Nnamdi Asomugha (OAK)

Asomugha is arguably the biggest prize of the 2011 offseason, but I find it unlikely that the Patriots will be the team to sign him. The Patriots won’t pay him $10 million a year when they already invested around $4-5 million in Bodden and a first round pick in McCourty and have bigger needs elsewhere on the team. If the Patriots did decide to make a big splash in the free agent pool, Asomugha would be high on New England’s list of potential targets.

Drayton Florence (BUF)

The Patriots are an attractive option for many aging veterans who want one last shot at a ring (Fred Taylor, Junior Seau, Joey Galloway, etc.). The Pats also have a reputation for taking talented players away from division rivals. Florence would fit the bill on both counts. Florence is an average starter, but he would excel as a nickel corner and may even be able to move over to safety in certain packages. The Bill may look to get younger at corner this offseason, so there is a decent chance he will be available.

Fabian Washington (BAL)

The top three cornerbacks of the Ravens are all free agents, and Washington appears likely to be the odd man out. He struggled in 2010 and was eventually benched due to a few mental lapses, but he has plenty of experience as a starter and could provide veteran leadership in the secondary. The biggest hurdles to him playing in New England could be price and playing time, as he will likely expect to start and earn a starter’s salary. If winning is more important to him than money or playing time, he could definitely bolster the defense.

Brandon Carr (KC)

Carr was a very pleasant surprise for the Chiefs and held his own while facing a larger percentage of targets across from emerging star Brandon Flowers. He has adequate speed and ball skills, and his size is a plu, allowing him to play physical against larger receivers. Carr is a restricted free agent, but if the tender is not outrageous, it wouldn’t be out of the question for the Pats to make an offer. If he’s tender at a 2^nd round level, he would likely be a better value than any corner that would be available at the 60^th pick.

Richard Marshall (CAR)

Marshall may have some hurt feelings after not receiving a contract extension he requested (loudly) prior to the season, so there is a reasonable chance he could be available. He is tough in run support and decent in coverage. He would push Bodden for a spot in the starting lineup and might be able to earn a starting role against certain opponents, especially if the other AFC East teams continue to move toward implementing a run-heavy attack.

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Each week leading up to the draft, the Foxboro Blog crew will spend a week breaking down a position on the Patriots' roster.  We'll start with a quick overview and then move onto a discussion involving potential draftees at that spot as well as free-agents that the Patriots may pursue.  Up this week are the cornerbacks...

2010 Recap:  The 2010 Draft got off to a surprising start when the Patriots selected cornerback Devin McCourty out of Rutgers with their first round selection.  Many people were expecting Belichick to go with a linebacker like Sergio Kindle or choose wide receiver Dez Bryant as an "heir" to Randy Moss.  It is safe to say that McCourty was far off the radar for most Pats fans, and the pick was met with a fair amount of skepticism.  Little did anyone know that Belichick had made one of his best first-round selections of his career.  Forget for a moment that McCourty wound up as a rookie Pro-Bowler, and just concentrate on how devastated the Patriots secondary would have been in 2010 were he not a part of the team.   In training camp, the New England's top CB, Leigh Bodden was put on IR for a torn rotator cuff.  Second-year player, Darius Butler, who everyone expected to make a big leap last season, seemed to regress and quickly lost his starting spot.  Without McCourty, the Patriots would have been sending out Kyle Arrington and...    yeah...  week after week.  As it stood, the Patriots gave up a ton of yards in 2010.  I can't imagine how the season would have played out without McCourty.

To sum up 2010 for the cornerback crew, McCourty shone brightly, and Arrignton played admirably alongside him.  There were certainly a fair amount of bumps in the road, given the relative inexperience at the position, but the secondary was able to bend and not break. Overall, their performance this past season gives Patriots fans a lot of reasons to be optimistic heading forward. 

What are your thoughts on a 18-game schedule?

