New England Patriots Training Camp Questions

With the start of training camp comes the start of a new NFL season. It’s a bit cliché, but every team starts 0-0 and with optimism that they could pull everything together and win the Super Bowl.

Some teams can be more optimistic than others. The New England Patriots are one of them. The Patriots have the talent and organization to be set up to win now.

That said, they are far from a perfect squad. The team is undergoing a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball, have some early injury concerns, and still have some off-field business matters to take care of.

Here are some of the Patriots’ biggest questions that need to be answered for the team to have a successful season.

Who will start at cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden?



Leigh Bodden’s five interception season earned him a new contract with the Patriots, but who will the team partner with him?

The two leading candidates are second-year corner Darius Butler and first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.

Butler played in 14 games last season, registering 33 tackles and three interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown.

McCourty is extremely versatile and could play a big role on special teams as well as on defense.

Early expectations had the team bringing on McCourty slowly, but he has been taking a lot of reps with the first-team defense alongside Bodden, before Bodden was taken out because of injury.

With Bodden temporarily sidelined, McCourty and Butler will both start in the team’s first exhibition game, and will battle each other the entire preseason for the right to start.

One would think because of the way the Patriots handle their players that Butler has the edge because of his experience in the team’s system, but McCourty looks to be on the fast-track to playing time.

Both prospects have bright futures, and the competition will make them that much better. But right now, only one will get the nod to start.

Vince Wilfork got his money. Will he live up to his new contract?

Players in the last year of their contract typically play strongly, working to ensure a big payday in the offseason. The problem is that once they do get that new contract they aren’t as motivated and see a sharp decline in stats.



The perfect example is the previous big-name defensive tackle free agent before Wilfork: Albert Haynesworth.

In 2008, Haynesworth put up career-highs in games started (14), total tackles (41), sacks (8.5), and forced fumbles (3). He signed a contract with the Washington Redskins worth $100 million with $41 million guaranteed.

He then proceeded to go down in all those categories, starting only 12 games, registering 29 total tackles, eight sacks, and forcing zero fumbles.

This year he has had trouble even passing a conditioning test.

Wilfork did not have a career year in 2009. Still he was too important to the Patriots team and defense to let go, and he got his new contract. It wasn’t Haynesworth money, but it was certainly not table scraps.

The Patriots organization and coaching staff has done a good job bringing in quality players, both with football talent and locker room character, and Wilfork has been a vital part with strong winning teams, so it’s unlikely that he become complacent now that he has his money.

How will extra responsibility affect Bill Belichick?

The Patriots will enter the season without an offensive and defensive coordinator. Belichick will be the primary play-caller for both sides of the ball.

Belichick was already heavily involved with the defense, as that was his specialty coming into the league, but now he assumes more responsibility.



Belichick’s play calling on offense was heavily scrutinized when instead of punting on fourth down on their own 28-yard line with a six point lead and two minutes remaining against the Colts, they went for it. They failed to convert and gave the ball back to Indianapolis and Peyton Manning with plenty of time and little field left to win the game.

Considered one of, if not the best coach in the league, is Belichick taking on too much? Is his control of the team reaching too far?

When will Wes Welker be ready to play?

Welker tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the regular season finale against Houston and was expected to miss at least the first half of the season. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list, but showed up at camp.



Then he was removed from the PUP, and once removed a player cannot be put back on the list. This lead to speculation that Welker could be ready sooner than expected.

Welker has said he even hopes to be ready for Week 1 against the Bengals. He has not missed a day of camp and participated in full-contact drills.

Still, for a player that relies heavily on his route running and cutting, one has to wonder how affective Welker will be and when he will be at full strength, physically and mentally.

What does the future hold for Tom Brady?

Tom Brady’s contract situation has been the biggest story of the Patriots’ offseason.

The franchise quarterback is in the final year of his contract and the future isn’t so clear.

While he is the face of the team, the two sides have not been able to agree on an extension. Currently he is scheduled to make $6.5 million this season, well-below the price-tag of other elite quarterbacks. The biggest factor in extending Brady’s deal is the uncertainty of labor negotiations for next season and what contract stipulations and changes could come from a new collective bargaining agreement.

Another factor, although not nearly as pressing as the labor issues, is that Peyton Manning and Drew Brees’ deals are also set to expire and the New England brass could be waiting to see what the market price for the top-three quarterbacks in the league will be.

Still, Brady, most likely, isn’t going anywhere.

Owner Robert Kraft has said, “He’s going to be here.”

Brady himself has expressed that he wants to continue playing for a long time and that it’s every player’s desire to retire with the team that drafted the individual.

And if no extension is agreed on?

Brady is too much of a professional to allow it to become a distraction. He has yet to voice his displeasure. Also, players are known to have career years at the end of their deals, attempting to cash in on a strong campaign.

Photo Credits.
Tom Brady: AP Photo/Steven Senne
Devin McCourty: AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Vince Wilfork: AP Photo/Stew Milne
Bill Belichick: AP Photo/Steven Senne
Wes Welker: AP Photo/Stew Milne

New England Patriots' Free Agents: Who Should Stay and Who Should Go?

