Reassessing Patriots' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. 

Some fans of the New England Patriots probably feel like they were socked in the face by Mike Tyson this offseason, with the departures of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. 

But it's not all bad news coming out of Foxborough, as the Patriots have made a number of moves to help replenish the depth chart at those positions and others. The better news is that the offseason still isn't over just yet, with less than a month remaining until the 2015 NFL draft. 

Who knows what the Patriots will do between now and then, or what they'll do when draft day actually arrives, but here's a look back at what they've done so far and what remains to be done before the Patriots can officially say their offseason plan is complete.

The Plan

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The Patriots entered the offseason with two major boxes to check: re-sign Darrelle Revis and safety Devin McCourty. 

They were fortunate to check off either of them; Revis left, and McCourty nearly left before a last-ditch effort brought him back to New England. Along the way, they added a checkbox by declining the option on Brandon Browner's contract, creating another hole at cornerback. 

Without Revis and Browner, the focus immediately shifted to how the Patriots would address their pass defense. That being said, the focus was already there, just at different positions. For years, the Patriots have been searching for the necessary pieces to field a deep rotation of pass-rushers. That search was set to continue this offseason as they looked for players to supplement starters Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich.

There were other checkboxes on the list, including finding a way to retain kicker Stephen Gostkowski and guard Dan Connolly, as well as deciding what to do at the running back position, where both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen were set to hit the open market. The departure of Vince Wilfork also created another checkbox at the defensive tackle spot; the Patriots have a young pair of interior linemen in Sealver Siliga and Dominique Easley, but they lack depth at the position.

The Execution

Keeping Revis for a second year was a pipe dream that went up in smoke rather quickly when the cap-loaded New York Jets came calling. No matter how badly the Patriots wanted to keep Revis, they were never going to match the exorbitant sums of money that the Jets were willing to offer.

The Patriots were able to re-sign McCourty, avoiding a worst-case scenario of losing both of their key free agents in the secondary. It took a large sum, at five years and $47.5 million with $28.5 million fully guaranteed, but with McCourty back there, the Patriots pass defense may not take a dramatic step back after all. 

Moving on from Revis and Browner signals a change in defensive philosophy, and the Patriots took the tried-and-true "volume approach" to filling their need by adding three cornerbacks: Chimdi Chekwa, Bradley Fletcher and Robert McClain. Add those three to a depth chart that already includes four players with starting experience (Logan Ryan, Alfonzo Dennard, Kyle Arrington and Malcolm Butler), and the Patriots are quietly deep at the cornerback position.

They also took the volume approach at running back, though it didn't happen all at once; over the past 15 months, the Patriots have added Jonas Gray, James White and Tyler Gaffney, lost and re-signed LeGarrette Blount, extended Brandon Bolden's contract and signed Travaris Cadet, giving themselves a six-man stable to compete for touches.  

The signing of defensive end/outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard has the potential to be one of the sneaky good signings of the offseason. Sheard is a young, talented pass-rusher whose best football may still be ahead of him. He has taken steps back in recent years, going from a career-high 8.5 sacks as a rookie in 2011 to just two sacks in 2014, but he has the versatility to play every down in the Patriots defense and would not be in the spotlight, but would instead be a complementary piece in the rotation. 

The Remains

The two spots where the Patriots have not yet made the necessary moves are on the interior of both lines. They bid farewell to Wilfork and have yet to find his replacement. Dan Connolly remains an unsigned free agent, and although offensive line continuity should be a top priority, it seems to be the furthest thing from the Patriots' minds at the moment—even with other teams breathing down Connolly's neck. 

Fortunately, there are at least a few prospects at each position worth a pick at No. 32. At guard, the Patriots could choose from A.J. Cann (South Carolina), Laken Tomlinson (Duke) and Tre' Jackson (Florida State). There are even more choices at defensive tackle, where Malcom Brown (Texas), Eddie Goldman (Florida State) and Jordan Phillips (Oklahoma) should be among the handful of defensive tackles available at the end of the first round.

Even with all the moves the Patriots have made at cornerback, they may still feel an urge to add another defensive back. If that's the case, there's a strong argument to be made for Byron Jones (Connecticut) to be the Patriots' next first-round pick. 

There's a lot of consternation among Patriots fans concerned with the new-look defense, but with only a couple of big needs, there isn't much to worry about. 

Soon, it will be the Patriots who are back to wrecking other people's plans by punching them in the mouth.