New England Patriots: Hectic Offseason Makes Team as Scary as Ever

The New England Patriots are the type of team that is either deeply loved or absolutely hated. With Bill Belichick and Tom Brady involved, emotions and opinions are bound to run high.

Call Brady a crybaby. Make fun of his UGGs or his hair or him crying on ESPN. That's right, call him scared and soft and whichever adjectives fit your narrative.

Now attack his game.

Silence much? Hate Brady all you want, but the more you break down his game, the more you realize why he might be the best quarterback since Joe Montana.

Make fun of Belichick's hoodies or the spygate scandal. Attack his divorce situation if you so please.

Now attack his career.

Belichick is mainly responsible for the dynasty built up in Foxboro. When he cuts, signs or trades a player, it always seems to benefit the Pats.

That is exactly why the NFL and its great fans should fear the New England Patriots heading into 2012. If New England was able to acquire Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick and resurrect his career, there is no reason why the players brought in off the street should not make a difference for the team.

Brady and company hate losing. Coming off a Super Bowl loss, the Patriots should be hungrier than ever.

As if the tight ends weren't good enough, the Patriots bolstered their wide receiver corps for Brady. Brandon Lloyd, the league's leader in receiving yards in 2010, was reunited with coach Josh McDaniels. He can be another possession receiver like Wes Welker or serve as a solid mid-deep threat. He has perhaps the best hands in the game and is a sure playmaker.

Former Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez was also brought in. When the Pats acquired Welker, people thought he would be solid but not spectacular. He has been the league's best ever since.

Gonzalez was an effective player when healthy. He is a great route-runner with the agility to make plays happen downfield. Chances are that he will be inspired to revive his career as well.

Donte Stallworth has been reunited with his former club. He showed glimpses of excellence with the Washington Redskins last year. He already knows the system and could also be very dangerous for the Pats.

A very solid, above-average receiving corps managed to get a lot better.

There were a few other offensive additions as well.

On defense, the Pats acquired some proven talent and some great potential.

Jonathan Fanene is a solid addition to the defensive line. With Mark Anderson going to the Bills, New England addressed one of their needs with Fanene. The 6'4'', 292 pound 30-year-old brings size, leadership and experience to the Patriots.

Former first-round pick Bobby Carpenter joined a talented linebacker group. The former first-round pick has only started 10 games over seven seasons, mainly due to injuries. If he can stay healthy and play to the potential that made him a first-round pick, then New England picked up a valuable player at a bargain price.

The AFC champions didn't need excessive help in any particular area this offseason, yet they attacked free agency and wound up with several new faces. This is a scary thing for the 31 other franchises because Belichick rarely swings and misses.

The 2012 Patriots plan on being a great football team. They added several new pieces to the puzzle in order to be better than last season. Knowing the history of Belichick and the brilliance of Brady, these new players could very well impact the team next season.

And I think we all know what would happen if the Patriots topped what they did last year.