New England Patriots: Grading Every Position on the Roster After Regular Season

The New England Patriots 2011 season isn't over yet, as the team has yet to play their first playoff game after earning home-field advantage. Where they go from here, though, is what will define the 2011 version of this team.

As of the end of the regular season, their strengths and weaknesses are pretty clear. There are some weaknesses that the Patriots opponents will look to exploit, and strengths they will look to take away.

With that, how do the Patriots grade at every position on the roster?

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter.

Quarterback

A+

The Patriots are one of three teams that has set the example for how an elite quarterback can compensate for an awful defense.

Brady has set records this year, and although he put the team in some bad positions a few times, he put the team on his shoulders far more often. His 8.5 YPA was a career high, and his 39 touchdown passes were his second-highest total. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 36 or more touchdowns three separate times in his career.

The system quarterback talk is dead. The fact that he has flourished in a season where he has no true deep threat is also a huge testament to his patience. 

Running Back

B+

The Patriots' running game has been successful when they've needed it to be, picking up 18 scores on the ground this season (third in the NFL). BenJarvus Green-Ellis also rushed for 11 touchdowns, marking his second straight season with double-digit scores.

Stevan Ridley gave the team an extra boost it hasn't seen in awhile, rushing for 5.1 yards per carry and looking impressive while doing so. 

He earned a few more carries than Danny Woodhead (87), but the little guy still got his share (77). That doesn't mean anything, though, as Woodhead earned significantly more snaps (378) than Ridley (192). Thus, how the unit takes shape going forward will be an interesting subject to watch.

For now, this is a unit that has shown flexibility.

Wide Receiver

B

Wes Welker has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this year from a statistical perspective. Whether the Patriots will re-sign him remains to be seen, but whether or not they should is universally answered as a resounding "yes."

Deion Branch has added some production, but it's hard when the other guy is getting 173 targets out of a possible 611 (28.3 percent). At least Branch could be counted on in the clutch.

Ochocinco hardly registered on the radar with just 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown. That included five games in which he didn't have a single reception, and five other games in which that's all he had.

This is largely considered one of the Patriots' biggest needs, and that need would only get bigger if the team is unable to sign Wes Welker. The Patriots cut ties with two failed draft experiments on the calendar year, releasing Brandon Tate during the preseason and waiving Taylor Price during the regular season.

Tight End

A+

The Patriots are set at tight end for the next decade. Gronkowski set single-season records for receiving yards (1,327), receiving touchdowns (17) and overall touchdowns (18) by a tight end.

Gronkowski has proven to be an uncoverable by mortal men in 2011, but the contributions of Hernandez have gone largely unnoticed because Gronkowski has been stealing all the headlines. His 79 receptions, 910 yards and seven touchdowns are all the third-highest totals on the team.

Gronkowski is a very good blocking tight end, and that could be important in the playoffs. However, the fact that the team has used extra linemen as tight ends so often exhibits the team's desire to find another true blocking tight end.

The team lost two solid prospects in Lee Smith and Will Yeatman in the preseason when both were claimed before they hit the practice squad.

Offensive Line

A

The Patriots have been decimated with injuries from the start, having lost center Dan Koppen to a season-ending injury in the opening game. Dan Connolly has filled in quite nicely, though, and has set the tone for others who have needed to fill in across the line.

Sebastian Vollmer has missed a significant amount of time as well, but rookie Nate Solder performed well in his spot. The Patriots have proven to not only have a solid group of starters, but great depth below them.

It's thanks to the coaching of Dante Scarnecchia that they're able to constantly plug and play their depth as injuries arise.

Defensive Tackle

B+

The Patriots were able to cut ties after the failed Albert Haynesworth experiment, and moved along just fine. Kyle Love has been a revelation at defensive tackle, playing 567 snaps out of a possible 1,134 according to Pro Football Focus—a perfect 50 percent. He has also picked up 33 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery along the way.

But Big Vince has lived up to his big contract, and made a lot of big plays with 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. The Patriots clearly relied on him more than in recent years, and Wilfork had more snaps this year (978) than in any previous season, which PFF tracked.

They have some depth, but despite a lot of potential, guys like Myron Pryor and Ron Brace continue to struggle to get on the field.

It will be interesting to see whether the Patriots show confidence in their depth going forward.

Defensive End

B-

Andre Carter was the saving grace for this grade, and he won't even be with the team in the playoffs. The Patriots must be hoping he comes back for another season, because he was the answer to some big problems with pressure and overall consistency on the edge.

Mark Anderson has been a great pass-rushing specialist in 2011, although he has picked up some garbage-time stats that have helped him log double-digit sacks for the first time since his rookie year.

The only problem is, both of them signed one-year deals in the 2011 offseason. Thus, their futures with the team remain uncertain. And behind the two of them, the depth is shaky to say the least.

Brandon Deaderick played some time at tackle, but mostly at end in a four-man front. Their ability to use him in a variety of ways, and their willingness to do so, is evidence of their confidence in him going forward. He played a significant amount of snaps in several key games, including against the Broncos (40 of 60 snaps), Dolphins (41 of 70) and Bills (38 of 71).

Linebacker

C+

Jerod Mayo's five-year contract extension was met by questions of whether he'd ever turn into a big-play linebacker in the mold of Tedy Bruschi and others to wear a Patriots uniform. He did just that by picking off two passes, one in each of the two games immediately following the contract extension.

When Brandon Spikes has been available, he's added toughness and a level of energy that has otherwise been missing from the group. 

Dane Fletcher has also shown some flashes of brilliance. He has spent long stretches of the season on the sideline due to injuries, but his repeated thumb injuries should heal up just fine.

The Patriots have been gashed in the running game in recent weeks and were exposed earlier this season for poor coverage in their linebacking corps. Gary Guyton was considered a liability in both regards, but has spent much of the past few weeks on the bench. 

After trying out Niko Koutouvides, Jeff Tarpinian and Tracy White with varying degrees of success, the Patriots have some thinking to do about their linebackers in the offseason.

Cornerback

F

The good things about the Patriots cornerbacks can be said in two words: Kyle Arrington. With a league-leading seven picks, someone ought to check him for a magnet in his chest.

Besides Arrington, the Patriots were a mess. They simply can't play man coverage because they don't have the talent across the board to match up with elite playmakers on offense. 

Although Sterling Moore has shown some potential this season, including two very athletic picks against Buffalo, the Patriots have a lot more work to be done at cornerback.

The same goes for Julian Edelman, who is a work in progress—and that's if the team even decides to keep him there.

This is especially true if Devin McCourty ends up playing safety for the long term.

Safety

D+

Cutting James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather within days of one another was a rather inauspicious start to the season. Although neither went on to accomplish great things in their new homes, you have to wonder if the Patriots might have been better off with at least one of the two or both.

This became even more evident as special teamer/wide receiver Matthew Slater began seeing increased time at safety, and was punctuated with Devin McCourty getting snaps at safety against the Bills.

Except for Patrick Chung, who is the saving grace of this group, the Patriots can't feel good about their safeties headed into the playoffs. Of course, that could change if Devin McCourty pans out at the position.

Special Teams

A

Both Stephen Gostkowski and Zoltan Mesko have proven worthy of confidence for 2011. Barring an injury or some other freak occurrence, there's no need to look into adding in either of those spots.

Not to mention, the Patriots are sending Matthew Slater to the Pro Bowl as a specialist. His contributions to all four kick coverage units earned him the recognition of his peers.