Stephen:  As much as I’d love to watch another two regular season games every year, when it comes to the players’ safety, I don’t think an 18-game schedule would be a good idea. When looking at the Colts, Packers, and Seahawks and even to some degree the Patriots, you can see how big of an impact injuries have on a roster. The game is becoming increasingly violent despite the league’s attempts to get rid of helmet-to-helmet hits and unnecessary roughness. This is a tough call for me because there’s nothing I enjoy more than tuning on the NFL on Sundays, but when it comes to the safety of all the players in the league, I just can’t see how an 18-game schedule wouldn’t be a huge injury risk.
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Do you think it's a realistic possibility that Randy Moss re-signs with the Pats, and if so, how would you feel?

Jason:  I think the chances of Moss ending up in New England next year are very slim. There are very few WRs on the current roster that project to be here in 2-3 years, so this season will be important to get young players on the field and see what they can do. I also think there is a very wide gap between what Moss thinks he is worth and what the Patriots think he is worth to their organization. They didn't trade him because they covet fourth-round picks.

Our third-round mock will see a lot of changes post-combine, but here’s the best attempt at it after two rounds down.

65. Panthers – Titus Young, WR, Boise State

66. Bengals – Marvin Austin, DT, UNC

67. Broncos – Jurrell Casey, DT, USC

68. Bills – Brandon Burton, CB, Utah

69. Cardinals – Stefen Wiskiensi, C/G, Penn State

70. Browns – Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

71. Cowboys – John Moffit, G, Wisconsin

72. Saints – Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina

73. Texans – DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson

74. Patriots – Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State

Hunter would provide the Pats with a home-run threat who can catch the ball out of the backfield and runs well, too. He is on the short side at 5’7 but is a solid 200 pounds with 4.4 speed. His explosion, quickness and ability to pass block would make him a great fit in this offense.

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Today we decided to check in with one of our fellow Patriots' bloggers  for a Q&A session.  Jamie Pacheco of Musket Fire, was kind enough to answer our questions about the Pats, below.  After you're done reading, be sure to take a trip over his site to look at the solid Patriots coverage they've got going on.

1. What do you think is the Patriots' biggest need going forward in this offseason? Why?

Pass rush, pass rush, and some more pass rush. The position to target here would be an outside linebacker or a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. Opposing quarterbacks have had way too much time to survey the field and make throws. The guys in coverage can only cover for so long, and the lack of a pass rush is, in my opinion, stifling the development of the young secondary. As much as they improved over the course of the season, they would look even better had they had a reliable pass rush behind them.

It's safe to say that no one could have imagined that the combination of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead would account for 1,555 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010.

The two undrafted free agents carved out their own niches on an offense that saw Tom Brady post his best regular season of his career.

Green-Ellis, while unspectacular, consistently ran hard, averaging 4.4 yards per carry on 229 attempts.

On the other hand, Woodhead emerged as an all-around threat once Kevin Faulk went down with a torn ACL. The former Division II Heisman trophy winner was a big playmaker and seems to be a good replacement if Faulk retires or does not return in 2011.

However, ever since the departure of Corey Dillon, the Patriots still have a need for a dynamic every-down back. This team could really benefit from a runner who other teams need to account for.

With no first-round locks in this year's draft outside of Mark Ingram, there are many mid-round options the Patriots could take a look at.

Here are the five top running backs that should be on the Pats' draft board:

DeAngelo Williams (CAR)

Until his season-ending injury last year, Williams was considered by many to be a top five talent at the position. He averaged more than 5 yards per carry from 2007 through 2009 and scored 20 times in 2008. The Panthers have a pair of capable running backs on their roster and have many more glaring needs to fill than RB, so Williams is likely to be available. He will still command a sizeable contract that could scare New England off, but if the Patriots decide to make a splash in free agency, Williams could be an attractive option.

Pierre Thomas (NO)

Thomas was an important piece of the Super Bowl puzzle for the Saints in 2009, and at just 26 years old, he should be a tremendous value for any team that signs him this offseason. He's averaged 4.7 yards per carry over the course of his career, and he is a tough runner for his size. He is also an effective receiver out of the backfield and could help keep opposing defenses guessing. He could be the homerun threat that New England's backfield has been missing in recent seasons.

