richburg headlines what looks to be a shallow pool of NFL caliber centers, but fits better in a zone blocking scheme where his limited athleticism won't be as readily exposed - same with Florida State Bryan Stork, who offers better size but is even more a plodder than Richburg, as does Utah State's Tyler Larsen, but none of these guys offer more than what New England already has on the depth chart.

Penn State guard John Urschel may be the answer.  Urschel has the size and mobility to man the pivot and is already familiar with the offensive terminology and mindset from working under former New England offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, not to mention being named team captain in the scheme.


Urschel played some center in Happy Valley, but mostly guard and had the bulk, skill and IQ to take over the job and anchor the line for years.  Even if drafted and developed as a guard who could slide over to center when needed, Urschel would be well worth a third round draft choice.

If the Patriots don't take him, there's a new head coach in Houston who will, and probably in the third round.

But that's about as high as New England is likely to go with draft capital for an offensive line that needs depth, at worst, which means that names like UCLA guard Xavier Su'a Filo, Stanford's David Yankey and possibly even Mississippi State's Gabe Jackson would be out of the question...

...but would have to include Canadian collegian Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who plays both tackle and guard positions for McGill College and is expected to be the top pick in the Canadian Football League draft, plus Clemson mauler Brandon Thomas and Baylor's Cyril Richardson, who may be the best road grader in the class.

But one would have to think that all bets would be off if versatile, athletic and large Notre Dame tackle Zack Martin were to somehow slip to the bottom of the first round.  He's small for an NFL tackle at 6' 4" and 310 pounds, so a move inside to guard is probably in the offing, with the knowledge that he's stout and athletic enough to slide outside on occasion, much like Mankins.

A move inside with the Patriots could be a boon for Cave in his quest to start at center, as he and Martin played side by side for two years with the Irish and work off of each other well.

New England may also look at the tackle positions, though they probably feel well protected in Mankins and Cannon, plus having 2nd year prospect R. J. Mattes on a futures contact and swing tackle Will Svitek on the speed dial as an almost certain camp invitee...

...though one thing to monitor is the contract status of Solder, his rookie deal expiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season and, as one of the better left tackles in the league, he may command top money to remain with the team - so a developmental tackle such as Duvernay-Tardif, Furman's Dakota Dozier, or even Virginia's Morgan Moses or intriguing prospect Wesley Johnson out of Vanderbilt, who could really be something with a year of strength and conditioning at the pro level.

Despite the fact that Tom Brady was sacked 40 times in 2013, the blame can be spread around quite liberally, particularly pointing towards the inexperience amongst the receivers in the Patriots' system making the line have to hold their blocks longer coupled with Josh McDaniels' less-than-imaginative play calling being a big part of that.

Losing Vollmer didn't help, either, so while it's true that the Patriots' offensive line left us wanting more last season, it is equally true that help is probably already on the roster, to be supplemented by someone like Urschel in the draft.