Patriots:

Here is a look at the transactions made thus far by the New England Patriots; this post will be continuously updated as more moves are made throughout the year. For those wishing to take a trip down memory lane, …

A quick look at the final eight teams that rounded out the NFL’s season from the Divisional Round thru the Super Bowl shows that for the most part, teams that ran the ball well were the ones standing in the end.

Siliga is one of those big bodied guys who are invaluable as run stuffers. One of the indelible moments of training camp was his crunching hit of Tyler Gaffney on August 1, shooting across the gap and leveling the runner as he was trying to get to the second level

Wilson has made his mark as a reserve, playing mostly dime linebacker in the ‘Big Nickle’ sub-packages or on Special Teams.

He was the lead man on the Patriots drafting Bryan Stork and Tre’ Jackson from Florida State, Shaq Mason from Georgia Tech and David Andrews from Georgia.

Public Policy Polling does an annual survey of NFL fans across the country and asked who is the most hated team in the NFL. The most hated team is now New England with 23 percent of America saying they hate the Patriots.

That shows his versatility, besides filling in for Jones at defensive end, he can play either the SAM or WILL linebacker positions and is a core special teamer. He sprung Danny Amendola for a big punt return against the Chiefs.

“It’s a craft,” Brown said of playing corner. “You gotta be able to study and be a student of the game. It’s not just about athletic ability anymore.

“We do spot checks to prevent and make sure the clubs understand that we’re watching these issues,” Goodell added. “It wasn’t a research study. They simply were spot checks. There were no violations this year. We’re pleased that we haven’t had any violations and we continue the work, obviously, to consistently and importantly enforce the integrity of the game

“It helps me close a chapter on my terms,” Jackson said. “That’s what I always stressed … if I went back to the NFL it had to be for a team that had a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl.”

Bill Belichick, during the preseason last year had high praise for Develin stating: “On a day-to-day basis, James is one of the most dependable players we have,”

The Patriots have a very solid foundation that starts at the top with owner Bob Kraft and goes right down to Bill Belichick, Nick Caserio, coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia.

Blount’s numbers through 12 games, 165 carries, 703 yards for a 4.3-yard average and 6 touchdowns are decent enough considering he often had nowhere to run.

The Patriots are hardly in uncharted waters here, the team is quite used to Bill Belichick’s staff being raided during the off-season, and this one like the others, will be handled, mainly from within as has been his modus operandi. But who fills these positions will bear watching.

The big 6’4, 325-pound lineman is versatile, a Bill Belichick staple and can play anywhere from 0-technique to a 5-technique. His ability to stop the run and collapse the pocket were big parts of the Patriots defense down the stretch.