Ronnie Brown (MIA)

The Dolphins may look to get younger at RB next year, so it's very possible that Brown will test the free agent market this offseason. At age 29 with just 1128 career carries, Brown should still have some gas in the tank. He struggled mightily with the Dolphins last year, but some of that might have been due to gameplanning by opposing defenses (Chad Henne wasn't scaring anyone besides Dolphins fans). Still, his down year and injury history means he probably won't command a huge investment on the open market.

Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)

Bradshaw is probably the least likely of the free agent running backs to hit the open market, but the possibility exists since the Giants announced they would not use the franchise tag. He is a strong runner and effective pass-catcher out of the backfield. He has low mileage and held up well last season despite seeing more than 300 touches. He should command a sizeable contract, which could present a challenge for the Pats. It's unlikely that New England would win the bidding for one of the biggest prizes of the offseason.

Derrick Ward (HOU)

Ward did not live up to his pricey contract with the Bucs, but he did well in a reserve role behind the league's leading rusher in Houston last year. Ward is good out of the backfield and an effective option in the red zone. He shouldn't command a big contract this offseason, so he would make sense as an option to provide better depth. Although his age (30) is a red flag for some teams, he is a low-mileage back with plenty of experience. He could end up being the steal of the free agency period this year.

Each week leading up to the draft, the Foxboro Blog crew will spend a week breaking down a position on the Patriots' roster.  We'll start with a quick overview and then move onto a discussion involving potential draftees at that spot as well as free-agents that the Patriots may pursue.  Up this week are the running backs...

2010 Recap:  The Patriots started the 2010 season with five backs in the fold and by the time January rolled around, only one of them would be making significant contributions.  Veteran Fred Taylor appeared to be the leading candidate for the top back position during the pre-season, but was sidelined early in the year with a toe injury.  Kevin Faulk's season was lost early on due to a torn ACL.  Former 1st round pick, Laurence Maroney found himself back in Belichick's dog house and eventually on a flight to Denver after being traded for a 4th round pick.  Sammy Morris made the bulk of his contributions on special teams as he was called to carry the football all of 20 times in 2010.  And then there was BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who spent training camp and the preseason on the roster bubble fighting desperately for his spot.  In the end, he was the lone survivor of the original running back corps and, in their absence, managed to put together the best season by any back since Clock Killin' Corey Dillon. 

BenJarvus' 1,000+ yards were complimented by Jets cast-off, Danny Woodhead, who was picked up by Belichick during Week 3.  In stark contrast to Green-Ellis' ground and pound approach, Woodhead earned his playing time by sneaky, quick, and impossible to tackle.  Often the smallest man on the field, Danny had no problem taking and dishing out big hits to move the ball down the field.  Together, the unlikely duo formed an attack that gashed through opposing defenses.  They brought much needed balance to a pass-heavy Patriots offense, and their rushing success opened up numerous play-action opportunities for Tom Brady. 

This week, we will look at three new mock drafts and see who New England will be picking based on their suggestions. This series of articles will culminate in April when we go over Mel Kiper Jr.’s and Todd McShay’s Mock Drafts.

Pro Football Talk – They said New England would take J.J Watt, the DE out of Wisconsin with the 17th pick, so we will look at their 28th pick.

WR Jonathan Baldwin – Pittsburgh

Their Take: A deep threat receiver isn’t as big a need for New England as some have made it out to be, but Baldwin could add an entirely new element to Bill O’Brien’s offense. Mike Mayock has projected Baldwin to run a sub-4.4 at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and the third-year junior averaged 18.26 yards per catch at Pitt.

My Take: One of the main weapons that the Patriots missed in their AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the NY Jets was their lack of a deep threat wide receiver. If New England doesn’t fit this need through free agency, Baldwin would be the ideal rookie fit. He gets yards after the catch which is always a plus in Bill O’Brien’s offense and can stretch the defense for Wes Welker and Brandon Tate to get their screen passes and turn them into big gains.

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