5 Moves New England Patriots Should Have Made This Offseason

It's always something.

No team ever has a perfect offseason. Even if you thought your team had addressed all its needs, there's at least a handful of other moves that could have been made to put the team in even better position to compete for a Super Bowl.

It's not hard to identify the areas in which the New England Patriots fell short of addressing their biggest needs in 2015.

Whether it was missed opportunities in the draft, free agency or potential trades, the Patriots—like every other team—didn't do absolutely everything they could have. And how could they? It's not as if the NFL offseason takes place in a vacuum, where every team has first dibs on every player who's available and can proceed to the negotiating table uninhibited. It's not as if the Patriots were the only team picking in the draft, with access to all of their highest-rated players.

So here's a look at some of the areas in which the Patriots left a little to be desired.

More Attention to Guard Spots

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The Patriots landed in some hot water early last season due to some Swiss-cheese-sized holes in their offensive line. Those problems seemed to fall to the wayside in Week 5, when the Patriots finally settled on a starting offensive line rather than continuing with the rotating-door strategy that had caused Patriots quarterbacks to be sacked 10 times in the first four games. 

But it appears the Patriots could be headed to the same early-season fate that they suffered last season, thanks to continued inaction on the offensive line. 

The hope is that fourth-round pick Tre' Jackson can come in and immediately start for the offensive line. There's reason for confidence, thanks to a stamp of approval from former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who helped scout Jackson. 

There's also hope that of the remaining guards on the roster, at least one can step up and stand out in the competition for a starting spot on the opposite side. That mish-mash of a competition consists of Ryan Wendell, Caylin Hauptmann, Josh Kline, Jordan Devey, Marcus Cannon, Shaq Mason and Cameron Fleming. 

But if Jackson's learning curve is a little longer than anticipated, and if no one distinguishes himself as starting material on the opposite side, the Patriots will be left wishing in one hand and spitting in the other.

More Top-End Talent at Cornerback

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The inaction at cornerback is the easiest decision to criticize among the Patriots' offseason moves (or, in this case, non-moves). 

One spoke after another fell off the wheel, and the Patriots are left to figure out if they can still roll with what they have left. Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler are the only cornerbacks on the roster with any significant experience in the Patriots defense. Robert McClain, Bradley Fletcher, Daxton Swanson and Darryl Roberts are among the cornerbacks trying to earn some of their first significant experience in New England's secondary.

The hope is that five of those cornerbacks can emerge from training camp having proven themselves the best options. This year's secondary may have a much different look from last year's, both in terms of the personnel and the scheme.

It's highly likely that the Patriots will run more zone coverage, which will take some pressure off the cornerbacks since they won't be asked to trail receivers all over the field in man-to-man coverage.

Plus, the Patriots have focused heavily on fortifying the depth chart all over the front seven. It's clear that the Patriots hope to play an aggressive brand of pass defense through suffocating pressure on the quarterbacks, rather than suffocating coverage on the receivers. That being said, in a passing league, a need for top-notch cornerbacks is a scary need to have entering a season.

Find a 3-Down Running Back

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Jonas Gray (left) and Brandon Bolden (right) are two of the Patriots' top first- and second-down options at running back.

The Patriots have not failed to stack their depth chart with a backlog of running backs, one for any situation. What they do not have, however, is one back who can answer the bell in every situation.

The Patriots' depth chart at running back is very distinctly divided into two halves: the first- and second-down backs who offer very little on passing downs (LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden) and the third-down backs who will probably contribute mainly on passing downs (Travaris Cadet, James White, Tyler Gaffney). 

Bolden has been used in passing situations in the past, and White proved he could carry the ball as a traditional back at Wisconsin, but other than that, there's very little overlap between the two halves of the backfield. 

That being said, there wasn't a whole lot the Patriots could have done differently here. DeMarco Murray and C.J. Spiller were the only backs who came close to filling the description on the free-agent market, and the two every-down backs who were available in the draft (Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon) were both off the board within the first 15 picks. 

Bill Belichick has preferred a multi-pronged attack in his backfield in the past, and it appears he'll rely on that tactic once again in 2015.

Signing Nate Solder to Long-Term Contract

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Nate Solder (77, middle) hasn't been perfect, but he's been admirable as the Patriots' left tackle for the past four years.

Patriots fans have been spoiled at the quarterback position, but another spot where they haven't had to worry for years has been left tackle. From 2001-11, that spot was filled exclusively by one man: Matt Light. Since then, the mantle of protecting Tom Brady's blind side has been assumed by former first-round pick Nate Solder.

Thanks to the fifth-year option in his rookie contract, Solder is still with the Patriots in 2015. After this year, though, the Patriots will have to decide whether to keep him or move on. 

Solder had a less-than-perfect 2014 campaign, which saw him get off to a slow start, yielding four quarterback hurries, four hits and three sacks in the first four games, according to Pro Football Focus. It's perfectly understandable, given the fact that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer prior to the 2014 season.

Solder could return to a more steady and consistent level of play in 2015, and the Patriots will be left to decide on his long-term future with the team at a high contractual figure. The top left tackles have averaged north of $10 million per year, and left tackles generally command in the range of $15 million to $20 million guaranteed.

It's not crazy to bet on Solder to land a contract in that neighborhood.

Leaving Unanswered Questions at Strong Safety

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Duron Harmon (30, left) and Patrick Chung (23, middle) will battle it out for control of the starting strong safety spot.

Forgive me, but it's hard to find too many holes in the Super Bowl champions. So, we're left to nitpick a little at the question that remains at strong safety.

In the end, the Patriots should be OK with Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung on the back end, but that duo proved effective enough last year, albeit in a different defensive scheme. Chung was the primary first- and second-down safety, playing primarily in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage where he could be aggressive against the run and would only cover in short areas. Harmon popped onto the field in third-down situations when the Patriots needed a stop in the passing game.

This year, things could be a little different. Due to more Cover 2 and zone looks, Harmon could be the one in the starting role, while Chung comes in off the bench. 

Either way, the second-round selection of Jordan Richards didn't provide any immediate answers to the situation. Richards is a similar safety to Chung and will probably get the bulk of his playing time on special teams as a rookie. His role in the 2015 defense is a question mark.