Williamson: Pats’ offseason earns a C – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

Meanwhile, the Ravens earn an A-? Whatevs, I never get worked up over arbitrary grades and rankings. Here’s some good stuff on the defense:

New England also had a lot of movement on the defensive side of the ball. Collins is a favorite of mine who should improve the edge pass rush immediately, while Buchanan also is a very talented edge rusher who could surprise. Kelly should also provide a more consistent interior push, which wasn’t really Deaderick’s or Love’s specialty. Wilson should fill the Rodney Harrison enforcer role and I also can envision him playing plenty of nickel linebacker, as New England’s heavier second-level defenders outside of Jerod Mayo don’t offer a lot in coverage. In addition, the Patriots added a couple of early-to-mid-round defensive backs into the equation, a strategy that hasn’t been very fruitful in the past.