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

The Patriots are heading into a crucial offseason. After an embarrassing performance against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, it was obvious that changes need to be made to the team.

Still, there are a number of free agents that the Patriots should also bring back.

The Patriots have nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted ones.

Who should be kept on to help get the team to Super Bowl XLV at the new Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium?

Who should be looking for work elsewhere?

Tully Banta-Cain, LB

Unrestricted.

Keep him.

Banta-Cain was the best pass-rusher the team had, finishing in the top-15 in the NFL in sacks with 9.5. Even if the Patriots get players through trade, the draft, and/or free agency, Banta-Cain has always been an asset on special teams. He was also around for two of the Patriots’ three Super Bowls in the past decade.

Leigh Bodden, CB

Unrestricted.

Let him go.

The Patriots secondary was bad and they need to completely retool, save for Pro Bowl safety Brandon Merriweather. Sure, Bodden lead the team in interceptions with five, but three of those came all in one game against Mark Sanchez.

Derrick Burgess, DE/LB

Unrestricted.

Keep him.

His stats were not that good. That being said, it was his first season in New England and he could have just been getting used to not only a new defensive scheme but also a new position, playing mostly at linebacker.

He is a two-time Pro-Bowler. He has the talent. With many possible departures at both linebacker and the defensive line, Burgess would be nice to have for added depth and should be more productive with a year with the Patriots under his belt.

Kevin Faulk, RB

Unrestricted.

Keep him.

Faulk is the ultimate team player, willing to do and take whatever role as long as he can contribute. These are the kind of guys that the Patriots dynasty was built around.

He is not a starting running back, but he is a good backup and a good locker room guy. He does a little bit of everything: runs, catches passes out of the backfield, blocks, and returns kicks and punts.

Faulk should be brought back and should be favored over the oft-injured Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor.

Jarvis Green, DE

Unrestricted.

Let him go.

For a guy that gets starts, his numbers aren’t that impressive. He registered 36 tackles and one sack in 13 games, certainly adding to the defense’s pass-rushing woes.

He has, on multiple times, stated he would like to test the market in free agency. His numbers show that there really isn’t much of a reason to stop him.

Chris Hanson, P

Unrestricted.

Let him go.

For the first time in his career, excluding his rookie season when he only punted in one game, Hanson's average yards per punt was less than 40 (39.7). It was a poor performance from him. Out of 33 punters listed on the individual stats leaders on ESPN.com, Hanson tied for last in average yards per punt.

For a team that expects to be elite, this is not acceptable.

Stephen Neal, OG

Unrestricted.

Let him go.

He’s been a mainstay on the O-line and has been a part of all three Super Bowl teams, but Neal didn’t actually play at all in the first two Super Bowl seasons.

The running game hasn’t been strong, part of which is the offensive line’s responsibility. Also, ever since the Super Bowl loss to the Giants, the Patriots line has struggled significantly.

Neal has mentioned possibly retiring, and the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era have done a very good job drafting offensive lineman. It looks like it is time to thank Neal for his services and move on.

Benjamin Watson, TE

Unrestricted.

Keep him.

He’s not the best pass catching tight end in the league and won’t help your fantasy team, but Brady has a good connection with him and he’s made some big catches, including getting two touchdowns in the final 2:06 of the Week One comeback against the Bills.

Stephen Gostkowski, K

Restricted.

Keep him.

Gostkowski has been under a microscope since taking over for the heroically clutch Adam Vinatieri, but he has performed admirably.

He’s been selected to one Pro Bowl, one All-Pro team, and was the NFL scoring leader in 2008.

He’s been good in the postseason too, making his first eight field goal attempts in the playoffs as a rookie, and is 9-11 in his career, while never missing a kick that cost the Patriots the game.

Logan Mankins, OG

Restricted.

Keep him.

Mankins has started every possible game of his five year career. He’s been a key member of the offensive line and is only 27. He has two Pro Bowls on his resume and there is absolutely no reason not to bring back such a reliable and productive player.

Pierre Woods, LB

Restricted.

Let him go.

A good special teams guy but he doesn’t really make an impact anywhere else on the field. The Patriots need to improve their pass rush and Woods does not factor into that.

The Patriots need to find improvements at linebacker and Woods would just be taking up a roster spot.

Vince Wilfork, NT

Unrestricted.

Keep him.

Wilfork is an elite nose tackle, a position that's crucial to the 3-4 base defense but extremely difficult to fill. The Patriots need him on defense and his backups are a significant drop off in talent.

The team is willing to put its franchise tag on him. Wilfork wants a long-term deal and is offended. The Patriots need to make this man happy.

If he leaves they will not be able to find a suitable replacement, in or out-of-house, and they need to improve their defense not lose the unit’s best player.

What Will the Offseason Hold for the New England Patriots?

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

New England Patriots fans were faced with a harsh reality at the hands of a crushing defeat to the Baltimore Ravens: their team just wasn’t good enough.

Sure they had their moments of brilliance during the season, but they also frequently looked far from the team that was a three-time Super Bowl champion this decade, or even the team that went 11-5 without Tom Brady playing an entire game.

