New England Patriots' Key Preseason Battles

As the 2008 season looms and the team prepares for another AFC East title, the Patriots have several positional battles to solve. The preseason is where those battles are fought and won.

Although you can't read too much into individual performances during these games, their successes will ultimately decide where they fall on the team's depth chart.

Here are some key battles to watch:

• Backup QB: Brady is the Football Jesus, we all know that. Although he has ice water running through his veins, we all learned last year that his bones are not made of steel. He seems to be fully recovered, but his potential absence due to injury is enough to make some Patriot fans nauseous. The QBs behind Brady certainly don’t help. Matt Cassell was pulled during a blowout over Miami last year due to poor performance. Matt Gutierrez is quick, but hasn’t shown any signs that he could consistently lead a team. Enter Kevin O'Connell, the shifty quarterback from San Diego State that has impressed during training camp. Cassell is listed as the No. 2 QB, but will O’Connell be able to take his place? Will Gutierrez play well enough to earn a spot on the roster, or will he be cut?
• Right Offensive Line: Although the Pats have been masters at moving offensive linemen around and minimizing their weaknesses due to injuries, there is still no clear-cut right side to this offensive line. Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur should get the nod, but Neal is aging and fragile while Kaczur may fall victim to a suspension. The Pats seemed to help their chances by signing a few lesser-known linemen, but their depth at the spot does not overcome their lack of a pure-starter. By all means, the RG and RT spots are up for grabs, and preseason should determine who starts.
• Free Safety: Rodney Harrison has the strong safety spot locked. James Sanders was the primary FS last year, but he’s much more suited to play SS. Essentially, the Patriots played two strong safeties last year. This year, second-year man Brandon Meriweather should seriously content for a starting spot. He’s got quicks and hits with great power—he just needs to improve his smarts and catching ability. Watch the battle for FS to see if Meriweather impresses enough to overtake Sanders for the starting spot opposite Harrison.
• Middle Linebacker: Bruschi is aging, but he should still start. The question truly lies in who will play next to him: rookie LB Jerod Mayo or veteran LB Victor Hobson. Hobson has had a less-than-amazing training camp, while the opposite is true for Mayo. So far, Mayo looks to have the lead, but a few costly mistakes in preseason could cost him his job.
• Running Back: Will Sammy Morris be back in time to compete for the bruiser-back role on the team? Will LaMont Jordan take those responsibilities? Maroney is clearly the No. 1 back, and Kevin Faulk is a lock as the third-down back, so the only battle is the bruiser.
• Cornerback: CB is clearly the biggest question mark for the Patriots. Will Fernando Bryant be able to fill in for Asante Samuel? Will rookie Terrence Wheatley earn a spot over returning CB Ellis Hobbs? This is the biggest and most interesting battle. Literally, every CB spot on the depth chart is up for grabs. Whoever performs well (and consistently) in preseason should earn a starting role.

This looks to be an interesting preseason with key positional battles to watch. Tune in at 7:30 to watch the first round of battles, pitting our team against the Baltimore Ravens (who have several key battles to watch as well).