New England Patriots' Recent Additions Pay Immediate Dividends

Bill Belichick doesn't care about how wins look or which players get him there. He only cares that the New England Patriots win the game. Belichick clearly expressed that during his postgame press conference after his team's torrid 43-21 victory over the Denver Broncos:

"

We use different people and so one guy gets it or multiple guys get it, as long as we're producing, we're moving the ball and scoring points, we're doing the right things That's the idea. It's not about a bunch of stats and stats this and stats that. We're not playing fantasy football here. We're trying to win.

"

While high-priced veterans like Logan Mankins languish on other teams and hyped youngsters like Aaron Dobson remain inactive on game day, Belichick was able to find key contributors by completing some under-the-radar trades over the past two weeks.

Peter King succinctly summed up Belichick's dealings in his weekly column at MMQB.com:

"

I would argue that the Patriots traded a guard who was in decline and likely has one to three years left, and acquired a starting linebacker, an important tight end because of their heavy tight-end usage normally, a contributor on special teams and a high fourth-round pick next year … and swapped spots twice late on day three. It’s just a smart way to build a deep team.

"

The starting linebacker is Akeem Ayers, who played 77 snaps and earned three quarterback pressures in addition to an important sack of Peyton Manning on fourth down. Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com had Belichick giving Ayers some rare praise:

"

He’s done a real good job,” Bill Belichick said of Ayers on Monday’s conference call. “He’s picked things up quickly. He’s a sharp kid. Works hard, very attentive. He really wants things to get things done right and tries to do them and communicates well with the defense.

"

Ayers isn't Chandler Jones, but defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is putting him in good positions to maximize his strengths and hide his weaknesses.

Ayers is being asked to rush the passer three times more than he is dropping into coverage, where he struggled at times in Tennessee. Unleash him up the field and he'll make some plays. Ask him to read and react in space and he isn't nearly as effective.

Jonathan Casillas—King's special teams contributor—is an even newer addition to the New England roster. Sunday was his fifth day with the Pats and all he did was go out and lead the team in special teams tackles. Casillas will have a tough time keeping that up with Matthew Slater on the team, but having too many special teams aces is never a problem.

Belichick also praised Casillas for a smart play on Julian Edelman's punt-return touchdown. He was able to see the field for one snap on defense, but his role there will likely be pretty limited with Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower cemented in their roles.

The Patriots will have to wait to cash in on the other compensation that King mentioned—a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Unlike Casillas and Ayers, that player will have to wait at least four months before he can have a similar impact.