And please, don’t even try to say that if Wes Welker played that last game he would’ve made a difference.

That’s why this offseason fans should expect a lot of changes in New England.

The glaring weaknesses the Patriots have are on defense. Watching Ray Rice shred through the Pats in the AFC Wild Card round should’ve made that fact evident.

The first thing the team needs to take care of his hiring a new defensive coordinator.

Dean Pees, who has held the position the past four years, is stepping down.

Bill Belichick has hired in-house for that position that past two times it was open, so it's possible that he would do so again. Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, a ten-year member of Belichick's staff, would be the best option based on his unit’s play.

The Pats need to get more talented in the secondary.

Safety Brandon Meriweather was the unit's best player and should be fine, and Leigh Bodden had a few moments of brilliance, but it wasn't enough.

The team desperately needs help at the cornerback position, but the free agent pool is thin, and there isn't anyone that would significantly boost the team's performance, so expect to see a corner come out of the draft.

New England could go out and get a safety to complement Meriweather though, with names like Green Bay's Nick Collins, Indianapolis' Antoine Bethea, or New Orleans' Roman Harper available.

The linebacking core is getting old, save for Jerod Mayo, and obviously struggled.

Mayo will be around for a long time to come. Tully Banta-Cain had a breakout season, setting a career-high in sacks with 10, but can he sustain that type of production for another year? Junior Seau, who came out of retirement to help the Patriots, is retiring once more.

And what to do with Adalius Thomas? He has the talent, but was disciplined a few times and did discuss his frustrations with the media. He also just played his tenth season.

There are some good young linebackers available in free agency, but will the Patriots choose to turn to a familiar face and go after 35-year-old Mike Vrabel?

The defensive line was the best unit of the defense, but they too are not without question marks.

Last season the line featured four rookies: Ron Brace, Adrian Gandy, Myron Pryor, and Darryl Richard. Jarvis Green made some comments during training camp that this past season might be his last as a Patriot and he may be interested in signing with his hometown New Orleans Saints.

The biggest question mark though is Vince Wilfork.

Wilfork proved to be an elite nose tackle. However, there were times where he was removed from the game because of injury and did not play in the last three games of the regular season.

Good nose tackles are difficult to find, and with more teams switching to 3-4 base defenses Wilfork is sure to be offered a huge payday much like Albert Haynesworth was last season. The Patriots will most likely franchise him though in order to keep him on the team or command and king's ransom if another team desperately desires his services.

If they lose Green and/or Wilfork, the Patriots will definitely have to go out and sign at least one experienced defensive lineman, and probably should do so anyway just to add some depth to the squad.

There is work to be done on the offensive side of the ball too, just not as extensive.

New England needs to get a wide receiver to fill in for Wes Welker. Julian Edelman played admirably this season but is he a number two receiver?

Tom Brady likes him, so the Pats may be willing to promote him and see what he can do. That still means the Patriots need a productive slot receiver.

Arizona's Steve Breaston would be the ideal candidate. He is capable of being the second or slot receiver and is used to playing alongside elite receivers.

Still, Kansas City's Mark Bradley and the Giants' Domenik Hixon would be cheaper options to seriously consider.

The Patriots could also really use a good running back.

Kevin Faulk is turning 34 and will be a free agent. Sammy Morris continually has injury problems and just finished his tenth season. Fred Taylor just finished his 12th season and spent most of it injured. And Laurence Maroney, while productive at times, was also extremely costly fumbling three times in the red zone.

The Patriots have not had a go-to-back in years. The closest thing they had to one was Corey Dillon, who was past his prime by the time he got to the Patriots.

There are a few options here that could be very intriguing to Pats fans.

Miami's Ronnie Brown could be available. A back with a good combination of size and speed Brown had a 4.4 yards-per-carry average and eight touchdowns. However, he suffered a season-ending injury for the second time in three years. Still, when he plays he is a formidable back who can also run the Wildcat offense, which could be an added bonus. Plus it would take a talented player away from a divisional rival. With the emergence of Ricky Williams combined with Brown's injury history, he may just be expendable to the Dolphins.

Two more interesting options are the Jets' Leon Washington and Chargers' Darren Sproles. Both are lightning quick and seem at times to take on larger roles. Washington, like Brown, would also mean taking talent from a divisional rival. Washington is coming off a season-ending injury as well though.

Another thing to think about is that the Patriots need help in the return game. They weren't that good, and that was even with Wes Welker fielding some kick-offs and punts. That's why Sproles and Washington are very interesting, and why Hixon should be a guy on New England's radar.

This may all seem like a lot of changes, but then again the Patriots were embarrassed on their home field in the playoffs and the management and the city of Boston expect better out of this team.

Realistically the Patriots need to bring in new blood.

Part of the problem is that during the dynasty years they held onto some players for too long and did not do a good enough job of developing younger talent. Now they're left with holes in some areas (corner back and running back) and look old, slow, and tired on defense.

This season was a critical point for the Patriots. The future of the franchise now swings in the balance. This offseason will determine whether the Patriots improve and remain legitimate Super Bowl contenders or if the end of the dynasty has come and the team falls into mediocrity.