3 Positions the New England Patriots Need to Add Depth from Draft, Free Agency

An NFL team is like a house, the foundation of which is built on solid depth. The New England Patriots have proven this with a roster that may not be as loaded with top talent, but that has enough smart, talented players from No. 1 to 53 that the whole thing doesn't blow over at the first sign of rain.

However, nobody's perfect. The Patriots have a few positions where they could truly use some added depth in the draft, and with their propensity to trade down, something tells me they'll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

Safety

Backups: James Ihedigbo, Matthew Slater, Sergio Brown, Josh Barrett

It was a revolving door that spun round and round all season long, and though the secondary finally seemed to come together in the postseason, the question now becomes whether the door can stop spinning. Can growth be expected over a long period of time?

With the level of inconsistency we saw from the Patriots on the back end all season long, it would be foolish for them to roll the dice on that. There are plenty of top options the Patriots could take a shot on, but they could use some depth at the position as well. 

Potential targets: Dashon Goldson, Tyvon Branch, LaRon Landry, Mark Barron

Wide Receiver

Backups: Chad Ochocinco, Matthew Slater, Tiquan Underwood

Though Deion Branch and Wes Welker are both free agents, I fully expect both to return. That being said, they will still need to add talented depth, as the three names listed above all failed to prove they can be consistently reliable.

Adding a free agent like Brandon Lloyd would provide a quick fix that should work for the long-term, but adding another talented receiver through the draft would be a smart move. The Packers and Giants are proof of how a team can reap the rewards of a wealth of depth at wide receiver.

Potential targets: Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Michael Floyd

Outside Linebacker

Backups: Gary Guyton, Tracy White, Niko Koutouvides, Jeff Tarpinian

Rob Ninkovich has started coming into his own in the Patriots defense. He has become something of a chess piece for Bill Belichick, moving from rush defensive end to SAM linebacker. 

However, behind him on the depth chart, there is not much in the way of inspiring confidence should he go down with an injury. We have yet to see anything of note from Tarpinian, but Koutouvides has been a journeyman and has been on and off the roster a few times recently.

Guyton's contract expires this offseason, and judging by his eye-popping dip in play time (12 snaps in the final seven games, zero in the playoffs according to Pro Football Focus), I wouldn't expect him to come back.

Potential targets: Leroy Hill, Omar Gaither, Jonathan Massoquoi

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