Your post is a testament to your moderate nature and controlled realism. Please allow me to go off the rails just a bit, and then try and justify it.
This is a team that went to the final 4 last season. ...And there is no team in the league that will improve more in the way of talent. This team will bring back no less that FOUR proven all pros (Gronk, Revis, Mayo, and Volmer) And that's 5 if you include Vince. No other team comes close to that kind of talent infusion. ESPECIALLY when you consider that in Gronk and Revis you have the single most impactful non- QB offensive player in the league in Gronk, and his counterpart on D, in Revis.
2014 to 2013:
Offense:
QB: ’14 Tom Brady is one year old than the ’13 TB, but on the other hand (hopefully) the offensive line will perform better, as will the ’14 receiving corps compared to the ’13 inexperienced/injured unit.Better or Worse? To Be Determined
Too contained JM - The QB play will be better. Mallett now has to up his game. Competition extends even to the backup QB position. As to Brady I have every belief that while the quality of HIS play may slip slightly, the quality of the play AROUND him should definitely improve and thus improve the overall offense exponentially. Just remember, when Gronk was on the field, this offense, worts and all, was the most prolific offense in the league. Now think about it WITH Gronk and improvement in every other area.
RB: Shane Vereen missed weeks 2 through 10 last year; that injury combined with the departure of Danny Woodhead in free agency created a void for the Pats.... Better or Worse? TBD, but probably better
Stop waffling. You made good points and you are right. The RB situation with a healthy Vareen, and Ridley playing for his future will once again make the Pats running game one of the better ones in the league. I am also looking to see an uptick from Devlin, especially in the passing game
TE: Last year the position was in shambles because number 81 became inmate number 174594, and Gronk missed the first six games as well as the final month and the playoffs...... Better or worse? All depends on Gronk's rehab and continuing health.
. People shouldn't worry about Gronk's health once he gets back. Prior to the Broken Arm he had 2 full regular seasons of great health. The TE position other than Gronk should see improvement for a couple of reasons. I think Hooman will get more looks this year. Keller would be an excellent signing if Healthy. I'm interested in season what Harrison and DJ Williams will have to show at the "move TE".
WR: This was another position of concern entering 2013..... Outlook is TBD during training camp, too much unknown here. Better or Worse? Should be better, but still TBD.
Unless you are prepared to believe that NONE of last year's rookie WR's will make any kind of leap, this year's WR group should be much better. DA is healthy, JE has his confidence at a lofty level, and Brandon LaFell is in an offense much better suited for his skill set. Lots of good talent and lots of competition for snaps.
OL: After allowing 27 sacks in 2012, the team gave up 40 last year, an increase of almost 50%. The interior – specifically Ryan Wendell and Dan Connolly – did not look very good at times. The Pats addressed that during the draft, making this another area well worth watching during training camp. It would be nice if the club could get immediate production from either Bryan Stork or Jon Halapio (or both), but at the bare minimum there is now plenty of depth on this unit.
Better or Worse? Better, with players healthier and more depth.
Yes, finally a commitment JM. The OL IS going to be better this season, and it didn't suck last year.
Defense:
DT: Last year I was concerned about the lack of depth, and that became a nightmare when both Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly went on IR. While both are back for the 2014 season, I’m going to be cautious about any optimism for their productivity. There are plenty of bodies, but can anybody worthwhile step up if Wilfork can’t go – or at least be counted on to give him plays off over the course of the game, and the season? Dominique Easley may turn out to be a steal down the road, but the Pats really need him and his twice blown out knees to be on the field wreaking havoc this year.
Better or Worse? Better is a given, but needs to be much better
I won't quibble. This group WILL BE much better. CJones, Siliga. and Villano should all be better. And while I still can't see Vince having a 2012 kind of season, coming off an Achilles, I'm hopeful he can still be a better than average run stopper on first downs, GL's and SY situations. Kelly is the key guy to me. He was everything and more during his short season as far as an inside presence goes. 2.5 sacks in 4+ games for a DT is a good number. Having him alongside Easly and Armstead will give the Pats a legit inside pass rush.
DE: Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich were on the field too much to be at optimum productivity last year. Who is going to step up and provide quality play to keep them fresh?
Better or Worse? TBD; an injury to either starter scares me.
Between Smith, Buchanon, Hightower, Collins, Easly, Armstead, and even Jake Bequette, the Pats are going to enough talent to drop Ninko and Chandler's snap counts down 25-30% this season. But you are right, both those guys are at the top of the "can't get hurt" list.
LB: The unit will be much improved with the return of Jerod Mayo. Losing Brandon Spikes and Dane Fletcher creates a void in terms of depth, but the club will play a 4-2-5 as often as any formation. Hopefully Will Smith will be recovered enough to be a contributor as a situational pass rusher. Better or Worse? Better, even with the depth concern.
If this was still 2003 Spikes' loss would be a concern, but it isn't, so who cares. I think some position flexibility makes depth less of an issue than some may think. I really like the top 3 guys, and would have been happier if Fletcher had returned, but that's a luxury that being made up in the 2ndary more than in the LB room.
S: I don’t see this position as being in as bad shape as some others do, with some combination of Jemea Thomas, Kanorris Davis, Nate Ebner, Tavon Wilson, Jeremy Deering and perhaps Logan Ryan or even (doubtfully) Patrick Chung filling out the position. This should be a competitive camp battle worth watching, and a position of decent depth and excellent special teams play. Better or Worse? Slightly better.
I couldn't agree with you more. There is more than enough talent back there to really solidify this position. Don't be shocked to see Nate Ebner take a step forward. His measurables are just as good as any of the top S prospects. What he's lack is experience. Now he's be playing and practicing for 2+ years now. If he's going to be anything more than a core STer, now is the time to show us something.
I also wouldn't be shocked to see TWilson rebound. People think this kid can't cover, but they ignore the fact that he played more CB than S in college, he was drafted to be a bigger cover S, and that he has 5 picks in 2 years of VERY limited play. Sure he looked bad on 2 play action pass plays, but that was due to a bad read, not coverage skills. TB has made Troy P look MUCH worse many MORE times over the years, and not one is calling for his head?.
In 2011 at the end of the season, with our patchwork secondary the Pats made it to the Superbowl and the defense played will enough to win that game. Perhaps the best player in that secondary by the end of that year was Pat Chung. Clearly he lost it, after that year, but he's still got some physical skills and experience. At worst he's quality competition. At best, he a contributor.
Finally we come to Harmon, who is constantly being underestimated because he doesn't "knock people out". But he does everything else pretty well. He's a good tackler, a decent cover guy with exceptional hips. Basically a good all around solid player. Granted he's not an "all pro", but he's proven he's not a liability out their either.....and yet ANOTHER rookie who should see an uptick to his game going into his 2nd season
CB: Let’s face it, this position is night and day better than it was in 2013 – which is amazing considering the fact lost their number one corner in free agency. After the first month you have Revis and Browner, with Dennard as the #3 and either Ryan or Arrington as a #4 injury option. That’s quality at both the top end as well as in terms of depth.
Better or Worse: Vastly better.
Well said
Overall the club is better, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL, and a position of strength can quickly become one of weakness as we saw at TE and DT last year. There are plenty of positions to keep an eye on during training camp, but right now the club does have an opportunity to be improved over their 2013 season.
Not just "better"
JM..... MUCH better. And they will have to be because so many of their potential opponents got better as well.....just not to the same degree.
