Check-In with the Patriots: Linebacker

The overall tone of these articles has been dictated by experienced veterans teaming up with athletic youngsters; it's been all about depth for the Patriots this offseason. Linebacker has been no exception.

Of course, we have the rookie phenom out of Tennessee, Jerod Mayo, whose 128 tackles led the team by a landslide last season. His versatility is what made him a player of such high regard for New England on draft day. He proved why the Patriots “reached” for him at No. 10 in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft when he earned the title of Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Mayo will obviously be a 16-game starter again this season (barring injury, of course). He figures to be the team leader once again, and will soon be wearing the coach communication earpiece in his helmet.

The other inside linebacker spot is a question mark, though. Tedy Bruschi has been a symbol of New England’s dynasty for years, but his best days are clearly behind him. Although he can still be counted on to make solid tackles, his speed and athleticism have taken a huge dip in recent years. Offenses have begun to exploit his age and small frame, especially in the red zone.

Who else do the Patriots have, though?

Veteran linebacker Paris Lenon was rescued from the abyss of the 0-16 Lions when he was acquired via free agency this offseason. His experience could be serviceable next to Mayo’s athleticism, and we all know of Belichick’s pseudo “man crush” for veteran linebackers.

Eric Alexander has been with the team for five years. In that time, he's played in 31 games by filling in for spot duty, but he's never even started a game. I doubt that this will be the year where he’s finally asked to step up and start, but if more injuries plague the Patriots at linebacker, he could be asked to fill in.

Gary Guyton filled in extensively for an injured Tedy Bruschi in the second half of last season, even starting in two games. He showed the ability to make sure tackles and react quickly last year. He’s listed as an outside linebacker, but he could become like Mike Vrabel and develop into a great option inside.

The Patriots were depleted at linebacker (especially outside) last season due to multiple injuries. Adalius Thomas was one of the injured last season. Even when he played, he looked a bit slower than usual. He has hit the “doomed” age of 30, where players sometimes see a drastic dip in delivery or performance.

The other outside linebacker spot is where the uncertainty remains. We have the young and inexperienced Shawn Crable, last year’s third-round pick out of Michigan. He could develop into a potent pass rusher. We didn’t see much from him last year, but if he’s a quick learner, he could be utilized effectively as early as this season.

Tully Banta-Cain found his way back onto the team that gained him enough notoriety to earn a big contract from the San Francisco 49ers just a few years ago. After under-performing his contract, he found himself the victim of offseason cuts and the Patriots couldn’t help but pick up a player who is already familiar with the system. His drastic dip in production as of late has me doubting his skills as a pass rusher, though.

We also have Pierre Woods, who’s never done anything remarkable. In fact, the only thing I remember him for is a botched fumble recovery in Super Bowl XLII. He's not an effective pass rusher, though; he only racked up one sack last year when given the opportunity to start three games and play in 12.

The rumblings of trade talks involving the Carolina Panthers and Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers never came to fruition. As the offseason wore on and they failed to address the outside linebacker spot opposite Thomas, it became clear that Belichick and his staff were confident in their youth, and that they planned to utilize Crable, Woods, and Banta-Cain on the edge.

All that went out the window on Wednesday.

The addition of veteran defensive end Derrick Burgess, acquired via trade from the Oakland Raiders, is what brings the group together. His veteran abilities could be used this season, and if he can learn the Patriots way and become more selfless, his mentoring could drastically spurt the growth of the young OLBs.

Although Burgess has seen much success in the past, he took a drastic dip in production last season. He will probably play a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot on the team, and could see his stats increase yet again behind a defensive line that’s famous for soaking up blockers.

The price the Pats paid for him (a third round pick in 2010 and a fifth round pick in 2011) indicates that regardless of his output, they won’t be sorry for making the trade.

As Michael Lombardi stated in his article on the matter, "In the AFC East, Damien Woody of the Jets, Brad Butler of the Bills, and Vernon Carey of the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them."

Likewise, the low-end picks used on a former Pro Bowler to acquire a fading Raider with work ethic issues and a bad locker room reputation screams of Randy Moss. If what New England gets from Burgess is anywhere near what we got from Moss in his first season, the entire defense could be made a lot scarier by his presence alone.

The theme for this offseason has been adding depth, depth, and more depth, everywhere on the field. Despite being more quiet than other positions (until Wednesday’s trade for Burgess), linebacker has been no exception.

I wouldn’t be surprised if several outside linebackers are used in a rotation, much like just about every other position on the Patriots’ stacked roster. As mentioned above, we all know of Belichick’s penchant for veteran linebackers, and surely he will figure out a way to utilize everyone to their fullest ability.

The “who”, “where”, and “how” of the matter are all that remain to be seen.

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