What is the biggest offseason need for the Patriots?

Stephen:  Pass rushers are at a premium and with four picks in the top two rounds of the 2011 Draft, the Patriots need to add an impact pass rusher. While Tully Banta-Cain has some ability to put pressure on the quarterback, he is a third-down specialist at best. Rookie Jermaine Cunningham showed flashes, but he needs to learn to finish the play and continue to learn to play standing up. Cunningham seems to be more of a solid do-it-all type, but he would benefit greatly from having a true sack artist playing the other outside spot.The defensive line could also use an infusion of talent as besides Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Ron Brace, none of the current defensive linemen were drafted higher than the sixth round by the Patriots. The reason the Patriots had so much success earlier in the decade can be attributed to strong play from the front seven. To get back to that level of play, the linebackers and defensive line need a significant upgrade in talent.

It's official, Jason will go down as the first-ever Foxboro Blog NFL Pick 'Em Champion.  He currently holds a two-game lead over Rick with only one game left to play.  I find myself way in the back of the pack, three behind Rick and an embarrassing five behind Jason.  Needless to say, the climax of our heated competition won't be nearly as dramatic as the game this Sunday, but we figured we'd pick the Super Bowl for good measure. 

Here's the final picks for the 2010 season...

Game	Derek	Jason	Rick
GB vs. PIT
Last Week	1-1	2-0	1-1
Record	19-21	24-16	22-18

Marcus Spears (DAL)

Spears has plenty of experience playing defensive end in a 3-4 alignment, but he’s never quite lived up to his first-round billing in Dallas. He still seems to generate a decent push in the pass rush, but he doesn’t seem to have the elite finishing skills needed to rack up double-digit sacks. If the Pats plan on upgrading the linebacker position and/or relying on growth from Jermaine Cunningham to help generate a pass rush, Spears would make sense if he’s not asking for a boatload of money. He will be 28 this year and is an unrestricted free agent.

Brandon Mebane (SEA)

After showing flashes of brilliance for the Seahawks in 2008 with 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles from the defensive tackle position, Mebane has struggled with consistency and injuries over the past two years. He has a thick frame at 6’1” and 311 pounds and plays very well against the run. The downsides on Mebane is that he’d need to transition to a 3-4 after playing in a 4-3 in Seattle, and he is a restricted free agent who is likely to get a high tender. While the Patriots have plenty of picks to spare, something like a first-round pick would be a lot to give up for a player that would need to learn to play the five-technique.

Alan Branch (ARI)

Branch is another player who failed to live up to his lofty billing in the draft. He was taken early in the second round of the 07 draft as a DE/DT hybrid, but he has recorded just three starts. He did show flashes in 2010 with a pair of sacks and a career-high in tackles, and his monumental 6’6”, 338-pound frame gives him the versatility to play anywhere on the defensive line. He will be a restricted free agent, but with other higher-priority RFAs on the Arizona roster such as Tim Hightower and Early Doucet, there is a chance he could be available at a reasonable cost. He would be an interesting reclamation project for Belichick and Co.

Richard Seymour (OAK)

We’ve heard over and over that the Patriots need a Seymour-type of player to compliment Wilfork on the defensive line. So why not test the waters to see if Seymour would be willing to come back? The price tag might be a little bit steep for the Pats to sign a player who is going to command big money and is on the wrong side of 30, but he would bring another strong veteran presence on a defense that is sorely lacking veteran leadership. Of course, Seymour wasn't too happy when the Patriots traded him a few years ago, and Al Davis has never been afraid of busting out the checkbook. I’d put the odds of him ending up with the Patriots at a generous 20-1.

Jason Babin (TEN)

Babin will be one of the big-ticket free agents on the defensive line this year after recording a career-high 12.5 sacks last year, but he has struggled in almost every other uniform he’s donned in his seven-year career. He’s also a bit undersized to play DE in a 3-4. He’s almost certain to sign with a 4-3 team, likely leaving New England out of the running.

Mathias Kiwanuka (NYG)

Kiwanuka has been a disruptive force for the Giants when healthy. He will be 28 on Opening Day, so he should still have a number of productive years ahead of him. However, he is more of an edge rusher in a 4-3 defense. Although he’s played some linebacker and defensive end, I’m not sure how he’d transition to a 3-4 DE. He would probably fit in better as a linebacker than a defensive lineman in a 3-4. He’s likely to get a nice deal somewhere, but I’d be surprised if it was in New England.

