New England Patriots: Ranking Remaining Offseason Priorities
The New England Patriots have spent the past three months putting together the roster that they hope will defend the team's Super Bowl 49 championship.
Now, they have to spend the next four months sorting that roster into tiers of starters and backups as they try to field the best players possible at all times.
In some spots, that means getting creative. The cornerback depth chart will be particularly tricky to sort out, since there are so many names but so few sure bets. The same can be said for the guard position, where the Patriots have left the cupboards curiously bare.
Oh, and of course, there's now the question of what they will do during the first four weeks of the season without star quarterback Tom Brady.
But those are not the only priorities the Patriots must account for before the start of the 2015 season.
5. Decide What's Going on at Strong Safety
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The Patriots are no strangers to taking a plunge on an unknown strong safety on Day 2 of the draft. Just ask former Illinois safety Tavon Wilson, drafted in the second round in 2012, or former Rutgers safety Duron Harmon, drafted in the third round in 2013. This year's obscure safety is Stanford's Jordan Richards.
Add him to Patrick Chung, Harmon and Wilson on the depth chart, and you're left with a lot of depth but little certainty at the position. Chung was a solid starter for the Patriots in 2014, Harmon has been a better-than-serviceable backup, Wilson has slotted in as a third safety and special teams ace and Richards is a wild card.
Chung is the incumbent starter, and it would not be the end of the world if he were the starter once again in 2015. He was effective last year opposite Devin McCourty, and he's a good fit for what they need at the position. With that said, with the addition of Richards and the continued presence of Wilson and Harmon, there's still room for some snaps to go around.
4. Sort out Depth Chart at Running Back
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Between Jonas Gray, LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden, James White, Travaris Cadet and Tyler Gaffney, the Patriots have a different back for every situation. What they still lack is a running back who can contribute in every situation.
The Patriots have employed the backfield-by-committee approach for years, and although they give everyone a turn, they usually have someone who takes the bulk of the carries. The Patriots didn't have a single running back with 100 carries or more in 2014, but that was also due in part to an injury suffered by Stevan Ridley.
But this year, the bell cow should be Blount, who finished strong in 2014 for the Patriots with 60 carries for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots also have a number of running backs who can contribute in the passing game. White, Cadet and Gaffney can all offer pass protection and catch passes out of the backfield. Cadet notched 38 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown, and he may be the closest thing to former Patriots running back Shane Vereen on the roster.
The Patriots have options, they just need to sort out the responsibilities in the backfield.
3. Name Starting Guards
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The Patriots were faced with uncertainty on the offensive line in the first four games of the 2015 season, juggling pieces up front like a clown juggles bowling pins. They looked equally silly, too, with the revolving door of linemen setting up for a turnstile look on the front line that resulted in pressure reaching quarterback Tom Brady on a frequent basis.
The Patriots don't seem overly concerned with their uncertainty in the middle of the offensive line, as they've still yet to re-sign veteran guard Dan Connolly. The competition for starting spots comes down to rookie Tre' Jackson and veterans Ryan Wendell, Jordan Devey and Josh Kline. You could toss Marcus Cannon into that group, but he's a career right tackle and struggled at guard in 2014.
There's still the possibility that the Patriots could re-sign Connolly, and after Thursday, the signing will not count against the Patriots in the compensatory draft pick formula. Connolly's presence would also give the Patriots two veteran fallback plans in their starting spots if their young guards don't pan out.
But after the way things went in the beginning of the 2014 season, you'd think the Patriots would assign greater value to stability on the offensive line.
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2. Name Starting Cornerbacks
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One by one, the wheels have fallen off the cornerback depth chart. It all started badly enough with the departures of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. It continued after the draft with the releases of Alfonzo Dennard and Kyle Arrington.
Now, there are only two cornerbacks left on the Patriots roster who have starting experience in their defense. It would seem, at least to the naked eye, that third-year pro Logan Ryan and rookie breakout cornerback Malcolm Butler will be the front-runners to start in the Patriots defense in 2015.
Don't discredit the additions of three free agents (Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Chimdi Chekwa) and a rookie (Darryl Roberts), who should also be in the running for playing time and could push for starting jobs.
The Patriots have plenty of cornerbacks who have proven they can play at the NFL level. Depth is not the issue. The issue is with the top of the depth chart, where the lack of star power leaves a lot to be desired.
1. Come Up with a Game Plan Without Tom Brady
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No Brady, no problem?
We'll find out.
The Patriots will be without Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2015 season, paving the way for second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to get his first NFL start.
This is not uncharted territory for Bill Belichick, who has dealt with life without his star quarterback in the past (2008, 15 games with Matt Cassel as the starter). He could keep his team afloat for the first four games of the season with a record of 2-2, 3-1 or even 4-0. The Patriots started the 2014 season 2-2 and still earned the AFC's No. 1 seed before winning the Super Bowl.
Of course, Brady could be digging the Patriots out of an early hole at 1-3 if things don't go well.
Garoppolo's quick release and understanding of the Patriots' offense will be his third- and fourth-best weapons. His best weapons, though, will be tight end Rob Gronkowski and slot receiver Julian Edelman.
The Patriots will get a closer look at Garoppolo in training camp and in the preseason as they prepare him to fill Brady's four-time Super Bowl champion shoes. If history is any indication, the Patriots should be able to stay competitive while they await the return of their star quarterback.
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