Taylor Price

One factor that is often discounted when projecting needs for your team next year is the development of younger players. For those who just finished their rookie season they are just now, for the first time since the offseason before their last year of college, getting a chance to slow down and catch their breath.

Here’s my list of five players I expect to see take big steps forward in 2011.

Taylor Price

Price had a couple things going against him in his rookie year. First, he was coming from a run first, basic college offense, and second, he got a later start than most because he couldn’t report until his after his college’s late graduation. 

So he was already behind the learning curve, but couldn’t even get into rookie mini-camp with everyone else and get a jump. Price had essentially a red shirt year in 2011, but his two hallmarks, size and speed, are what the Patriots definitely need more of. We should hope to see something out of him in camp and preseason.

Jermaine Cunningham

Few positions provide a great transitional challenge that college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker but Cunningham showed enough potential to be considered a possible three down linebacker for the Pats. His progress is tough to totally grade due to the nagging calf injury he had late in the year, but when healthy he was used in a variety of ways and made a couple big plays along the way, most notably just getting enough pressure to force Peyton Manning into a game-sealing interception.

Brandon Spikes

Spikes was really making great progress when he was suspended the final four games of the regular season for taking an ADHD medicine that was banned. Spikes provided the instant “Mike” inside linebacker presence that we thought he would. He comes down hill hard and is excellent at timing his run blitzes. I look forward to watching him continue to blast offensive lineman backwards. The biggest thing for Spikes is quickly identifying play fakes, something he was really picking up as evidenced by his interception of Mark Sanchez in the 45-3 game. The year of experience, both on and off the field, should really pay huge dividends for Spikes.

Brandon Tate

No one really cuts Brandon Tate much slack for some reason, but coming off a 24-catch season that was essentially his first full year in three seasons, it’s actually a pretty good start. Compared to how much we saw Chad Jackson on the field during his first year, it looks like the coaching staff does see potential in Tate. Consider what Tory Holt had to say about Tate after the seasons:

Brandon Tate, I think he is a speed guy. We all saw that he can stretch the field. More playing experience will help him in terms of slowing down and understanding the game and knowing where to be, being that much more reliable for Tom. I think that will come. 

So while people like Mike Lombardi are saying the Pats do need to add another vertical threat this off-season, let’s not fall asleep on Tate developing into a more all around receiving threat that defenses will have to respect.

Patrick Chung

I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who will continue to hate my boy Patchung! for the botched playoff fake punt. But the truth is that Chung will likely be the number one safety in 2011 for the Pats. He’s a versatile player, who was a victim of that versatility when he was forced to play as a slot cornerback for much of the second half of the season. If he’s allowed to move back into more of a Rodney Harrison-type role he should really excel, especially given how much experience he gained in 2011.