Ray Edwards (MIN)

Edwards is another young, productive player who comes from a team that plays a 4-3 defense. He’s a little bigger than Kiwanuka, but still might be slightly undersized for the 3-4 DE position. You also have to wonder how good he would be outside of Minnesota considering he almost never sees a double-team with Jared Allen on the other side and the Williams Wall commanding attention from the interior line. I really can’t see him landing in New England.

We'll get the easy stuff out of the way first -- the Packers are favored by 2.5 in their Super Bowl matchup in Dallas on Sunday, and I like them to cover. But during the Super Bowl, there are soooooo many more interesting things to bet. Who cares about the game when we can bet on what Fregie will be wearing? Or how long Christina Aguilera will hold the last note of the National Anthem? This is what people really care about. And by "people," I obviously mean "people who have a serious gambling problem." Say what you want about my writing, but daddy knows his target audience. I'm also making a resolution to never refer to myself as "daddy" in another column. Ever.

In this final edition of Opening Lines for the year (which is more like Closing Lines since I waited so long to write it), I'm going to take some of the imaginary $350 I won by betting an imaginary $50 a game on each of my game picks throughout the season (it's all imaginary money since my wife may divorce me if I actually start skipping work to drive to Delaware every Tuesday and put our very real rent money at risk on football games ... and those of you who know us personally are nodding and laughing, because they know that's the truth) and allocate it on all of the exotic wagers during Super Bowl week. Enjoy!

While the Patriots teams of the past were built on strong play from the defensive line, the talent and production level of the front three has taken a toll over the past few seasons.

With the departure of Richard Seymour via trade in 2009, the right end spot has been a particular problem. Seymour made his mark drawing double and sometimes triple teams from opposing offenses, freeing up outside linebackers Mike Vrabel, Roosevelt Colvin and Willie McGinest for big sack opportunities.

Without Seymour’s pure power and experience in the lineup and the loss of Ty Warren to a season-ending hip injury last season, the defensive line was largely a makeshift group. Outside of Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork, 10-year veteran Gerard Warren filled in admirably, but is long in the tooth and is purely a stopgap player at this point in his career.

Armed with two picks in each of the first three rounds in the 2011 Draft, the Patriots have the ammunition necessary to draft a true replacement for Seymour. And luckily for the Patriots, this draft is extremely deep with defensive linemen who can play in the 3-4 system.

Word broke today that Bill Belichick has been named the 2010 coach of the year.  This marks the third time that The Genius has won the award, with 2003 (14-2 record) and 2007 (16-0 record) as his other victories. 

I'm sure that this award isn't necessarily a major deal for Belichick, who pretty much cares about Lombardi Trophies and nothing else.  However, I'm personally glad to see him walk away with the honor.  The 2010 Patriots were not supposed to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  They were young, raw, and it appeared that there were simply too many injuries and holes on the roster to make any type of notable run.  When Randy Moss was traded away due to his attitude problems, expectations dipped even lower.  Still, Belichick led his young crew to a 14-2 record and finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak.  The fourteen wins was no small feat, considering that the 2010 slate was one of the most difficult schedules the Pats have ever had. Along the way, the Patriots knocked off six playoff teams in the Steelers, Packers, Bears, Jets, Colts, Ravens.  While the playoffs didn't go as expected, the AP award is based solely on the regular season and I don't see how any other coach could be considered more worthy than Belichick based on those sixteen games. 

To be quite honest, this was likely the most impressive regular season of his entire coaching career.  When the Patriots went 14-2 in '03 and '04, and 16-0 in '07, he made those runs with a star-studded cast of proven veterans.  As good as they were, few people were shocked by those results.  I don't think anyone saw 14-2 coming for this young Patriots squad, probably not even Belichick himself. 

In the end, no other coach pulled as much out of his players regardless of the experience or talent on their roster.  It's only fitting that Belichick walk away with the AP Coach of the Year after such an amazing run. 

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 is the Defensive Line...

