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Alright, I'll try to pry these blue, red and white goggles of my eyes and attempt a semi-objective look at the positions.
QB: I don't buy the disconnect or gone Hollywood gossip. And if it was true - which again, I see no evidence that it is - isn't the general consensus that a player puts forth his greatest effort in a contract year? In my opinion the biggest factor is that Brady is back from an injury that typically players do not fully recover from for two years.
-> I see the Pats being at minimum the same at QB, and more likely improved.
RB: Three guys over 30 is not a good thing. On the other hand, as mentioned above having all these guys in a contract year could be beneficial - especially for Laurence Maroney. In addition I do not think either Taylor or Morris will miss as much time as they did last year.
While many around the nation see the position as being down from last year due to the age of Faulk, Taylor and Morris, I think the group could just as easily be improved. There's an excellent chance that Taylor could contribute far more than he did last year, and Maroney could have extra motivation. The most important factor is probably Faulk staying healthy.
-> Again I see the Pats at minimum being the same, and probably improved at this position.
WR: Moss is a year older, but he is also a year removed from the back injuries that plagued him last year. He seems very motivated and is playing for one last contract; at minimum I expect the same production from him. Welker has recovered from a devastating injury, but it is not realistic to expect the same from him. Opposite Moss the Pats have Tate and Edelman, who by default are a huge upgrade over Galloway and Aiken from last year.
-> Pats are slightly improved at WR.
TE: Watson made some great catches, but the was just as likely to drop a couple of easy passes. Baker had a good camp last year but seemed to disappear after that. Even though none of the Pats' three tight ends have any previous experience in the system, and the team is counting on two rookies to contribute, I still think the Pats are better off with this group in both the running game as well as the passing game.
-> Pats are improved at TE.
OL: Though Connolly has surpassed expectations, he is not at this point an equivalent or upgrade to Mankins. Vollmer is an upgrade over Kaczur, but Light, Koppen and Neal all being more experienced at this point is not necessarily a good thing. For the top backups I would take a 2009 Vollmer over a 2010 Mark Levoir at tackle; a 2009 Connolly and a 2010 Wendell is a wash.
-> The OL is a downgrade from last season.
DL: In the middle of the line there is still Wilfork, who should have the same production; from what we have heard so far he may add some in terms of leadership. Last year's starter were Ty Warren and Jarvis Green; this year it looks like it will be Gerard Warren and Mike Wright. The loss of Green does not hurt; the loss of Ty Warren does. Though the starters may not be as good, the backups are probably an improvement; with a year of experience Myron Pryor and Ron Brace should be better.
-> The DL is a downgrade from last year.
OLB: The most talked about position this off season. Though some don't expect as much from TBC, I don't see a reason for him to take much of a step either backward or forward. Burgess is tough to predict since we've seen so little of him. Is his mind elsewhere and not motivated? Has he caught on to learning a new system and ready to take the next step? Cunningham has been injured but has been seen on the sidelines, typically a sign he is ready to practice again.
Counting on a rookie may be risky business, but that may be the position the Pats are in this year. Ninkovich has another year in the system, but he rarely saw the field except for special teams; same goes for Pierre Woods. That leaves Marques Murrell, who has looked good in preseason but realistically is an unknown quality.
-> Even though the Pats did not get much from this group last year, there are still question marks. They may not have regressed, but right now I would not say the Pats have improved at this position either.
ILB: Mayo should be improved based on being recovered from his injury, and no longer playing out of position. Brandon Spikes is an improvement over Gary Guyton even though he is a rookie. For depth Guyton and Tyrone Mckenzie are an improvement over Eric Alexander and Junior Seau.
-> Pats are improved at ILB.
S: Pat Chung should be much improved with a year to learn both the Pats system as well as life in the NFL. With Chung on the field more often, Brandon Meriweather get to play more of a playmaker, free safety type of a role, which should make him more productive as well. James Sanders is still a big leader in the secondary even if Chung does take away some of his playing time. And with Chung playing more, Brandon McGowan can be used more effectively, and not wear out down the stretch.
-> Pats are improved at S.
CB: Leigh Bodden should be better now that he has a year in the Pats' system. With a year in the NFL Darius Butler should be improved as well. Devin McCourty should be an improvement over Jonathan Wilhite; and if for some reason he is not, Wilhite (or Wheatley) should be at least as good if not better than Wilhite was last year. Shawn Springs is gone but I don't see that as a loss; he rarely got on the field last year and didn't do a whole lot when he did.
-> Pats are improved at CB.
ST: Gostkowski and Ingram remain the same. Anything has to be an improvement over Chris Hanson at punter. Presumably losing Welker as the team's punt returner hurts, but the kick return team should give the Pats much better field position with the addition of Brandon Tate. Though some special teamers may not be back (e.g., Eric Alexander), the influx of so many first and second year players should improve coverage.
-> Pats are improved on S/T.
Overall I have a lot more improved or same marks than same or regressed. However, I do think that games are still won and lost in the trenches. The fact that the Pats may have taken a step back on both lines is troubling - even more bothersome than the OLB position. When I look at the team right now, I don't see them as either better or worse than last year, but probably about the same.
