Breaking Down New England Patriots' Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots routinely boast one of the league's deepest rosters every year, but the defending champs entered the NFL draft with more holes than usual.  Following fairly significant free-agency losses, most pinpointed guard, cornerback, defensive tackle, wide receiver and running back as potential areas to address.

And yet, Bill Belichick's 11-man draft class was heavily skewed toward the trenches.  New England spent seven draft picks, including five of its first six, on offensive or defensive linemen.  All that beef should enable the Patriots to routinely control the trenches (an especially important asset considering the strengths of their AFC East rivals), but that heavy investment has left other areas of the roster potentially vulnerable.

Then again, that's a dilemma every team faces, as it's exceedingly difficult to build an airtight superpower in the salary-cap era.  With the draft now in the rearview mirror, the heavy lifting of the offseason's roster-construction phase is complete.  Thus, let's take a unit-by-unit look at the players who will by and large form the 2015 Patriots, focusing especially on how recent draftees may help when applicable.

Quarterback

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On Roster: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Garrett Gilbert

Projected Starter: Brady

No position on the roster holds less controversy.  No. 12 will hold down the starting spot for 2015 and likely through at least the 2016 season. 

Remember that Brady and the Patriots restructured his contract last December, which essentially prevented his salaries from becoming fully guaranteed for the 2015-17 seasons.  While that provides both sides more flexibility to eventually move on, it doesn't make much financial sense for New England to part with the greatest player in franchise history before 2017, when the Pats could save $10 million on their cap by shedding Brady's deal.

For now, Brady remains entrenched as the team's most important player, while 2014 second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo will continue his apprenticeship.  Brady backups have been trade chips for years now, and ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com) actually reported that teams had inquired about the Eastern Illinois product, though Schefter noted that those talks were exploratory.

But Garoppolo's value is immensely high at the moment; NBC Sports' Josh Norris even suggested that Garoppolo could fetch a second-rounder in a trade and that he would have gone in Round 1 had he entered the draft in 2015. 

It's tempting to wonder what kind of haul the Pats could get if they cashed in the Garoppolo trade chip, but there's also no chance Belichick would ever leave the quarterback position without a viable backup plan.

For now, the Pats appear satisfied, as they didn't supplement the position with a draft pick.  Garrett Gilbert will serve as a camp arm and preseason third-stringer, but the Pats appear set with the Brady-Garoppolo tandem for another year.

Running Back

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On Roster: LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden, Travaris Cadet, James White, Tyler Gaffney, Dion Lewis, James Develin (FB)

Projected Starters: Blount (early downs) and Cadet (passing downs)

The talent level at this position is fairly ho-hum, but there's an intriguing mix of upside here.  The Patriots have made do with average talent at the running back position for nearly the entire Brady-Belichick era, though young prospects like Gray, Cadet and White offer hints of upside.

After serving his one-game suspension to open the season, Blount should take over as the primary early-down carrier. 

After facing character questions out of college, the bruising back has been a nice locker room fit and endeared himself to fans with his hard-running style and dominance against the AFC rival Indianapolis Colts.  But Blount will turn 29 in December and is a free agent in the spring, so it seems likelier than not that this will be his final rodeo in Foxborough.

Labeling Cadet the passing back is entirely guesswork on my part, though I did highlight the diminutive back as one of the players in line for bigger roles in 2015. 

But Cadet signed a meager two-year, $1.75 million deal, and the Pats could cut him with virtually no cap ramifications.  So while his 38-catch 2014 season was a promising sign, Cadet could wind up off the roster just as easily as he could become Shane Vereen's replacement.

This will be an extremely tricky roster projection come training camp.  Apart from maybe James White, who the Pats might not want to abandon so soon after investing a fourth-round pick, I don't think there's a single roster lock. 

Players like Blount, Bolden and Develin seem likely to make the roster, but the Pats could even walk away from them without significant cap consequences.  Thus, the backfield will be an extremely fluid proposition over the next few months.

Wide Receiver

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On Roster: Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Brian Tyms, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Brandon Gibson, Greg Orton, Kevin Dorsey, Jonathan Krause

Projected Starters: Edelman, LaFell, Amendola (slot in 3WR packages)

Like running back, many thought the Pats might address the receiver position in the draft.  But it appears New England is ready to roll with the same top three from 2014, with Brandon Gibson as the only noteworthy addition to the group (note that I left special teams ace Matthew Slater off this slide).

Edelman and LaFell are not particularly special talents; based on Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, which measures opponent-adjusted success rate, the two finished 42nd and 33rd among receivers, respectively.  But both are stylistic fits in New England's rhythm-based passing scheme that emphasizes timing and route running over sheer physical tools, and most importantly, Edelman and LaFell have earned Brady's trust.

