Turbulence likely to pass
Suspension of Brady can be overcome
Even with the glory and spoils of a Super Bowl championship,the New England Patriots had a rough offseason.
Quarterback Tom Brady’s fourgame suspension for his role in the deflated footballs scandal in the AFC Championship Game consumed the team’s offseason. And though Brady has appealed, the threat of this case going to federal court could drag Deflategate out into the fall.
Never mind that the organization accepted part of the league’s punishment stemming from the incident: a $1 million fine and the loss of two draft picks.
There’s more. That doesn’t factor in the number of free agent departures, especially in the defensive backfield, where New England lost arguably the NFL’s best cornerback in Darrelle Revis.
But New England has done well in the Bill Belichick era in minimizing the impact of outside distractions — and that goes for positive ones, too.
“You never hear Super Bowl talk around here,” rookie offensive lineman Shaq Mason said. “We’re just focusing on this season.”
That’s a sound bite not even typically tight-lipped Belichick could have said better.
“We’ve had a good, a busy offseason,” Belichick said recently, when asked about the past several months. “It’s never really stopped since being in Arizona.” That’s an understatement. But even with the drama surrounding Brady’s case, New England projects as one of the top teams in the AFC and should continue to compete for championships.
If backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is forced to fill in for a few games, it shouldn’t matter. The Patriots, winners of 12 of the last 14 AFC East championships, will be fine.
QUARTERBACKS
Even though Brady will miss time during his suspension, he proved last season that he’s still one of the top quarterbacks in the league. No other quarterback does more in the NFL with a cast of unheralded receivers. His third career Super Bowl MVP trophy in February is further proof. When Brady is sidelined because of the Deflategate suspension, secondyear Garoppolo will take the reins. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said at minicamp that Garoppolo had a positive spring and was further along than he was as a rookie the previous year. The Patriots signed veteran Matt Flynn as insurance, though his stay could be over once Brady returns.
RUNNING BACKS
Perhaps the most significant departure in the NFL that no one is talking about is that of Shane Vereen signing with the New York Giants. Vereen was an extremely productive member of the Patriots with his rushing and passcatching ability. He was one of Brady’s most trusted dump-down and safety options and will be missed. It’s up to a pair of bigger backs to get it done. LeGarrette Blount projects as the starter. And though he entered Belichick’s doghouse for oversleeping and never seemed to escape, Jonas Gray is a physical and talented option who showed he could excel in a lead back role with a 201-yard, four-touchdown game against the Indianapolis Colts.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Though it continues to be one of the team’s weaknesses, the Patriots didn’t do much to bolster the receiving corps, a weak point. Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are the headliners, though the Patriots lack a game-changer at the position. After a somewhat productive rookie season in 2013, Aaron Dobson dealt with too many nagging injuries to be a reliable threat. If Dobson can make strides, he could work his way into the regular rotation partly because his 6-3 size and leaping
ability give Brady another athletic weapon to work with.
TIGHT ENDS
The Patriots boast arguably the league’s top tight end in Rob Gronkowski (82 catches, 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014). As long as Gronk stays healthy, he’ll continue to be Brady’s security blanket, especially on third downs and in the red zone. The Patriots signed Scott Chandler. “He’s a hard worker,” tight ends coach Brian Daboll said. “Smart. Comes to meetings ready to work. Has veteran experience. Good teammate.” Chandler will replace recently released Tim Wright, who never seemed to fit in.
OFFENSIVE LINE
New England’s starting offensive line from the Super Bowl is back in 2015. Left tackle Nate Solder is the anchor, joining right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, center Bryan Stork and guards Josh Kline and Ryan Wendell. Another player to watch is fourth-round draft pick Tre’ Jackson, who, with his 6-4, 330-pound frame and run-blocking ability, could earn playing time. The Patriots have been known to mix and match different combinations along the line, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if backup tackle Marcus Cannon or backup guard Cameron Fleming became a regular contributor.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The Patriots released defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, a mainstay on the line for 11 seasons. The good news is his eventual replacement fell into their laps with the last pick in the first round of the draft, Malcolm Brown. Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones continue to be the anchors on the ends, but expect free agent signing Jabaal Sheard to contribute right away in the pass rush. Second-year tackle Dominique Easley, who battled knee injuries as a rookie, will be given every opportunity to become a regular starter and will compete with Brown and Sealver Siliga for playing time.
LINEBACKERS
The Patriots have a young and potent linebacking corps. Jerod Mayo is the leader, but injury issues — he has been limited to 12 games over the past two seasons — raise questions about whether he can be a consistent contributor. On the outside, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are athletic and effective players who should keep getting better.
SECONDARY
No other position group suffered more this offseason. New England declined to pick up Revis’ and Brandon Browner’s options. The Patriots likely will ask Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler to blossom into a starter at corner. Though free agents Bradley Fletcher and Robert McClain were signed, the group could be in line for a decline. The good news: The team signed safety Devin McCourty to a five-year, $47.5 million deal. Though McCourty has become one of the NFL’s top free safeties, his experience at cornerback gives New England an added wrinkle. The Patriots extended strong safety Patrick Chung, and he’ll look to build on a successful 2014.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Patriots placed the franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski and locked him up to a four-year deal. New England is set at punter with Ryan Allen, whose 46.4-yard average tied for 10th in the NFL. Amendola, Edelman and specialteams whiz Matthew Slater could handle kick and punt returns.
COACHING
Despite having two top young coordinators in Matt Patricia on defense and McDaniels on offense, New England’s coaching staff stayed mostly intact. The one notable change is the promotion of Joe Judge to special-teams coordinator after three seasons as special-teams assistant coach. He replaces Scott O’Brien, who retired. If the Patriots make another deep postseason run, Patricia, 40, and McDaniels, 39, might be in line for head coaching jobs.