PatsPropaganda

I’d be open to it for sure, but I think between Blount/Gray/Gaffney/White, Ridley might want to give it a whirl elsewhere. Not to say I couldn’t see him winning a role if he’s back to the back he was, but I think a fresh start for him might be in his best interest.

Free agency isn’t even a week old, but some major moves have already been made that could shift the power dynamics. The New England Patriots have won 13 of the last 15 AFC East titles with Tom Brady at quarterback, but will Brady continue his recent dominance and being the best quarterback in the league once again? Check out the odds for NFL MVP and those who might give him a challenge this season.

Here’s why Brady should once again be a favorite.

The Patriots’ passing attack is always lethal, and now, with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski and Brandon LaFell all returning, there’s no reason to think they’ll regress now.

Third-year receiver Aaron Dobson, a second round pick in 2013, will look to make an impact after battling injuries the last two seasons. While Tim Wright, a tight end acquired in-season last year, could make a big jump with a full offseason of preparation.

The biggest impact could come from a new face in the backfield, where Shane Vereen’s departure leaves a void in the Patriots’ passing attack. Free agent Reggie Bush is one favorite who could join New England and put up some big numbers.

But perhaps most important will be solidifying the interior of the offensive line at the guard position. Veteran captain Dan Connolly is a free agent leaving a void at left guard, while Ryan Wendell, a center until 2014, performed unexpectedly well at right guard, he could also be a target for upgrade.

As Brady enters his fifteenth season with the Patriots one thing is for sure – the faces around him have all changed, but the results have not. As long as he is under center, the Patriots will be in the thick of the playoff hunt and a Super Bowl contender.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this this week and I went back and looked at some 2010/2011 film to get a sense of how they played with similar cornerbacks.

No one wants to hear about 2010, when the Pats gave up whopping amounts of yardage and were by far the worst defense on third down in the NFL. But when you start in the secondary, there are some parallels. 

The corners were Arrington, Darius Butler, Jonathan Wilhite and rookie Devin McCourty. They were backed up by a veteran safety crew of Meriweather/Sanders/McGowan and rookie Chung.

The corners currently on the roster are probably a wash, but I like the safeties much better now, with four guys all experienced in the system with good versatility. 

So as far as the secondary goes, as we sit here on March 13th, things are still probably better now than they were then. I know this is not reassuring because that pass defense was epically bad, but there are two big things to remember:

First, the biggest difference between these two teams is up front, where the talent and versatility, especially in the pass rush, is night and day than what was cobbled together in 2010. There was certainly no one even close to Chandler Jones or Jamie Collins anywhere on that team. Throw in the potential of Dominique Easley and Jabaal Sheard and there’s no comparison.

It’s been a popular point all week, that the front seven will have to be better to make up for the losses at cornerback, but at least this group looks, on paper, like they can do it.

Second, is that there are still additions to come. In 2010, they started rookie McCourty and he made the Pro Bowl. So it’s not out of the question that either a rookie or a free agent could still be added and make a big impact.

Ultimately, let’s remember that severely flawed defense went 14-2 and had the top seed in the AFC. Yes, they bowed out in an ugly loss to a Jets team that knew them very well, but they were still in good position to compete for the Super Bowl.

There’s no question that the 2015 team will be more talented on both sides of the ball, and that’s not even one week into free agency and before the draft. There’s no need to panic. They’ll make it work in the secondary and the front seven will play a big part in making sure of that.

When they first declined his option I thought he was gone, but as time goes by I’m starting to think there is a chance he comes back. Reports yesterday said he had offers from three AFC teams for about 2 years, $10 million. Not sure where the Pats fall in that range.

Obviously I’d love to see Wilfork back and they still need at least one big defensive tackle. If not him, guys like Red Bryant, Randy Starks, and Ahtyba Rubin would make sense.

I agree. I know it kills you when you see your rivals making splashy moves in March while your team stays relatively quiet, but the NFL season is so much more fun when your rivals are good or at least have some hype going into the season. Who wants 16 games a year against the Jaguars or Titans? That’s no fun. 

There’s also a reason why a team like the Jets has the money and the need to rebuild almost their entire secondary through free agency – because the Pats blew up yet another AFC East team. And I really though Rex Ryan was closer than any other AFC coach to figuring out how to beat the Pats. Yes, the Pats looked dominant on paper, but just about ever game, save a couple, went right down to the wire. 

It will be interesting to see what he does with Buffalo to replicate how close he got the Jets to challenging the throne. But that’s the unknown with Todd Bowles. He’s a defensive coach who likes to blitz. Can he and his new coaching staff figure out the same kind of scheming Rex did to slow down the Pats? Those game plans have been out there since 2009 and not many teams can reproduce the *fairly* consistent success Rex had in slowing down Brady, which centered on a confusing mix of pressure and coverage, coming from all directions.

The Dolphins have a good front four, but the depth and talent everywhere else on their defense is very questionable. 

It should be a fun year in the AFC East. I’m very much looking forward to it.