The NFL will release the 2013 schedule tonight at 8pm EST. The Patriots are scheduled to play:

Home: Buffalo, Miami, N.Y. Jets, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Denver.

Away: Buffalo, Miami, N.Y. Jets, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston

Some really great matchups, including the top four AFC seeds from last year’s playoffs. There’s a great range of challenges, especially having to play four playoff teams on the road. It’s definitely not a cream puff year, and the Pats should be well-tested almost every week (sorry Bills and Jets).

The two games I’m most interested in are obviously Denver and Baltimore. Both of those games should get a primetime slot. 

In the division, Miami has made the most moves this offseason and appear to be this year’s edition of the team that will take the Pats down. If I’m the Dolphins I want to see the Pats in New England early. That’s the game the AFC East teams just haven’t been able to win, and the Dolphins should be hoping for an early shot there before the Pats offense is healthy and the new wide receivers have started to click. 

We’ll have a full analysis, ranking the best games up on Bleacher Report tomorrow morning. It will be a long wait till 8pm…

Gotta throw a plug to Mike Loyko for his new draft guide, which from the previews look amazing. Clearly he put a ton of work into it, and there’s no other Pats draft analyst I find myself agreeing with more. 

If you’ve got $20 help support his hard work. Send payment to mashpee54@yahoo.com and you’ll get a nice PDF.

Making the final push here on the last mock draft, and given what the Pats really truly need I’m wondering right now why couldn’t they go with two wide receivers with their first two picks? Not sure I’m ready to pull the trigger on that just yet for the mock, but right now I think it really makes sense.

Why? Well let’s be realistic about the Pats other needs. Outside of receiver, every other starter returns on both sides of the ball. You can make plenty of arguments for other needs, especially in the long-term interest of the team, but none compare to level of need at receiver.

Defensive End? Sure. Ninkovich is in the last year of his deal. Though it still seems plausible that John Abraham or even Dwight Freeney could be added. No one knows what to expect out of Jermaine Cunningham or Justin Francis. Same goes for Armond Armstead, even if many are projecting him as a defensive tackle. Still, I don’t see defensive end as a critical need, even for camp competition. Give me a designated pass rushing veteran and they’re pretty much set there for 2013 in my view.

What about cornerback? All the starters return and though no one is counting on Ras-I Dowling for anything, it’s not a critical situation there either.

If there’s one thing that seems clear to me, it’s that the Patriots must get an impact wide receiver in the draft. They need it for 2013, and they need it for the long term. 

So why not mitigate risk and take two receivers with the first two picks? There are a number of talented ones that will go in the top two rounds of the draft. Receivers of all shapes and sizes. Taking two ensures one of them should get it. And who knows, maybe both will and the Pats will be set on offense for the foreseeable future.

Everyone knows how hard the Pats offense is on receivers, and everyone knows the history of misses on them both in the draft and free agency. I won’t argue that wide receiver is the most vital position on the field, it’s far from it, and I think no matter who is on the outside, the Pats should be okay this year.

But if they truly want to build another explosive offense they still need to add pieces at the position because there is not enough talent there at the moment.

I’m narrowing down my favorite receivers now, and by next Thursday will make a decision on what the best fits are, but right now I can see a lot of reasons why a double-dip right at the top makes sense.

Looking forward to being the Patriots draft correspondent for Bleacher Report next week. I’ll have live analysis, grades and updated mock drafts every night. Frenz and I will bang out a podcast or two as well. It’s the highlight of the offseason and things will be fast and furious here at the Ministry of PatsPropaganda.

Here’s some of my recent draft work to get you caught up on anything you might’ve missed.

2013 PatsPropaganda Patriots-Only Top-50 Draft Board

Who Do Patriots Fans Want in the First Round of the 2013 NFL Draft?

8 Late-Round Prospects Who Would Be a Perfect Match for Patriots

The Biggest Questions for Patriots Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft

Joe Andruzzi circa 2001

I’ll try to ease my way back into some Patriots stuff today, after all it is BB and my birthday, but it hasn’t been easy to think about football in the last day. Still, Patriots players like Joe Andruzzi certainly give us some hope.

Joe Andruzzi yesterday:

We’re in the peak of the offseason the next two weeks, when the 2013 Patriots will truly start to take shape. By tomorrow we’ll know if we got Emmanuel Sanders. The offseason workout program begins on Monday at Gillette. BB’s birthday (as well as yours truly’s) and the season schedule get released Tuesday, and then we’re just a little over a week away from the draft.

Exciting times before the final May to Training Camp void, the hardest time of the offseason.

Here’s the best of the week…

Brady Faces Toughest Passing Test of Career in 2013 —-> must read if I do say so myself.

2013 PatsPropaganda Patriots-Only Top-50 Draft Board

Resetting the Patriots’ needs-based depth chart - Extra Points - Boston.com

Film study: DT Tommy Kelly, WR Emmanuel Sanders - Extra Points - Boston.com

PatsPropaganda & Frenz Podcast: Draft Defense Edition

It Is What It Is » The Patriots and their continuing search for coverage linebackers

Kelly, interior rush & Wilfork’s snaps - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Notebook: Aaron Hernandez has 16 reasons to focus | Boston Herald

Patriots’ Alfonzo Dennard sentenced to 30 days in jail - Patriots - Boston.com

Who Do Patriots Fans Want in the First Round of the 2013 NFL Draft?

8 Late-Round Prospects Who Would Be a Perfect Match for Patriots

Patriots/Game of Thrones flashback.

Join Frenz and I as we finally get into some heavy draft talk, this week focusing on the defense and the prospects we like most.

Window Closing On Brady, Belichick (by ESPN)

Don’t let the title fool you, great stuff from the panel.