Position groups that DON'T need much new investment

[Fencer]

K The Pats have a fine young placekicker. They're set there.

LS I guess they're set at longsnapper.

CB Bodden/Butler/Springs/Wilhite/Wheatley should be better than the same guys were last year. Sure, the worst of those could be usefully replaced. But if they stand pat, it's OK.

S Meriweather/Sanders/McGowan/Chung in some order. Ditto. And Arrington is sort of in the DB mix as well, albeit really as a STer.

OT Light/Kaczur/Vollmer/whoever is good enough

QB If we grant that Hoyer is a sufficient backup, and one or the other QB-turned-WR will also be around, we seem fine at QB

One can have useful competition at almost any position, especially ones like CB where one keeps a lot of guys. But if no significant further investment (other than re-signing Brady and so on) goes into those positions this offseason, calamity will not necessarily ensue

Close calls

NT For once, we're deeper on the DL at NT than we are at DE.

Interior OL The Pats have three starters, two aging, and some reserves. Whether more is needed depends on how the reserves are maturing, which is not something that's easy to judge from the outside.

RB They're all aging, injury-prone, and/or inconsistent, but there's a lot of talent and smarts in that group.

KR/PR The Pats have a lot of position players who have done well at returning in the past. But a stellar dedicated returner would be nice.

No way they make this list

P, LB, DE, WR, TE

All those position groups clearly need new talent.

 

[TriplecHamp]

K The Pats have a fine young placekicker. They're set there.

LS I guess they're set at longsnapper.

CB Bodden/Butler/Springs/Wilhite/Wheatley should be better than the same guys were last year. Sure, the worst of those could be usefully replaced. But if they stand pat, it's OK.

S Meriweather/Sanders/McGowan/Chung in some order. Ditto. And Arrington is sort of in the DB mix as well, albeit really as a STer.

OT Light/Kaczur/Vollmer/whoever is good enough

QB If we grant that Hoyer is a sufficient backup, and one or the other QB-turned-WR will also be around, we seem fine at QB

One can have useful competition at almost any position, especially ones like CB where one keeps a lot of guys. But if no significant further investment (other than re-signing Brady and so on) goes into those positions this offseason, calamity will not necessarily ensue

Close calls

NT For once, we're deeper on the DL at NT than we are at DE.

Interior OL The Pats have three starters, two aging, and some reserves. Whether more is needed depends on how the reserves are maturing, which is not something that's easy to judge from the outside.

RB They're all aging, injury-prone, and/or inconsistent, but there's a lot of talent and smarts in that group.

KR/PR The Pats have a lot of position players who have done well at returning in the past. But a stellar dedicated returner would be nice.

No way they make this list

P, LB, DE, WR, TE

All those position groups clearly need new talent.

Id add RB to the list that need new talent but I agree with most of that, CB is close to call for me, we could deffinantly add some more talent through the 1st or second rounds.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

K The Pats have a fine young placekicker. They're set there.

LS I guess they're set at longsnapper.

CB Bodden/Butler/Springs/Wilhite/Wheatley should be better than the same guys were last year. Sure, the worst of those could be usefully replaced. But if they stand pat, it's OK.

S Meriweather/Sanders/McGowan/Chung in some order. Ditto. And Arrington is sort of in the DB mix as well, albeit really as a STer.

OT Light/Kaczur/Vollmer/whoever is good enough

QB If we grant that Hoyer is a sufficient backup, and one or the other QB-turned-WR will also be around, we seem fine at QB

One can have useful competition at almost any position, especially ones like CB where one keeps a lot of guys. But if no significant further investment (other than re-signing Brady and so on) goes into those positions this offseason, calamity will not necessarily ensue

Close calls

NT For once, we're deeper on the DL at NT than we are at DE.

Interior OL The Pats have three starters, two aging, and some reserves. Whether more is needed depends on how the reserves are maturing, which is not something that's easy to judge from the outside.

RB They're all aging, injury-prone, and/or inconsistent, but there's a lot of talent and smarts in that group.

KR/PR The Pats have a lot of position players who have done well at returning in the past. But a stellar dedicated returner would be nice.

No way they make this list

P, LB, DE, WR, TE

All those position groups clearly need new talent.

Chris Hanson is not going anywhere IMO...and I am not talking about the guy who interviews pedophile perverts

 

[pats1]

K The Pats have a fine young placekicker. They're set there.

Stil need to lock him up long term.

LS I guess they're set at longsnapper.

They've got a good one.

CB Bodden/Butler/Springs/Wilhite/Wheatley should be better than the same guys were last year. Sure, the worst of those could be usefully replaced. But if they stand pat, it's OK.

Re-signing Bodden was big, but the other spot won't be locked down until Butler emerges.

S Meriweather/Sanders/McGowan/Chung in some order. Ditto. And Arrington is sort of in the DB mix as well, albeit really as a STer.

Best set position on the team. Wasn't that way two years ago, which is a plus. Good scouting on the McGowan signing.

OT Light/Kaczur/Vollmer/whoever is good enough

Don't forget about LeVoir. For the time being it's set, but ideally you'd like to see another young guy at RT to complement Vollmer at LT long term.

QB If we grant that Hoyer is a sufficient backup, and one or the other QB-turned-WR will also be around, we seem fine at QB

Still have a handful of years before this position needs significant addressing.

One can have useful competition at almost any position, especially ones like CB where one keeps a lot of guys. But if no significant further investment (other than re-signing Brady and so on) goes into those positions this offseason, calamity will not necessarily ensue

Close calls

NT For once, we're deeper on the DL at NT than we are at DE.

I would put this in the first category, and keep it there even if Brace or Pryor gets moved to DE. Pats usually only carry 1-2 NTs with a DE/NT conversion on the roster, who is usually inactive. Wilfork is locked up long term and there are two young players behind him; position is set.

Interior OL The Pats have three starters, two aging, and some reserves. Whether more is needed depends on how the reserves are maturing, which is not something that's easy to judge from the outside.

I wouldn't expect them to make any significant investment at this position. As Connolly proved, it is possible to insert an unproven player at the guard position and still get by. Ohrnberger or Bussey could be the next in line at RG. I'm still higher on Koppen than others.

RB They're all aging, injury-prone, and/or inconsistent, but there's a lot of talent and smarts in that group.

I'm in the camp that this position needs to be scrapped and started from the ground up, Faulk withstanding, but this offensive system, for better or worse, does not place a high value on this position. This likely won't happen until after this season, when every player will be a free agent and hopefully there will be a high draft pick ready to step in.

Either way, this position falls into the bottom category in about ten months.

KR/PR The Pats have a lot of position players who have done well at returning in the past. But a stellar dedicated returner would be nice.

I think Tate is that guy, if he can stay healthy.

No way they make this list

P, LB, DE, WR, TE

All those position groups clearly need new talent.

This is obvious and something the team has yet to address this offseason, aside from the re-signing of Banta-Cain.

I find it hard to believe that Moss will be here past 2010, but even then you still have Welker and Edelman. It's far from being in dire straits, but for the level of emphasis this offensive system places on this position, there is still something lacking.

 

[pats1]

Chris Hanson is not going anywhere IMO...and I am not talking about the guy who interviews pedophile perverts

What? Reiss has blogged on multiple occassions that both sides have agreed to go their separate ways. Hanson was statistically one of the worst punters in the league in 2009.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What? Reiss has blogged on multiple occassions that both sides have agreed to go their separate ways. Hanson was statistically one of the worst punters in the league in 2009.

Hanson is still a part of the team right now...no?

Unless the team looks for a punter in the draft or a JAG P somewhere else