B/R Debate: Which Patriots' Free-Agent Signing Was Best Besides Brandon Lloyd?

If the New England Patriots free-agency explosion is any indication, the Super Bowl XLVI loss didn't sit well with Bill Belichick.

We all know that Brandon Lloyd was the biggest signing for the team, but other than him, which was the best and most important signing?

To debate the topic, we bring in B/R NFL featured columnist Tony Santorsa, who can also be found on Twitter.

Tony, since you're the away team, I'll defer to you and let you take the opening kickoff.

Tony: Aside from Brandon Lloyd, the biggest signing for the Patriots has to be safety Steve Gregory. 

The way that I look at it is that Gregory is a hidden gem. Many of you probably hoped that the Patriots would have went after the often injured LaRon Landry—but trust me, Gregory was the better of the two.

Gregory has had some pretty productive seasons with the San Diego Chargers and in 2011, he played in 15 games while recording 67 tackles and picking off one pass. Gregory's best season came in 2009 when he started all 16 games as he racked up 71 tackles and recorded one interception. 

Expect Gregory to play a major role in New England's secondary in 2012. 

Erik: Good call, and your stance makes sense. Gregory has the ability to play multiple spots across the secondary, in both safety spots and as a slot cornerback.

However, I'll go with Robert Gallery. It seemed like a rather innocuous depth addition at first, but very shortly after the signing was announced, so too was the one about ACL surgery for Logan Mankins. As talented as Brian Waters and Dan Connolly may be, the Patriots needed another piece to finish the starting five.

The reason I pick Gallery over Gregory is because of the addition of Jonathan Fanene. He may not be the big name some people were looking for up front, but his presence as a pass-rusher should make up for some of the loss of Mark Anderson, and we all know what a solid pass rush can do for a secondary.

As bad as the Patriots were at safety last year, protecting Tom Brady needs to be priority No. 1, especially up the middle. He's a great quarterback when he has a pocket to step into, and not at his best when he gets flushed out of the pocket and has to make a throw on the run. 

Tony: You do bring up some good points.

There is no doubt in my mind that protecting Tom Brady needs to be the team's top priority. Without Brady, the New England Patriots would be going nowhere. I think we can all agree on that.

I do understand the signing of Robert Gallery and I love how it adds depth to the team's offensive line with Logan Mankins being banged up with his ACL injury. However, I'm not completely sold on Gallery. But perhaps offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia can turn his career around as Gallery is such a talented player. 

The way I look at it is that the Patriots have essentially gone all offense in free agency and their biggest needs were on the defensive side of the ball. With that being said, Steve Gregory is the best defensive player that they have signed and therefore he fills the biggest need for the Patriots. 

Erik: You just brought up my next argument in favor of Gallery. He may have been a disappointment in Oakland and Seattle, but Belichick loves the guy and even said he would have taken Gallery with the first overall pick in 2004—the year Eli Manning went first overall to the Chargers/Giants.

With Scarnecchia coaching him, I'm confident Gallery can't reach his potential. In Gregory's case, however, there's less certainty behind whether he can be coached up by Matt Patricia. 

It looks like we'll have to agree to disagree, and with that, it appears as though our debate has drawn to a close.

I'd like to thank Tony for joining me, and you're welcome to come back anytime for another debate.

For the readers, be sure to check at the AFC East blog every day for a new debate over AFC East related topics.

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