Being a Patriots fan has been one of the most enjoyable and exciting parts of my life.  When I look back at the past seventeen years, there's really one man to thank for this experience:  Drew Bledsoe.  As a young sports fan in North Jersey, I never liked to follow the crowd.  Instead of going with the local teams, I chose my allegiences randomly.  I'm a Timberwolves fan because I thought a hat of theirs was cool when I was nine years old.  I'm an Orioles fan because I got caught up in Cal Ripken Jr.'s Iron Man streak. (As you can see, I've suffered an immense amount of needless pain from these decisions.) I became a Patriots fan because I liked Drew Bledsoe.  Why Bledsoe?  I have no idea.  It probably had something to do with him being young, having a cool name, and being somebody that none of my other friends liked.  But nevertheless, I liked Drew Bledsoe and so I like the Patriots.  After swinging and whiffing badly on the first two teams, I finally managed to hit one out of the park with Drew and the Pats. 

Within a few years of hopping on the Patriots' wagon, the team went from the league's cellar dwellers, to Super Bowl XXXI.  You have no idea how big of a moment that was for me.  My sister was much better at picking teams than I was, and I had just endured a four year stretch where her Cowboys had won three Super Bowls.  None of my teams had ever sniffed a championship. Even though, I knew the Patriots' chances of beating the Packers were slim at best, I was just happy to have my team playing in the big game. Things were looking up and the Bledsoe/Parcells union appeared to be on track to creating a potential dynasty in New England. 

For the weeks leading up to the 2011 Draft, we will be examine the Patriots’ biggest positions of need and compare the top prospects available. Today we will look at running backs.

For years, the Patriots have employed a running back-by-committee approach.

However, with the probable retirement of Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk recovering from ACL surgery and Sammy Morris all but gone, the once deep stable of backs needs an upgrade.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, and Danny Woodhead was a versatile third-down option, but this group could use a more talented option as the main runner.

While this year’s draft class isn’t top heavy, there are three prospects who are worthy of an early-round pick: Mark Ingram, Mikel LeShoure and Ryan Williams.

Let’s take a look at these three and how they could fit in the Patriots’ offense.

Entering the season, everyone expected Mark Ingram to be a first-round lock.

But after a knee injury hampered him out of the gate, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner’s stock is slipping.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide star lacks elite timed speed, running a 4.62 at the combine at 5-foot-9, 215 pounds.

However, he rushed for 1,658 yards as a sophomore and has quick feet and good power.

He isn’t the ideal third-down option, but he did catch 60 passes during his three-year career.

If his knee checks out medically, he should be gone in the later part of round one. no comments

For the weeks leading up to the 2011 Draft, we will be examine the Patriots’ biggest positions of need and compare the top prospects available. Today we will look at offensive linemen.

For the past decade or so, the offensive line has been one of the team’s biggest strengths. Although it hasn’t featured only one first-rounder (Logan Mankins), it has been a stable unit that’s kept Tom Brady upright and opened holes in the running game.

But with Stephen Neal (retirement), Matt Light (free agent) and Logan Mankins (possible hold out) possibly gone, the 2011 starting five may feature several new faces.

While there are no top-10 franchise tackles available, there are more than five who qualify as mid- to late-first round talents. The draft is also strong in the middle rounds for interior prospects.

With that said, here are some of the best fits for the Patriots’ system.

A former 5-star recruit, USC’s Tyron Smith has the most upside of any offensive tackle in the draft.

At 6-foot-5, 307 pounds, the former tight end has impressive athleticism, running a 4.93 forty and completing 31 reps on the bench press despite 36-inch arms.

Smith’s experience as only a right tackle in college is seen as a knock, but with his physique and athleticism he is the ideal left tackle.

Unlike Smith, Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo has a ton of experience at left tackle.

The 6-foot-7, 311-pounder started a school-record 53 games and was the blind-side protector for Matt Ryan.

He is viewed as a finesse player and must improve his strength to be effective as a run blocker.

Wisconsin’s Game Carimi is a throwback offensive lineman who makes his money as a run blocker.

He combines his 6-foot-7, 314-pound frame with great agility and is more of a complete player than Castonzo.

Some teams may view him as a right tackle because of his lack of great athleticism, but he has plenty of experience on the left side to get a shot.

