A lot of people would like to tell you the OLine needs upgrading. What games have you been watching this year? We have one of the best, if not, THE best Offensive Line in the NFL.
We need to re-sign Light. It shouldnt be hard. He's a team captain and good personality. Seems to love playing for the Pats. Will probably take a home town discount.
Vollmer on the other side has been amazing and could shift over to LT if Light somehow gets away.
O Callahan has played well at both LG and RG.
Mankins could still re-sign and I think he will. We have the money to re-sign him and are a perennial Playoff contender with a great coach and system that he's obviously thrived in. Worst case scenerio, he gets franchised and traded for a 1st-2nd rounder and we use that pick on the best OLineman available.
If we keep our current group intact, then we don't need to touch the OLine.
The O-line isn't fine. Not sure what games you've been watching, but they've given up 24 sacks through 14 games and 9 in the last 3 games.
O'Callaghan has been gone for 2 years. He's the starting RT for the Chiefs.. I believe you mean CONNOLLY. And Connolly wasn't as good at LG as many people thought. He's much better at RG.
I actually expect the Pats to pick an OT, OG and OC this year. Especially with Kaczur on the wrong side of 30, LeVoir having regressed and Ojinnaka being barely usable. Wendell proved again that he's a poor man's Russ Hochstein when he replaced Connolly in the Packers game.
Koppen has continued is slide and I believe he's just about done.
RB is fine right now but needs depth. I cant see Taylor in a Pats uniform next year. What happens if LawFirm gets injured? That's the issue we need to address. Unfortunately this isnt a good draft for RB's and has almost no 1st rd talent at the position. We'll need to look for another diamond in the rough somewhere in the mid-rounds. Afterall, our 1st rounder Maroney was a huge disappointment while our UDFA BJGE turned out to be a stud. I don't think BB is worrying about finding another RB with the first few 3 picks, but it's something they will take a close look at in the late-2nd to late 3rd.
I agree with most of what you say here. However, there are going to be quite a few decent RBs available as free agents. The Pats only have BJGE (ERFA) and Woodhead on the roster for next season, unless the 2 men on the Reserve/Military list come back. Michael Bush, Cedric Benson, Jerome Harrison, and Mike Tolbert are just a few that could be considered.
Also, while the seniors may not have the talent at RB, there are numerous juniors rumored to be declaring, including Mark Ingram. I wouldn't be surprised if the Pats looked the 7th round/UDFA route for a back-up RB or two.
CB is another issue in todays pass happy league. McCourty is already seeming like a Pro Bowler. However Bodden is coming off a bad injury and might not be his old self. Butler has been a disappointment and I just cant see him turning it around and being another more than a Nickle CB. Arrington has played well but could probably be upgraded.
So what if a top notch CB falls in the draft and lands right in our hands? If Amukamara or Brandon Harris are still there when we pick, dont be surprised if BB pulls the trigger. We need lots of good CBs for elite passing teams like the Colts, Packers, Saints, etc.
Bodden's injury was not "bad" as you put it. It's not like it was an ACL injury or anything. It was his shoulder. He is still better than Arrington or Butler. That being said, Arrington and Butler have both improved since the start of the season. As had Wilhite.. They also have Tony Carter and Thad Turner. I just don't see CB as being an issue that the Pats will address in the draft. They may bring in a UDFA or two or a street FA, but I don't see them doing more than that.
Safety is fine. Even if Meriweather if gone via Free Agency, we have enough depth that we probably won't need to draft another Safety.
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Meriweather isn't a free agent, so I'm not sure how he could be gone. Jarrad Page and Brandon McGowan are UFAs. Both of them could be gone. That would leave the Pats with Chung, Meriweather, Sanders, Brown, Lockett, and Barrett. Lockett has shown amazing talent on Special teams. Barrett we know almost nothing about except that he is, like Lockett, injury prone. There is much talk amongst the fans of Meriweather being traded.
One of the things that people have forgotten is that, according to Harrison, BB likes his Safeties to be interchangable. In other words, not a FS/SS but a S1 and S2. That way he can help disguise the defense they are calling. Safety, though, is kinda weak in this draft, unless some juniors declare. I wouldn't be surprised to see BB look in the middle rounds for a safety prospect that could replace both Barrett and or Lockett. Tejay Johnson could be that sort of player..
