New England Patriots 2011 Season Preview: Full Report Card for the 53-Man Roster

The New England Patriots announced the final 53-man roster on Saturday, and it didn't take long for them to make adjustments.

What, did you think the Pats were going to stand pat?

As always, these things are fluid. For now, though, here's my analysis and position-by-position grades of the 53-man roster as it stands today.

Quarterback

Tom Brady
Brian Hoyer
Ryan Mallett 

Depth: This team has one of the two or three best quarterbacks in the league on their roster, but they are the most prepared to handle an injury to their starting quarterback. I'm talking about the Patriots, of course. What, did you think I was talking about the Colts? Yeah, good luck with that whole Kerry Collins thing.

It is likely, in fact, that the Patriots are grooming either Hoyer or Mallett as trade bait for a future draft pick. Of course, they will only have any value in a trade if they play an extended period of time in the regular season, and that would require an injury to Brady, and we don't want that.

Talent: Tom Brady. 'Nuff said.

Grade: A 

Running Back

BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Danny Woodhead
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley
PUP: Kevin Faulk 

Depth: Many pundits called the Patriots nuts for drafting two running backs with back-to-back picks in the second and third round in 2011. From this perspective, the Patriots put themselves in position to have one of the deepest backfields in the league even if an injury is to strike one of their players.

Green-Ellis and Woodhead were the unexpected but highly productive duo of last year, and Vereen and Ridley hope to add to that. Such a large group of young backs could really benefit from having Kevin Faulk around as a veteran mentor, and thankfully the team kept him, albeit on the PUP.

Talent: If the 2011 preseason is any indication of Stevan Ridley's talent, the Patriots could be in line for a very productive season from Ridley. It's still unclear exactly what they have in Shane Vereen, but Woodhead and Green-Ellis should be productive in any case. The two combined for 2,013 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns in 2010, so either or both could be in line for another solid season in 2011.

Grade: A-

Wide Receiver

Wes Welker
Chad Ochocinco
Deion Branch
Taylor Price
Julian Edelman
Matthew Slater

Depth: On paper, this is a pretty deep receiving corps. The top three receivers are all proven NFL veterans, and the bottom of the roster is rounded out with talented young players with a ton of potential in their own rights.

Edelman and Slater are more special teamers than receivers, but both have shown the ability to contribute in the receiving game as well. Of course, only time will tell exactly how they are most effectively utilized this year.

Talent: Deion Branch has been a lightning rod for injuries since he left the Patriots for the Seahawks in '06 but was able to avoid them as soon as he put the Patriots uniform back on. Still, that concern can't leave the back of the mind this season.

Ochocinco, on the other hand, has been consistently productive and healthy but has looked out of place in the Patriots offense at times, and has still yet to develop rapport with Tom Brady.

That being said, the Patriots are really hoping to get more out of Taylor Price like what they saw in the first preseason game against the Jaguars (five catches, 105 yards, touchdown). Don't get excited just yet, though; like Ochocinco, Price looked out of sync with Brady at times, as well.

If the group stays healthy, if young guys "do their job," and if Ochocinco develops chemistry with Brady (which I think he will, in time) this is a solid core of receivers both from a talent and depth perspective. 

Grade: A- 

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski
Aaron Hernandez

Depth: There's nothing wrong with Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez. Quite contrary, I think both are poised for solid seasons in 2011. The two have stood out frequently at training camp and in preseason games, and are both talented in their own rights.

However, if an injury should befall either one, that will put the Patriots in a quick pinch at tight end. For this reason, the Patriots will be counting on both to stay healthy. They would have liked to sneak Will Yeatman or Lee Smith onto the practice squad, but both were snatched up by AFC East rivals.

Talent: As mentioned above, Gronkowski and Hernandez both look to be in line for repeat performances on their standout 2010 rookie seasons. Less all-stars like Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and the like, these two are near the top of the list in the league at their position.

In 2010, the two combined for 97 receptions, 1,109 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those are some pretty incredible numbers from tight ends. And the Patriots will be counting on similar numbers again in 2011.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

Matt Light
Nate Solder
Logan Mankins
Dan Connolly
Dan Koppen
Brian Waters
Ryan Wendell
Sebastian Vollmer

Depth: I think the fact that the Patriots recently signed 10-year veteran Brian Waters speaks volumes to their depth concerns. Waters was a free agent for a week after the Chiefs released him, which should tell you something about the interest level of other teams.