My pick: If the Patriots go with an offensive tackle in the first round, I would lean towards Smith. While it may take a trade up to get in front of Detroit, I think he’s the best fit for the Patriots’ system. He and Vollmer can play both tackle positions and would compliment each other well. I tend to think Castonzo is overrated and his strength deficiencies will be exposed against the larger and more physical defensive linemen in the NFL. no comments

Would you prefer to see the Patriots draft a DE or an OLB to create more pressure on the QB?

Jason: I think defensive end is exponentially more important than outside linebacker in New England's system. The Patriots don't blitz as often as many other teams, especially early in games, so having a stud in the trenches would probably be the best way generate pressure. Most mock drafts have the Patriots drafting an OLB with one of their first two picks, and I feel like these ideas are way off the mark. Unless a really, really good three-down OLB prospect falls to the Patriots, I'd bet they go DE first.

How concerned would you be if Randy Moss signed with the Jets this off-season?

Rick: Living in New York City, I would love for the Jets to go after Randy Moss. For one, it means one of the players Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards will not be back next year. Maybe, they would come at a cheap price to New England out of spite. Moss would be the one cancer that ruins this team and halts the development of young Mark Sanchez. If Brady can't handle him, who can? Maybe he will pull a Minnesota and intentionally not go after a TD, then say he wants Belichick back. He's done!

Tim Barnes, C, Missouri

Barnes is a bit unpolished, but many of his weaknesses would be minimized in New England’s system. He is a good leader with strong character and has plenty of experience as a thee-year starter.

Zane Taylor, C, Utah

Taylor is tough and durable, and he had three years of experience as a starter. He has a good build for the center position, and most of his flaws are correctable with the proper coaching.

Will Rackley, G, Lehigh

Because he comes from a small school, Rackley may be the best offensive line prospect you’ve never heard of. He was dominant in four years as a starter at Lehigh, and he has many of the tools teams are looking for in a guard.

Justin Boren, G, Ohio State

Boren has a good physical makeup and three years of experience as a starter. He is a physical player who has a mean streak. He could eventually develop into a poor man’s Logan Mankins.

Jah Reid, T, Central Florida

His stock seems to be rising in large part because he is the kind of player who will do anything that is asked of him. Like a lot of late-round prospects, he needs to refine his technique to have sustained success in the NFL, but he has all of the physical tools to be successful.

Lee Ziemba, T, Auburn

Although he may struggle in pass protection at first, Ziemba is a very strong run-blocker who started all four years for an SEC team. His physical makeup and weaknesses in space mean he'll probably move to guard, but it wouldn't take a huge leap to see him as a RT someday.

It's time again for our weekly Q&A session.  Up this week is Mocking the Draft, a great blog that covers all-things NFL draft.  We asked them for some insights regarding the Patriots as they prepare to do some critical re-stocking that could set the table for some more Brady/Belichick Super Bowl runs.

1. What is the Patriots' biggest needs entering the NFL Draft? Who is the ideal fit at those positions?

New England needs help at defensive end, offensive line, running back and pass rusher. Fits:

- OL: Any of the top tackles, Danny Watkins, who could work inside.

- RB: This can probably be filled with the team's third or fourth pick. Someone like Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech, Delone Carter of Syracuse or Daniel Thomas of Kansas State make sense.

- DE: If the Patriots don't swap a bunch of picks, they may covet either Cameron Jordan or J.J. Watt with the 17th pick. Adrian Clayborn or Cameron Heyward would make sense with the second first-round pick.

- 3-4 OLB: That second first rounder could also be used on someone like Brooks Reed of Arizona or Justin Houston of Georgia.

As a die-hard Patriots fan, I already knew the story - the kid who didn't start on his own high school football team, who had to scrape and claw to stay on the field in college, who was drafted 199th in the 2000 NFL draft, who finally got his shot the day Drew Bledsoe went down and turned it into three Super Bowls and nearly every single-season record a quarterback can hold. 

Yeah, I knew the story.  I had just never heard Tom Brady tell it in his own words. 

Last night ESPN aired their documentary, Brady 6, which focused on the career of Tom Brady and the six other quarterbacks who were drafted before him.  As the 65th pick that year, Giovanni Carmazzi, currently a yoga-practicing farmer who owns five goats, will attest, none of those six are up to much these days, while Brady just became the only unanimous MVP winner in NFL history.  When I first heard about the concept, I did wonder a bit about the angle.  If ESPN wanted to do a Brady documentary, why bother dragging in these other six guys and rehashing the fact that most fizzled out?  It seemed kind of cruel in a way.  After all, nobody needs to know about Sam Bowie to understand that Michael Jordan was great.  However, after watching the piece tonight, I walked away feeling like the angle was pure genius. 