The same can't be said for Dobson and Boyce, who might possess more physical talent than anyone in this unit but have yet to develop any meaningful rapport with Brady.  The former second-rounder Dobson was an inefficient player as a primary target for part of the 2013 season, finishing 63rd in DVOA, while Boyce spent 2014 on the practice squad after compiling nine catches his rookie season.

The honeymoon period is clearly over for both, as the top three of Edelman, LaFell and Amendola are the only roster locks at this point.  Given the Patriots' depth at tight end, it wouldn't be surprising if they only keep one more receiver on the active roster (excluding Slater), at least to start the season.

Tight End

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On Roster: Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Tim Wright, Michael Hoomanawanui, A.J. Derby

Projected Starter: Gronkowski

A healthy Gronk made all the difference for the Patriots last season.  The All-Pro tight end recaptured his status as the game's biggest offensive mismatch in powering New England past a rough September start.  It hardly seems like a coincidence that the Patriots captured that elusive fourth Lombardi Trophy the year that Gronk finally made it through a season unscathed.

New England may or may not be able to count on that recurrence in 2015, but the Pats are better insured at the position than they have been the past two seasons. 

Signing Scott Chandler away from the divisional rival Buffalo Bills was a coup, especially when considering the type of success Chandler has had against New England.  At 6'7" and 260 pounds, Chandler possesses eerily similar dimensions to Gronk (6'6", 265 lbs), so Brady could have a towering red-zone duo to target.

Wright and Hoomanawanui are useful players who could find themselves on the wrong side of a numbers crunch, depending on whether or not the Patriots think they can stash intriguing sixth-round project A.J. Derby on the practice squad.  Derby frequently served as an H-back type at Arkansas, which overlaps with Hoomanawanui's current role and could thus make him redundant.

Overall, this is arguably the deepest position on the entire roster, even after the investments at defensive line.  Between the league's best tight end and a pair of players in Chandler and Wright who could probably start for other teams, it wouldn't be a surprise if we see a return to more frequent "12" personnel usage in 2015.

Offensive Line

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On Roster: Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Tre' Jackson, Ryan Wendell, Bryan Stork, Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming, Shaq Mason, Jordan Devey, Josh Kline, Chris Barker, Caylin Hauptmann

Projected Starters (L-R): Solder-Jackson-Stork-Wendell-Vollmer

Starting left guard Dan Connolly remains unsigned, and his potential return could push someone like Barker or Hauptmann off the roster before training camp.  Still, New England's rookie class of Jackson and Mason add much-needed depth to this unit, as the total lack of interior options last year was the most crippling aspect of New England's early-season malaise.

If Jackson is recovered from the knee issues that caused his draft stock to slip, the Florida State product seems like a strong bet to slot in at one of the starting guard spots next to his collegiate teammate Stork. 

The mauling Jackson possesses as much talent as any rookie guard in this draft, and if he can overcome the conditioning issues that plagued his 2014 season, he should immediately step in at left guard or displace Wendell if he sticks on the right side, where he played at Tallahassee.

Mason is more of a future-minded project, as he has virtually no base in pass protection after playing in Georgia Tech's triple-option offense.  But he's also arguably the best run-blocker in the entire class, and he possesses promising agility that could serve him well against quicker 3-techniques.  With Wendell's contract up after this season, Mason could be a starting guard as soon as 2016.

The Pats typically keep eight O-linemen during the year, which could put the squeeze on Devey and Kline.  But perhaps New England goes nine-deep to accommodate the depth at this position, which has received an infusion of five draft picks the past two years.

Defensive Line

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On Roster: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Malcom Brown, Dominique Easley, Jabaal Sheard, Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch, Chris Jones, Zach Moore, Trey Flowers, Michael Buchanan, Jake Bequette, Joe Vellano, Xzavier Dickson, Antonio Johnson

Projected Starters: Chandler Jones, Ninkovich, Brown, Easley

Whew.  In terms of sheer numbers, no position on New England's roster is more loaded than defensive line.  Belichick extracted terrific value from this group, signing Sheard to a free-agent contract widely seen as undervalued and drafting Brown and Flowers at spots lower than their predraft projections.

Despite decent sack totals, the Pats have been a relatively ho-hum pressure group in recent years. New England finished 23rd in sack percentage last year, per TeamRankings.com, while FO's Adjusted Sack Rate metric placed the Patriots 20th. 

It's clear that Jones and Ninkovich have been overworked on the edge the past two years, and the introduction of Sheard, Flowers and possibly Moore as viable edge-rushing options should theoretically keep their snap totals down and legs fresher throughout the season.

At defensive tackle, the Brown-Easley tandem is an unproven but extremely enticing combination that could represent the core of New England's defense for years to come.  I've broken down Brown's game at length, and while the first-rounder won't have a Vince Wilfork type of impact right away, he seems like a solid bet to eventually become New England's most versatile interior lineman. 

