new england patriots

As we slowly limp through the final three weeks of the off-season it’s finally time to allow ourselves to get excited about Patriots training camp. The competition in Foxboro this summer should be at a level we have never seen before at multiple positions.

We’ll get into specific position battles in the coming weeks, but for now here are the big picture questions that will need to be answered. I don’t envy the coaching staff and all the choices they will have to make. The good thing about the Pats is that they’ll let competition and injuries sort everything out and not try to predetermine anything. As BB says, “nobody’s here on scholarship”.

1. Who are the starting defensive ends in the 4-2-5 Nickel Base?

With Andre Carter’s status still uncertain and Mark Anderson now in Buffalo the Pats have 20 less sacks on their roster at the moment. How they’re able to fill that void will be one of the biggest factors in any defensive improvement we can hope for this season.

There are a number of options, but my money is on Trevor Scott at the Elephant position, usually lined up at RDE. Carter could be an option here if he returns as well, but Scott seems like the perfect storm free agent who should really excel in New England. Chandler Jones should be the long term solution there, but until we see him against NFL players it’s hard to project him as an immediate starter.

On the other side there are even more questions and options. In a perfect world I think the Pats would love to see Jermaine Cunningham make a push to start at left defensive end, but he should have good competition from Rob Ninkovich who was being used on the line more than at linebacker in the team’s OTAs. Brandon Deaderick and Jonathan Fanene could be options against more run-heavy teams, or in 3-man fronts.

Two new starters will emerge at these two important positions, and should have a huge impact on the overall effectiveness of the 2012 Pats defense.

2. Who in the secondary can stay healthy?

The Patriots have stocked their pre-Training Camp roster with a number of versatile defenders, nearly all of whom can line up at multiple spots. But ultimately what is going to matter most is which of them can stay healthy.

It seems the initial depth chart is Dowling (RCB) and McCourty (LCB) with Arrington in the slot, and Chung and Gregory at the safety spots. Of course injuries and performance in camp will have a lot to do with how things look once we get to September, but the Pats will have a lot of options no matter who goes down or lacks luster.

We’ve already seen Sterling Moore’s diversity, and Will Allen has been one of the best slot corners in the NFL over the past couple seasons. Add in second round pick Tavon Wilson along with Josh Barrett and James Ihedigbo and you have some real good injury insurance across the board. The secondary always seems to get hit hard with the injury bug, and there’s no way to predict who’s going down and for how long. If they can stay healthy there shouldn’t be any excuses for sub-par secondary play.

3. Who runs the rock and when?

Benjarvus Green-Ellis didn’t break many long runs but he was cash in the bank when it came to short yardage and mistake-free football. Can Stevan Ridley and/or Shane Vereen add a dynamic presence in the backfield this year? It certainly would help.

It remains to be seen if Joseph Addai can stay healthy, or if he has enough tread left to make an impact. Danny Woodhead was electrifying in 2010, but was more pedestrian in 2011. His touchdown in the Super Bowl should be a good thing to build off of. I even like fullback Tony Fiametta to make a hard push to make the roster, adding an element we haven’t seen in a while and perhaps taking over the short yardage carries.

Replacing the Law Firm will be done by committee but we’re certainly excited to see if one of the young backs, including rookie free agent Brandon Boldin, can step to the forefront.

4. Where do Chandler and Hightower fit?

One of the reasons I wasn’t high on either of the Pats two first round picks was that I didn’t see how they really fit into the defense. Of course I’m sure Belichick has a plan, but it’s not clear where either will contribute initially.

The way I see it now? I think Hightower and Spikes are going to have an interesting competition in camp, but I do see ways that both can be utilized. The biggest question is who is with Mayo in the 4-2-5 nickel packages in obvious passing situations. I can see Spikes playing in the base nickel when the run is still a prevalent threat. But the Pats have been torched far too often in third-and-long’s and it’s entirely possible that’s where Hightower will help most. I don’t think we’ll see much of his advertised hand-down pass rushing until the middle of the season, if at all.

As for Jones, he’s an interesting one. I don’t see him as having the pure speed off the ball to instantly be a designated pass rusher like Mark Anderson was early last year. My instinct is that early in the season we’ll only see him in limited duty in select situations. His biggest assets appear to be his length and athleticism, but it’s tough to take advantage of those kind of things as a rookie when the game is still happening at another speed around you. Of course if Jones flashes in those opportunities I think we’ll see more and more of him. As mentioned above, Trevor Scott should take some of the pressure off for Jones to come in and make an impact immediately.

Of course once we get a sense of Jones and Hightower in the preseason we should have a better idea of how they fit. For now it’s a mystery.

5. Will the new-look offensive line maintain the level of excellence?

I’m just fully assuming Logan Mankins be back for the opener. Perhaps that’s too optimistic, but if he really is one of the “Super Tough” guys as BB says why shouldn’t we expect it?

Still, Matt Light is gone and he was a major presence both on and off the field. Dante Scarnecchia has a great record for developing quality offensive linemen, but there’s no doubt a few more question marks this year than there have been in years past.

Can Dan Koppen take back the center job from Dan Connolly? Can Sebastian Vollmer get and stay healthy? How can Robert Gallery fit in, and how much will he be needed? Is Marcus Cannon ready to be the third tackle?

It’s assumed that Brian Waters will return, and if the rest of the line can stay healthy the only question left is can Nate Solder live up to his billing as a cornerstone left tackle? With Tom Brady entering his golden years it’s not the kind of time you want to open up the floodgates on his blind side. Solder has the size and athleticism to potentially be better than Light was, and flashed a lot in 2011.

No matter how the rest of the line heals and flushes out the number one question this season will be Solder. If he’s a suitable replacement for Light the Pats should have a good foundation for the foreseeable future.