6 Newcomers Who Will Play Biggest Roles for the New England Patriots

The New England Patriots made a lot of changes for a team that was so close to a Super Bowl just four months ago.

That being said, close doesn't count in a game of inches, and the Patriots went the extra mile to make sure they are fully equipped at the positions that proved to be their biggest weaknesses in 2011.

With that, there will be plenty of opportunities for new blood to make an big impact. Which new additions to the roster can you anticipate to have the biggest roles?

Snap stats provided by Pro Football Focus.

Steve Gregory

Steve Gregory has played significant time for the Chargers over the past three seasons, playing 40 games and starting 28 in that span. He played 81.4 percent of the defensive snaps last season, and has the versatility to play both safety spots as well as line up as a nickel defensive back.

The New England Patriots fielded six different starting safeties in 2011, and took measures this offseason to bring some stability to the position. James Ihedigbo was formidable at safety last season, but the Patriots would much prefer not to have him running around the secondary for almost 75 percent of the defensive snaps as he did last year.

Brandon Lloyd

The Patriots have been searching for an outside-the-numbers threat since trading receiver Randy Moss in 2010, and by signing free-agent receiver Brandon Lloyd, they may have done just that. They'll be quite eager to get their new toy onto the field.

Lloyd has sneaky athleticism and the ability to stretch the field. He was wildly successful in Josh McDaniels' offense in both Denver and St. Louis with quarterback play nowhere near the level he'll receive from Tom Brady.

The Chad Ochocinco experiment bombed miserably, and though he only played 354 snaps (29.1 percent), the Patriots may be hoping that Lloyd brings the missing piece to the offense that they thought they were getting when trading for Ochocinco.

Judging by his recent success (147 receptions for 2,414 yards and 16 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined), the Patriots have plenty of reason to be confident that Lloyd can fill the void at X receiver.

Jabar Gaffney

If the Chad Ochocinco experiment proved one thing, it's that knowledge of the offense can go a long way with the Patriots, for better or worse. In Gaffney's case, his knowledge of the system led the team to come back to him for a second go-round.

In McDaniels' offenses in New England and Denver, Gaffney combined for 193 receptions for 2,524 yards and 11 touchdowns in a four-year span. However, in 2011, he proved his success wasn't all because of McDaniels when he posted career-bests in receptions (68), yards (947) and touchdowns (five) with the Redskins.

The chemistry Gaffney developed with Tom Brady was noteworthy during his first tenure with the Patriots. Now that the team is looking to get more threats at receiver, and will probably run more spread sets with McDaniels at the helm, there will be plenty of opportunities for Gaffney to see the field and make an impact.

Trevor Scott

The Patriots are trying to replace 10 sacks left behind by defensive end Mark Anderson, who played 640 snaps (47.2 percent of the team total) in 2011. If they don't bring back Andre Carter, they'll be replacing 20 sacks (half the team's total sack production) and 1,393 snaps from their top two pass-rushers.

Trevor Scott has been solid when he's seen the field, but he's been lost in the shuffle at times because the Raiders have continually changed their defensive scheme. He played just 251 snaps for the Silver and Black in 2011, but has the ability to fill the elephant role that the Patriots have been trying to fill since Willie McGinest left at the end of the 2005 season.

With the Patriots likely to run a mix of 3-4 and 4-3 fronts, there will be opportunities for Scott to make an impact regardless of his exact role in the defense.

Dont'a Hightower

When the Patriots added linebacker Dont'a Hightower in the draft, it showed another level of commitment toward adding another level of athleticism to the second level of their defense.

Hightower's versatility to play both inside and outside linebacker, as well as to put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer in nickel and dime packages, will help him get on the field early and often.

What's more, Brandon Spikes has missed time in each of the past two seasons (12 games total) due to a suspension and injuries. If Spikes misses time in 2012, the Patriots have a contingency plan, and that will likely involve getting Hightower more playing time.

Chandler Jones

Like Scott, Chandler Jones' fit in the defense is a bit of a mystery. Will he man the defensive end spot, or can he become the next big thing at elephant? Time will tell, but the mix of fronts employed by the Patriots means Jones will likely have his opportunities regardless.

The loss of Mark Anderson and the potential loss of Andre Carter will leave pretty big holes off the edges where the Patriots will need to find fits. Even if Jones isn't polished as a complete player just yet, the value of a potent pass rush has been proven time and time again. Even if he's only a rotational defensive end, his role will be big simply because of the importance of pass-rushers in the modern NFL.

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.