2010 Recap:  The Patriots' defensive line was dealt a tough blow before the season even officially started.  Pro Bowler, Ty Warren was placed on injured reserve during traning camp when he injured his hip.  Warren's loss left two big gaps on either side of nose tackle, Vince Wilfork.  Veteran Gerard Warren was signed as a free-agent and contributed admirably throughout the season, although his playing time tapered off towards the end of the year due to injuries.  On the other side, the Patriots had a veritable revolving door of linemen, including Mike Wright, Myron Pryor, Ron Brace, Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick.  Despite the depth at the position, the injury bug seemed to strike weekly, and by the time the playoffs rolled around, the Patriots D-line was rather thin.

Overall, the defensive line exceeded expectations this past season, and the bulk of the credit for that goes to Vince Wilfork, who had a career year.  Wilfork was often called on to move from nose tackle to defensive end depending on the matchup that week and never seemed to miss a step.  The Patriots were strong against the run in 2010, thanks to Wilfork, but the Patriots' defense struggled overall, mostly due to a lack of pass rush and a subsequent inability to stop opponents on 3rd down. 

As we shift from the regular season to the off-season, we're continuing our Q&A sessions on Foxboro Blog.  However, instead of going head to head with opposing bloggers, we'll be talking with other Patriots blogs as well as some scouting and draft sites for their insights into building New England's 2011 team.  Up first is NE Patriots Draft.com, a fantastic Patriots blog that specializes in draft analysis.  (Surprising, I know, given the name of the blog.)  Anyway, we sent some questions about potential Patriots prospects to the site's lead blogger, James Christensen, and his responses are below.  After you read the Q&A, be sure to check out NE Patriots Draft.com.   It's certainly a must-read for any die-hard Pats fan.

1. In your opinion, what is the ideal need that the New England Patriots need to address in this draft?

There isn't a glaring need yet, as the Patriots did just go 14-2, but the offensive line has the potential to be a problem if Logan Mankins, Stephen Neal, and Matt Light all don't return.  Dan Koppen will also be playing the last year of his contract.

Upping the quality, not quantity, of the defensive line is also a concern

2. Two guys I have seen rise up the draft board are pass rushers Cameron Jordan of Cal and Von Miller of Texas A&M? What are the pros and cons of those guys if Belichick is able to obtain one of those individuals?

Von Miller to me is a 3rd-down pass rusher in New England's 3-4, which is why I have him rated as a 2nd-3rd rounder for the Patriots.  That said, I think he could be a pretty good 4-3 OLB on a team that can keep him clean.  He could easily go top 5 to another team.

Cam Jordan, however, projects very well as a RDE for the Patriots.  He sheds blockers with ease, tackles well, and is able to pressure the quarterback. He has had some problems with ultra-quick OT's though, such as USC's Tyron Smith.

The sting of the Patriots' playoff loss to the Jets may be starting to slowly fade away, but I think the memories of the 2011 Pro Bowl will haunt Coach Belichick the entire off-season.  The legendary coach was previously undefeated in the Hawaiian classic at 2-0, until today when his AFC team surrendered  forty-two unanswered points to open the game.  This loss was ground-breaking in many regards, but most notably, when combined with the Patriots' loss to New York, it marks the first time that a Belichick-coached teams have lost back-to-back games, both following a bye week.  Belichick is notorious for not losing back-to-back games, and not losing with more than a week to prepare for his opponent.  In that light, the AFC's loss is simply stunning. 

According to "sources" Belichick was reportedly furious at half time, breaking objects in the locker room, grabbing Phillip Rivers by the facemask and reaming him out for his careless interceptions, and, most surprisingly, taking the apple out of the mouth of the traditional roasted pig at the buffet table, and using it to peg Terrell Suggs in the teet.  Belichick's tirade apparently worked wonders, as the AFC went out after halftime and scored 21 straight points.  It was too little, too late, however, as the AFC was unable to overcome the massive halftime deficit. 

Of note, Devin McCourty had an nice pick, and Jerod Mayo was 2nd on the AFC with seven tackles.  Brandon Merriweather managed to go the entire game without leveling one of his NFC opponents.  Vince Wilfork caused a temporary panic when he blocked out the sun in Aloha Stadium after exiting from the tunnel.  Logan Mankins and Matt Light helped the Patriots walk away with the game's "best facial hair" award, and Wes Welker slipped in 14 references to "dog", "canine", or "Scooby Doo" in a pre-game interview about Michael Vick. 

