new england patriots

The New England Patriots have made a number of interesting moves this offseason, retooling their team for yet another Super Bowl run with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick running the show.

As far as the oddsmakers are concerned, the future betting lines for the Patriots this season still have them among the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. You can sign up at Sportbet.com to look for the best NFL lines, with the Pats already a 3.5 point favorite for their season opener in Miami.

The headline moves of the offseason have to begin with the acquisitions of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Those two cornerbacks should instantly transform the Pats’ secondary into one of the most impressive in the NFL.

Internal moves like re-signing Julian Edelman and re-working deals for Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly were imperative and help maintain the leadership structure and continuity in New England.

Of course the Pats had plenty of injuries last season, and the return of Jerod Mayo, Rob Gronkowski and Wilfork should provide a big boost. This is still a team that made it to the AFC Championship despite a litany of injuries that would’ve devastated most other teams.

The Pats built for the future in the draft, but first-round pick Dominique Easley could be just the pass rusher they need immediately despite coming off a second ACL tear last season. Center Bryan Stork could push for starting time immediately, while quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will have a couple seasons to be groomed as a potential replacement for Tom Brady.

The potential trouble spots for the Pats include their depth at defensive end, linebacker and tight end. Injuries to starters at these three positions could be disastrous. 

Second-year player Duron Harmon has also been pencilled in as a starter at safety alongside Devin McCourty. If Harmon fails to live up to expectations the Pats could have some trouble on the backend of the defense as well.

There could also be questions at receiver where the Patriots must count on their three second-year wideouts to make a jump in production. Aaron Dobson is still recovering from offseason foot surgery and his return to action is imperative. He’s the most talented X-receiver on the roster.

Despite some questions about their depth, there are few rosters in the NFL as talented as the Patriots. With arguably the best players in the NFL on the offensive and defensive side of the ball in Tom Brady and Darrelle Revis, there is little reason to think the Pats won’t be in the hunt for a championship.

After a full day to reflect and evaluate both the draft picks but the multitude of undrafted rookies who are now getting acclimated in Foxboro, I’m getting a better feel for the Pats 2014 roster.

The first thing that no draft haul should make us forget is that the Patriots have arguably the best players in the NFL on both the offensive and defensive side of the balls. Brady and Revis alone will make for another exciting year that will have the Pats in the hunt.

The top of the depth chart is loaded. There are certainly injury questions that will likely linger into the first month or two of the season. But luckily, that’s not when Super Bowls are won.

I don’t want to make too broad of a prediction, but I think the Pats’ Super Bowl hopes will hinge directly on how healthy Gronkowski and the defensive end/linebacker positions are come January.

They have their best depth in the secondary, offensive line and at wide receiver. The competition at those spots in training camp should be fascinating.

Michael Buchanan remains a player the team needs to take a big step forward. Will Smith is still recovering from his ACL injury, rookie Zach Moore is as raw as the come, and Jake Bequette will need to come out of nowhere to make the team again.

This is the most stacked I’ve ever seen the Patriots on defense since the mid-2000’s. They can play any front and Belichick will mix and match guys based on matchups. I feel confident about what the Pats pass rush will look like this season, even with some uncertainty at designated pass rusher.

Each year since 2009 the defense has added pieces and gotten a little better. This could be the year that we really see them take off, I really believe it. 

Offensively, it’s all about getting and keeping Gronk healthy and the young wide receivers developing. The interior of the line has been reinforced and it wouldn’t be a shock to see a rookie starting at center or right guard (or both?).

There are some some spots where they’re thin, but as we saw last year, they have a remarkable ability to overcome injuries that would cripple most teams. On paper, this is a Super Bowl contending team.

We’ll see who’s on the field come January before we truly know how good a shot they have at number four.