Offensively this team has the potential to be even more talented and explosive than the 07 team. And that is a scary thought. Remember that McDaniels engineered the 2007 offense? Well he's baaack! Let's see what he does with all his shiny new toys on offense!
The 2011 offense was already excellent, scoring 30+ppg each week. Now add Brandon LLoyd, Gaffney, and Stallworth to the mix. Now we've added vertical passing game. On the ground, we've ditched '3 yards and a cloud of dust' BJGE and have what looks like an upcoming stud in Ridley. If Vereen contributes, that is just gravy on an already delicious looking dinner.
At tight end the Pats have historic tight end in Rob Gronkowski and versatile matchup nightmare Aaron Hernandez. Fells adds nice depth, and Ballard adds long term depth. At offensive line we have pretty much everyone coming back, except Solder replaces Light. Solder is bigger, longer, and more athletic than Light. He should be able to better handle athletic, fast speed rushers.
On defense, the Pats have added key free agents who just might work out in Trevor Scott, Fanene, and Gregory. On top of that they added two first round picks in Hightower and Jones who offer additional versatility and passrush ability to the linebacker corps. There is work to be done here integrating the new parts but I see a big talent upgrade for the defense. Patricia takes over DC duties here. I think BB is giving him the keys because he feels his defense is ready to be taken over. I have a good feeling about that.
Overall, talking purely in terms of talent on paper, offensively this could be the best Pats team ever. Defensively, they have a lot to prove, but doubling down on 1st round linebackers to me shows a big step forward in defensive talent, assuming that they work out. Of course this is ON PAPER but the 2012 Patriots squad definitely looks like Superbowl contenders, perhaps even Superbowl Favorites, based on the fact they lost nearly nobody of note and upgraded several positions both through the draft and free agency.