Fencer
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 14,293
- Reaction score
- 3,986
Obviously, a lot depends on which veterans do or don't stay. But here's my list of immediate needs, in order of certainty rather than importance:
1. OLB. Mayo is a good starting ILB, TBC is a good passing-down rusher, and BB evidently thinks Guyton will be good. But at least one new OLB is needed, and maybe more.
2. Speed WR. What we have at speed WR are Moss and Tate, period. Even in a best-case scenario for Tate, it would be good to have a third one behind them, given Moss's age.
3. DE. The Pats have two excellent 3-4 DL in Wilfork and Warren. Moving Wilfork to DE and putting, say, Pryor at NT isn't a good base-case idea. Neither is relying on Burgess or Green as an every-down starter. Somebody new starter-class is needed.
4. RG. Anybody who publicly speculates about retirement like Stephen Neal did will be gone soon, even if not immediately.
Plus, of course, replacements for any of Wilfork (the horror), Mankins, Watson, et al. who leave. And punter, but that's not really a "starting" type of position the way kicker is.
1. OLB. Mayo is a good starting ILB, TBC is a good passing-down rusher, and BB evidently thinks Guyton will be good. But at least one new OLB is needed, and maybe more.
2. Speed WR. What we have at speed WR are Moss and Tate, period. Even in a best-case scenario for Tate, it would be good to have a third one behind them, given Moss's age.
3. DE. The Pats have two excellent 3-4 DL in Wilfork and Warren. Moving Wilfork to DE and putting, say, Pryor at NT isn't a good base-case idea. Neither is relying on Burgess or Green as an every-down starter. Somebody new starter-class is needed.
4. RG. Anybody who publicly speculates about retirement like Stephen Neal did will be gone soon, even if not immediately.
Plus, of course, replacements for any of Wilfork (the horror), Mankins, Watson, et al. who leave. And punter, but that's not really a "starting" type of position the way kicker is.