That being said, the Patriots have two solid options at right guard in Waters and Dan Connolly. With those two, first-round pick Nate Solder and third-year swingman Ryan Wendell in the mix, the Patriots are guarded against injury at every spot on the line.

Talent: This is where it gets tricky. The Patriots had one of the best offensive lines in football last year, and even won the Madden "Most Valuable Protectors" award for 2010. The Patriots return their entire starting offensive line from the final game of the 2010 season. That being said, the final game of that season was a game in which the Patriots offensive line was abused by a rush of just four players on most downs against the Jets.

The scary part is, we saw a bit of that happening against the Detroit Lions.

It will be interesting to see which form the Patriots offensive line takes: the line that gave Brady incredible protection throughout an incredible stretch run at the end of last year, or the line that allowed the pressure to get to him when it mattered most.

Grade: B+ 

Defensive Tackle

Vince Wilfork
Kyle Love
Albert Haynesworth
Gerard Warren
Myron Pryor
PUP: Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick 

Depth: With this group of defensive tackles, and guys like Mike Wright and Shaun Ellis who can play both inside and outside, this is far and away the deepest position on the Patriots 2011 roster. It figures to get only deeper with the return of Brace and Deaderick in Week 7.

The defensive line doesn't need Haynesworth to be good. They have plenty of capable defensive tackles on the roster in the event that Fat Albert can't go more than 15 snaps a game at first.

Talent: Vince Wilfork and Albert Haynesworth could be one of the most disruptive duos at defensive tackle the league has ever seen. As mentioned before, even if Haynesworth can only play 15 snaps a game at first, guys like Gerard Warren and Myron Pryor have proven themselves effective in the past and could at least step in on a rotational basis.

The Patriots are in line to mix things up on the defensive line quite a bit in 2011, and it's all thanks to a deep group of linemen.

Grade: A- 

Defensive End

Shaun Ellis
Andre Carter
Jermaine Cunningham
Mark Anderson
Mike Wright

Depth: Whether they're a base 3-4 or 4-3, the reality is that the Patriots run a mix of fronts every year. In fact, Belichick gave a seminar one time where he claimed to run 17 different fronts in any given year. With that in mind, I point to this group as one that is capable of playing both effectively (maybe with the exception of Andre Carter and Mark Anderson). Guys like Shaun Ellis, Jermaine Cunningham and Mike Wright are all capable of playing different spots in both schemes, and will likely be used multiple ways.

And for what it's worth, the release of Eric Moore must mean good things for the health of Cunningham. I would expect him back in the lineup sooner than later.

Talent: Andre Carter looked like a beast in the first two preseason games before being pacified by the Lions in the third game. He has been a great defensive end in the 4-3 scheme in the past, and could have a return to form if the stars line up for him in 2010. Or he could fall flat on his face. Who knows?

I'm not expecting a whole lot out of Mark Anderson. His role is likely in the sub package on obvious passing downs. He probably won't see the field much in a base 4-3, as he has shown to be less than stout against the run.

Shaun Ellis has been productive for the Jets over the past few years, but refused to pay him more than the veteran minimum, which led to him leaving for the rival Patriots, where he landed a cool $3 million-plus for one year. Someone will be very wrong about what he has left in the tank.

Grade: A 

Linebacker

Jerod Mayo
Brandon Spikes
Rob Ninkovich
Dane Fletcher
Gary Guyton
Tracy White 

Depth: We saw the potential of Dane Fletcher in the first and second preseason game before he went down with a thumb injury. The fact that he made the roster and wasn't put on IR says something about his status for the season.

Same goes for Brandon Spikes, who has missed most of training camp with an injury.

As mentioned in the previous slide, this is a defense that figures to run a good mix of fronts this year, and the linebacking corps is just another example of the Patriots setting the table for that effort. All of these guys have roots in the 4-3, but have experience in the 3-4, as well.

Talent: Jerod Mayo is clearly the leader of the unit, and has scary potential at the WILL position in a 4-3 base defense. His football intelligence combined with his athletic ability makes him a great fit at a position where he'll still be doing some "read and react" type things, but will be flying around and making aggressive plays as well.

Brandon Spikes missed most of camp, but looked really good when he was on the field in 2010. The switch to a 4-3 base defense will only play in his favor, too, as he spent his entire collegiate career calling signals for a national championship 4-3 defense in the Florida Gators.

