New England, in particular, looks set up to really reload this offseason, coming off a 14-2 regular season. Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointed out last week that half of the team’s snaps in 2010 were played by first- and second-year players, a remarkable number for a team that had the league’s best record, and the roster only figures to get infused with more youth. The Patriots have three of the first 33 picks in April’s draft, and five selections among the top 75. This is a team with needs, to be sure. The Patriots need to regain some toughness in the trenches, and could use a premier edge rusher and maybe a bellcow back. But if they can draft like they did last year, when they really bounced back off some lackluster drafts from 2006-08, the team could be set up for a pretty good run going forward.
Albert Breer