Looks good for starters
Depth will be a factor for Pats
FOXBORO — After a week’s worth of roster tweaks, the Patriots have seemingly carved out their initial 53-man team of the season. At the very least, the core is in place and the string of moves dictate where Bill Belichick believes his depth chart is at its strongest.
It obviously starts with quarterback Tom Brady, who has proven he can mask any inconsistencies on the offense, and there will be times this season when that will be necessary.
“The strength of our team is with the leaders we have up front,” running back Stevan Ridley said. “It starts with Brady. It starts with our quarterback.”
The passing game has come together much more quickly than expected, relative to a decade of struggling to draft and develop wide receivers. There will certainly be growing pains when smarter defenses like the Bengals, Dolphins, Steelers, Broncos, Texans and Ravens angle in on the rookies’ weaknesses.
Plus, don’t expect the wideouts to explode out of the gate. In the last three seasons, only 16 rookie receivers caught at least 40 passes, 15 eclipsed 600 yards and 11 had at least five touchdowns. Those are moderate numbers that even the elite rookies struggle to match.
Of course, that’s for another time. For now, Brady has guided Wes Welker replacement Danny Amendola and rookies Kenbrell Thompkins, Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson to a promising start.
It’s a byproduct of their work ethic, too. Amendola, the new leader of the receivers, has enjoyed the rookies’ dedication.
“They’re talented, and so far they’ve really picked up the offense,” he said. “We’re really excited about our whole room and where we’re headed.”
The true continuity comes on defense, where 10 starters and several key rotational players return for another season. Plus, five or six starters in Week 1, depending on Alfonzo Dennard’s status, will be with the top unit for at least their third consecutive season.
The front-line defensive talent has had the Patriots excited since they realized how the team would take shape this offseason, which came together when cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington re-signed.
“It helps a big amount,” safety Devin McCourty said of the continuity. “I think it helped us start off and have a higher expectation level for ourselves. Even if we had a bunch of new guys, we still would have worked hard to get to a certain point. But I think as individuals, we came in expecting more from each other. We already had a relationship building, and I think it kind of made us bring our level to a higher standard this year.”
The defensive line created a lot of chaos in the preseason with Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. The depth, particularly on the interior, is questionable with undrafted rookies Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, who was added Sunday.
The Pats are again in good shape at linebacker with Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and Dont’a Hightower back for another tour. Rookie Jamie Collins and Dane Fletcher figure to add depth in different types of passing situations.
The secondary has some nice depth that figures to be a necessity given the uncertainty of Dennard, who missed the preseason with an injury and awaits the fallout from his suspicion of driving under the influence arrest. Talib and Arrington were stout this summer, and rookie Logan Ryan surged late to boost the cornerbacks.
Devin McCourty will start at safety with Steve Gregory, who earned his role back, but Adrian Wilson’s season-ending hamstring injury hurt their depth. Rookie Duron Harmon and 2012 secondrounder Tavon Wilson will be pressed into action if a starter falls.
While the expectations are as high as they’ve been in years on defense, Brady’s offense faced its most abrupt overhaul since 2007, which turned out all right, but the two offenses are hardly comparable past the quarterback.
The Patriots have at least displayed plenty of stock in their running game. Ridley will handle the load after rushing for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and Shane Vereen will be counted on to break out in the passing game. That’s a fair anticipation after he impressed late last season and again this summer. LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden will also get a few chances each game.
“I’m excited about it. I really am,” Ridley said. “I think we all can do some very special things. We’re all very good runners.”
The tight ends will transform from a question mark into an undeniable strength if Rob Gronkowski returns to form and rookie Zach Sudfeld continues to shine.
And the offensive line returns all five starters from 2012, so the blocking in front of Brady should hold strong. Naturally, there are questions of depth on the line, particularly after top backup tackle Will Svitek hurt his knee and the Pats added two linemen off the waiver wire this weekend, but few teams have any reliable reinforcements on the offensive line.
The bottom line is the Patriots have the starting talent, enough complementary pieces and the determination to make it all work once again.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned,” Amendola said of the Pats, “is these guys are willing to put in the time and effort to win, and that’s what it’s all about.”