The SAM linebacker spot remains a mystery, though. That tends to be a guy who is much more stout against the run, especially since the Patriots were running a lot of "4-3 over" looks in camp and preseason (with the SAM linebacker lined up near the line of scrimmage prior to the snap). A guy like Rob Ninkovich looks like a good fit, but the fact that they've moved him around from defensive end to linebacker a lot shows that they're still trying to find his best fit. Gary Guyton's lack of physicality makes him a poor fit at the spot.

The situation at SAM remains one to watch in the first few weeks of the season.

Grade: B+

Cornerback

Devin McCourty
Leigh Bodden
Kyle Arrington
Darius Butler
Ras-I Dowling
Antwaun Molden

Depth: Who knew that with six cornerbacks on the roster, one of the big questions would be depth?

As we learned in the tight ends slide, depth doesn't always come in numbers but instead comes in talent. Just because you have a deep pool, doesn't mean the water's not contaminated.

Kyle Arrington looked good last year, but the turbulence he experienced against the Lions has opened up the window for doubt. He was by far the biggest culprit of mental lapses in that game, being out of position on some plays and flagged for bad penalties on others.  

Talent: This ties into the depth portion. Devin McCourty and Leigh Bodden are a formidable one-two punch on the outside, but who knows what the Patriots have inside. Darius Butler has consistently shown the ability to be in position to make the play, but has yet to show the ability to actually make the play. Hopefully, that's a skill he can pick up on the fly. Hopefully.

Antwaun Molden looked good in the team's final preseason game, but the scouting report on his time in Houston was less than sterling. With where he figures to be on the depth chart, the Patriots are just hoping for the best but prepared for the worst with him...or are they prepared? It ultimately comes down to how Butler and Dowling perform.

Grade: B  

Safety

Patrick Chung
Sergio Brown
Josh Barrett
James Ihedigbo

Depth: I couldn't talk about the safeties at this point without at least a vague reference to Brandon Meriweather. The sentiments of Bill Belichick in his press conference Sunday were heard loud and clear. This isn't the 2009 season; this is the 2011 season. Belichick feels that the potential just wasn't there for Meriweather's future and his prospects this year.

That being said, the cut certainly leaves them with some question marks. Clearly, they have confidence in guys like Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett to contribute to this team. Excuse me if I don't share that confidence. None of these guys have played any significant amount of time in the NFL, and while that may make it difficult for opposing teams to scout them, one has to think that there's a reason for their lack of experience on an NFL field.

Talent: Well...Patrick Chung is clearly the leader at safety. By that, I mean to say he's the only one with any kind of track record of production in the NFL.

Other than that, it's a group of young and unproven players who are getting a chance to show their worth to the roster. Josh Barrett is a guy they're probably pretty high on as a run-defending safety. He's just 10 pounds shy of a linebacker, really, and has some athletic ability to go with that size, having run a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the 2008 combine.

When the Patriots began phasing Meriweather out of the defense, Brown was the first guy to get the looks. He is likely to be the first one paired with Chung at safety.

Grade: B-

Specialists

K: Stephen Gostkowski
P: Zoltan Mesko
LS: Danny Aiken

Depth: Obviously not much to say here in the way of depth. Hardly any teams carry more than one of each specialist.

There's something to be said for the rapid-fire changes at the long snapper position, though. The Patriots have struggled to replace Lonie Paxson since he left the team as a free agent in 2009. Since the beginning of 2010, the team has run through Jake Ingram, Matt Katula, James Dearth, and now Aiken.

Talent: Gostkowski has looked progressively better throughout camp, and it appears his torn quad from last year is no longer an issue.

Zoltan Mesko looks astronomically better than he did this time last year. He shanked far fewer kicks in camp and has consistently sent booming punts far downfield, pinning the opponent deep in their own territory.

Of course, the giant X factor in all of this is the long snapper. All the talent at kicker and punter is nothing if your long snapper sends one into the dirt or over their head.

Grade: B+ 

Final Grade

What was once considered the best 90-man roster in the NFL has now been pared down to 53, and along with those 37 players, some of the hype and hooplah has faded. That's to be expected, though, especially considering they cut the overhyped Meriweather.

That being said, the only position on the roster that concerns me in terms of depth is tight end, and the only one that concerns me in terms of talent is safety. Look for both of those issues to be addressed sometime after Week 1, when contracts are no longer guaranteed to players on the roster.

For now, this is a very solid roster from top to bottom, one that figures to contend in the AFC, as the Patriots have done since 2001.

Final grade: A-

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter  @erikfrenz.