PatsPropaganda

Will the New England Patriots continue 2013’s trend of going young on the offensive side of the ball? Given the players in their last year and the weak spots along their offensive line, it seems likely.

Specifically focusing on the interior line where the Patriots got much larger during the draft. Rookie offensive linemen like Stork, Halapio, and Fleming are on average much larger than bubble veteran players like Connolly and Wendell.

The problem is that they haven’t quite caught on as fast as the team had hoped. Stork was the highest OL taken in the draft, and it was a common reoccurrence to see him take a lap for a missed snap or botched play.

We’ll see this unit more when the pads come on in late July, and that might be where the rookies set themselves apart from the veterans due to their sheer size. Connolly and Wendell could very well be in jeopardy of losing their jobs when the roster needs to be cut down to 53.

Although they weren’t flashy picks that excite the fan base, drafting young, big offensive linemen is a great weapon to give Brady, as he should be able to stay on his feet a bit longer and let his receivers create more separation.

When it comes to running backs, look for the veterans to hold their spots pretty well. Ridley and Vereen should both be near locks to make the roster. They both are playing in a contract year and both are integral parts of the offense. Brandon Bolden could potentially be in trouble here, especially if rookie running backs James White and Roy Finch can produce during training camp.

White seems more likely to earn a spot due to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and it’s been rumored the Patriots could go to a personnel package featuring both Vereen and White who are both solid pass catchers out of the backfield.

Similar to revolutionizing the two TE system, Belichick finds a way to think ahead of the curve and the two pass catching RB system might be his next big leap in NFL offensive personnel packages. Especially in the screen game, this system could become opposing defensive coordinators worst nightmares.

James Develin who is listed as a RB on the team’s site has actually been taking snaps with the TE group during minicamp. If he can show reliable hands, his spot should be safe regardless of what position it says on the roster. The battle between Bolden and Finch could come down to special team value, where Finch could have the upper hand. The Patriots could sport a RB depth chart looking something like Ridley, Vereen, White, Develin, and Finch at the beginning of the season.

The Patriots wide receiver core remains one of its biggest question marks. Last year it was very apparent that the rookie wide receivers were not on the same page with their quarterback. Whether it was bad drops, poorly run routes, or even not knowing where to line up before the snap, the Patriots looked lost on offense from time to time.

Edelman played a full 16 game season for the first time in his career, while Danny Amendola lived up to his injury prone expectations and never really looked 100% healthy after the Buffalo opener.

This group will rely on second year jumps from their young trio of Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, and Kenbrell Thompkins. Boyce looked solid in camp until some minor injury woes, and Thompkins once again looks like a summer hero but then again we’ve seen this before where he shines in the summer and disappears in the early winter. Dobson is still recovering from a foot injury, and we just hope to see something out of him in training camp but that is looking less and less likely.

I actually throw Amendola into the second year jump category, as a full season with the playbook should give him a better chance to form chemistry with Brady. This unit looks like it will heavily rely on a WR package featuring Amendola in the slot, Edelman as the Z receiver, and potentially a revolving door of Dobson, Thompkins, and Brandon LaFell as the X receiver. Barring health, this group should be better than last year, but it will be far from an elite unit in the NFL.

But are they good enough to compete for a Super Bowl? With a healthy Rob Gronkowski, absolutely.

Guest post from Cody Lachance/@HailtotheHoodie