The 2011 Senior Bowl allowed some of the nation’s top draft prospects to demonstrate their talents for NFL coaches and scouts. Here are a few thoughts on this year’s Senior Bowl and how it could affect New England’s draft plans:

• I won’t say too much about defensive linemen since it will be one of the major topics of discussion on Foxboro Blog this week, but Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan and Cal DE Cameron Jordan really stood out. Kerrigan might be a bit undersized to play DE in a 3-4 alignment, but there is no doubting his motor. I won’t be surprised if Jordan is off the board before the Pats pick at 17, but if he’s available, he could be a solid value.
• While Florida State QB Christian Ponder has drawn praise for his MVP performance, he seemed a bit unsteady at times. I was really hoping a QB like Locker or Ponder would stand out so they’d slide up the draft board into the top 16, allowing a better position player to drop to the Pats. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of the six QBs in the game did enough to cement themselves in the first half of the first round. Ponder helped his stock, but probably not to that extent.
• Miami WR Leonard Hankerson definitely helped his draft stock by reeling in five passes for 100 yards and a score. His 48-yard reception showed great field awareness and concentration and could go a long way in showing scouts that he is working to eliminate the drops that have plagued him throughout this collegiate career. His 6’2” frame would be a nice addition to New England’s WR corps. He was the best wideout on the field on Saturday.
• Texas A&M OLB Von Miller had a strong game and showed why he is a consensus top 10 pick in most mock drafts. If the Patriots make a surprise move up the draft board in the first round, it would likely be to take Miller. His playing style is similar to Clay Matthews, and that is the kind of player the New England defense has been sorely lacking over the past two years. He’s one of the few players in this draft class that I think could step in and contribute from Day 1.
• Washington OLB Mason Foster also showed a real nose for the football. He’s a four-year starter who led the Pac-10 in tackles this year, and he made several unassisted open-field stops in the game. I’m not sure he fits New England’s needs for a pass-rusher, but he seems like the type of player Belichick would love to nail down with the second pick in the second round. If the team is sold on Jermaine Cunningham as a pass-rusher, drafting Foster would seem to make sense.
• The thud you may have heard in the New England area was Boston College offensive lineman Anthony Costanzo’s draft stock hitting the floor. He was projected to be a possible first-round pick, but he struggled mightily in the game and did little to earn much praise in Senior Bowl practices. Unless Belichick and Company see something in him that I don’t, it appears unlikely the Patriots will draft him unless he’s hanging around in the third round.
• Nobody on the offensive line for the North team looked very good. Colorado OT Nate Solder appeared to be the best of the bunch. Several sources have given him positive reviews in practice, so I doubt his draft stock will take much of a hit.
• Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod may have turned a few heads. He seemed to play with good leverage, which was one of the knocks on him. New England’s primary need on the offensive line is at guard, and I’m not sure his skill set at tackle would translate well if he moved into the interior offensive line. In a best-case scenario for the Pats, he could improve his draft stock to the point that some team desperate for offensive line help takes him in the top 16.
• On the interior offensive line, Rodney Hudson from Florida State looked solid. He’s one of the few interior offensive linemen with a possible first-round grade. Baylor offensive linemen Danny Watkins also had a rare first-round grade for an interior lineman coming into the game, and he did nothing to hurt that perception. I won’t be surprised if one of those two players is in New England next year.
• Louisville RB Bilal Powell was the game’s leading rusher with 50 yards on 10 carries, but I don’t think he did much to set himself apart from the rest of the RB crop. Due in large part to the struggles on the offensive line, no running back from the North was particularly impressive. If New England drafts a running back this year, I’d be willing to bet that it won’t be any of the guys who played on Saturday.
• I doubt New England will draft him due to their depth at WR, but you could certainly make an argument that no player did more to help his draft stock than Ohio State WR Dane Sanzenbacher. He was a late invite to the Senior Bowl, but he still hauled in five catches for 62 yards. Nobody will mistake this guy for a #1 receiver, but he likely moved up a few rounds in the draft with strong performances in the Senior Bowl and Sugar Bowl.