This is significantly better depth than the Pats have enjoyed in recent seasons, as Belichick seems to understand that the front seven will need to carry the dilapidated secondary this season.  If the Patriots are to mount a successful title defense, this unit's development might be the primary reason.

Linebacker

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On Roster: Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, Geneo Grissom, James Morris, Jonathan Freeny, Cameron Gordon, Darius Fleming, Eric Martin, Chris White, Matthew Wells, Rufus Johnson

Projected Starters: Collins, Hightower, Mayo

Everyone points to the secondary as the primary catalyst for New England's Super Bowl run last year, but the development of Collins and Hightower into All-Pro-caliber three-down linebackers played just as important a role.  If the starting trio is healthy in 2015, the Pats have a legitimate claim to the title of best linebacking corps in the league.

But that's a big if with Hightower and Mayo both undergoing major offseason surgeries.  I've consequently put third-round pick Geneo Grissom with this group instead of the absurdly deep D-line, as he could make a more immediate impact as the team's fourth linebacker. 

Grissom might not have the lateral agility to drop into coverage regularly, but with an explosive lower body (37-inch vertical jump, per NFL.com) and long 33 ⅜-inch arms, he has the tools to excel as a blitzer and edge-setter.

Matthew Wells is the other new addition to this group.  The Mississippi State product is far too undersized (6'2", 222 lbs) to play a legitimate defensive role in 2015, but his freakish athleticism and speed could turn him into a core special teamer who might develop into a coverage specialist down the road. 

His selection could be ominous for someone like Chris White or Jonathan Freeny, who primarily make their livings on special teams.

This is still a position in need of depth, which should provide a golden opportunity for the rookies to break through.  If the worst-case scenario unfolds, the likes of Grissom, Wells and James Morris could receive their NFL baptism by fire.

Secondary

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On Roster: Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner, Jordan Richards, Duron Harmon, Bradley Fletcher, Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Robert McClain, Chimdi Chekwa, Darryl Roberts, Justin Green, Dax Swanson

Projected Starters: McCourty (FS), Chung (SS), Fletcher (outside CB), Butler (outside CB), Arrington (slot CB)

Until they prove otherwise, this unit is the biggest question mark on the roster and quite possibly the biggest obstacle toward a repeat championship.  With so many contrasting strengths, weaknesses and stylistic tendencies, the secondary feels like a haphazardly constructed mishmash of misfit toys.

The Pats did not target a high-end cornerback as many expected, instead adding a pair of complementary talents in Richards and Roberts. 

The former figures to take over Chung's box safety role at some point in the future, but Richards is currently too raw in coverage to play full time.  Instead, look for the Stanford product to contribute heavily on special teams (possibly displacing Wilson from the roster), with the hope that he might be able to carve out a package-specific role on defense in 2015.

Roberts is a different story.  Expectations for seventh-rounders are always low, but the Marshall corner was truly one of my favorite selections from the draft.  If he can become more disciplined in his technique, particularly his tendency to open his hips too early, Roberts has a legitimate chance to challenge Arrington for the slot corner role.

It's likely that the Patriots will play more Tampa-2 and Quarters coverage to alleviate pressure on the corners and take advantage of their range at safety with McCourty and (possibly) Ryan.  But this is the oddest conglomeration of players on the entire roster, so it's anyone's guess as to who will still be standing come Week 1.

Special Teams

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On Roster: Stephen Gostkowski (K), Ryan Allen (P), Joe Cardona (LS), Matthew Slater (ST)

This quartet is the core of New England's special teams, so there's no need to designate other starters.  Obviously, specific coverage and return units will have different players, and rookies like Wells, Richards and Roberts figure to make their biggest immediate contributions in the third phase.

The only player in doubt here is Cardona, whose Naval service requirements could delay his career up to five years.  However, per NESN's Doug Kyed, the Patriots released the only long snapper on their roster, Tyler Ott. 

Maybe it's reading too much into things, but perhaps Ott's release indicates confidence that Cardona can generate a service exemption.  ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss did speculate that Belichick may have purposely overdrafted Cardona in Round 5 to potentially increase his chances of staying in the league.

The only other shake-up to watch is with Gostkowski.  The Pro Bowl kicker isn't in danger of going anywhere, but Gostkowski's $4.59 million cap hit is the 10th highest on the team in 2015, per Spotrac.  That's a poor value for the position he plays, so look for the Pats to hammer out a long-term extension that provides a little more breathing room under the cap.

Overall, this is a rock-solid unit without any major deficiencies.  Belichick, who began his NFL coaching career in special teams, has always placed a heavy emphasis on the game's third phase.  Apart from quarterback, few units on the roster have as much stability.