The offensive line suffered a bit of a setback with the loss of guard Damien Woody, who signed with the Detroit Lions in the off-season. He will be replaced by Russ Hochstein, who lacks Woody’s athleticism, but he’s a hard-nosed player who works hard on every play. Joe Andruzzi is the veteran of this group and will start at left guard this season, while Dan Koppen, who did an excellent job as a rookie last year, will start at center.
Left offensive tackle Matt Light is the best player in this unit. He has good size and adequate athleticism, and although he is not a great run blocker, he has the ability to wall off pass rushers when in pass protection. Tom Ashworth will man the right side, and he is also good at picking up pass rushers and should continue to improve in his second year in a starting role. Behind the starters is very little experienced depth, so keeping this unit healthy is very important to the success of this team as a whole.
Defensive Line
At nose tackle, the Patriots replaced Ted Washington, who signed with the Raiders during the off-season, with the poor-man’s version in Keith Traylor. The 13-year veteran, who will battle rookie Vince Wilfork for the starting assignment, has received the majority of the snaps with the first team in the training camp, but a good performance by Wilfork in the preseason could push him past Traylor on the depth chart.
At right defensive end Richard Seymour is a force for offensive lines to deal with. The two-time Pro Bowler has a quick first step and seems to explode off the ball. He has the quickness to slip past even the most athletic tackles in the league and he consistently disrupts plays in the offensive backfield. Rodney Bailey was brought in from Pittsburgh to compete for the starting job on the left side, but a torn Achilles tendon ended his season before it began, so last year’s first-round draft pick Ty Warren will likely fill that role.
This unit has developed into one of this team’s strengths, and is one of the the deepest and mot versatile squads on the team with guys like Dan Klecko and Dana Stubblefield coming off the bench.
Linebackers
The Patriots like to use a three man rotation at the inside linebacker positions, with veterans Roman Phifer, Tedy Bruschi, and Ted Johnson. Phifer is 36 years old, and despite being on the downside of his career, he fits well in the Pats’ system. Bruschi is not the greatest athlete, but he is a hard-nosed player who does a great job attacking the line. Johnson will probably come off the bench, but he will get plenty of playing time in this rotation.
New England is loaded with talent on the outside with Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel, along with Roosevelt Colvin ,who is coming off a hip injury that cost him all of the 2003 season. All three have great pass-rushing skills out of the 3-4 set, and will most likely be used in some sort of rotation similar to what they use on the inside. This unit also has great depth with Matt Chatham, Larry Izzo, and Don Davis on the bench.
Secondary
Cornerback Ty Law appears to have put his displeasure with his contract behind him for now, which is huge because he is a very important part of New England’s defense. He appears to be in the prime of his career, and will likely continue to be one of the best big-play corners in the league this season. Tyrone Poole will continue to start opposite Law, and Asante Samuel will come in again in nickel situations. Poole has good cover skills and seems to excel when the Patriots play a cover-2. Samuel did a nice job as the nickel back as rookie last year, and should continue to get better.
Rodney Harrison, who had a solid season last year, will return as the starter at strong safety and second year defensive back Eugene Wilson will once again line up at the free safety position. Harrison is a big hitter on the downside of his career, but he still has the skills to be effective in the cover-2. Wilson has great coverage skills, but he lacks size and isn’t real effective against the run. Without a lot of talented experience on the bench, depth could be a concern for this unit as well.
Overview
The Patriots have won 15 games in a row, counting the playoffs and Super Bowl, dating back to week five of the 2003 season, and while I would not expect another streak of that length this year, this team appears to be as strong, if not stronger, than last year. Dillon strengthens the running game, giving them more balance on offense, and Colvin adds another strong pass rusher to the defense. Barring injuries, I can’t see this team not winning their division, making the playoffs, and another strong run at the Super Bowl.