It's easy to say Tom Brady is great. You'd have to be living on a goat farm without a television for the past ten years to not know that.  What last night's documentary revealed is why Tom Brady is great.  As he openly admitted in the film, Brady has never been the best athlete.  What he has always been, though, is the hardest worker.  It took the constant rejection of not starting in high school, of having to bust his tail to beat out the hometown favorite, Drew Henson, for the starting QB spot his fifth year at Michigan, of watching pick, after pick, after pick go by in the NFL Draft without his name being called, to turn him into the workhorse that he is today. 

The past few days, I've heard some people say "Tom Brady needs to get over it", regarding the slight he still feels from being picked 199th.  While it may be true that, three Super Bowls later, his draft position has been rendered largely irrelevant, those people are missing the point.  Tom Brady's focus on that number has nothing to do with needing to prove something to the people who passed over him, and everything to do with the harsh reality that he's a play away from having his storybook world come to a crashing end.  There is always going to be somebody trying to take his job away.  There is always some team who is going to try and keep him from adding another title to his shelf.  He wasn't the #1 pick.  He was the 199th.  If he doesn't outstudy, outwork, and outplay those people, there's no way he can expect to stay on top.

It's that drive and that heart that has lead to all the trophies and records.  When you look at the other six, you see guys who were content to be the backup, or couldn't handle the pressure.  You see some who were unlucky and caught the injury bug, or just never had the right team around them to succeed.  And then there's Brady, who gunned for a Pro-Bowl quarterback's starting spot, who came back from a torn ACL and put together an MVP season, who always gets the most out of his teammates, even when the talent is lacking. 

After last night's documentary, I don't see how anyone could come away from it without a profound respect for Tom Brady.  Regardless, I'm sure many will continue to mock the hair, focus on the super-model wife, the dancing in Brazil, and all the other garbage that people come up with to try and knock Brady down a few pegs.  After last night, I'll let them mock all they want.  Because while they are scheming up new ways to trash Brady, he's busy finding new ways to beat their football team. 

Since the departures of Mike Vrabel, Roosevelt Colvin, Willie McGinest and dare I say…Adalius Thomas, the Patriots haven’t had a respectable outside linebacker that opposing teams need to account for.

After posting double-digit sacks in 2009, Tully-Banta Cain regressed and wasn’t even a full-time starter by the end of the 2010 season.

Second-round pick Jermaine Cunningham showed some flashes, but must develop into a more consistent pass rusher.

With two first-round picks, the Patriots need to select a high-impact pass rusher.

Here are the top prospects available and what they bring to the table.

A top-5 lock, Texas A&M’s Von Miller is the perfect combination of freakish athleticism and incredible production.

At 6-foot-3, 246 pounds, Miller ran a 4.49 forty at his pro day and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the combine.

He has experience playing from a two-point stance and was a dominant pass rusher, recording 33 career sacks.

However, he isn’t particularly strong at the point of attack as a run defender and is slightly undersized for Belichick’s prototype.

Once thought of as a candidate to go first overall, North Carolina’s Robert Quinn is still a top-10 possibility.

With his 6-foot-4, 265-pound frame and 4.59 speed, Quinn is Belichick’s exact prototype.

But, the former Tarheel is more than a physical freak.

He had a great sophomore season with 11 sacks and 19 tackles for loss, but was suspended for the entire 2010 season.

He is still a top-20 pick and could easily go in the top 10. no comments

While outside linebacker is the biggest need, defensive end may not be far behind.

Ever since Richard Seymour was shipped out, the team has been missing someone to command a double team at the five-technique position.

Ironically, the No. 17 pick, which was acquired for Seymour, might be used on his replacement.

Luckily, there are plenty of prospects who have the potential to be quality defensive ends in the 3-4.

Here are the first-round possibilities and what they bring to the table:

California’s Cameron Jordan seems to be the top guy on New England’s radar.

The son of former Vikings tight end Stephen Jordan is a hard-working, blue-collar player who has vaulted up draft boards with a strong offseason.

At 6-foot-4, 287 pounds, he will have to gain some weight to hold up against the run better, but he is incredibly versatile and has underrated athleticism.

At the combine, he ran a 4.74 forty, had 25 reps on the bench press and recorded a 31-inch vertical jump.

While he isn’t a dynamic pass rusher, he was nearly unblockable at the Senior Bowl and seems smart and athletic enough to improve in that area. no comments