Seriously.
Does anybody really know?
Okay,
a couple of things jump off the page…
It isn't defenses that win championships, it's defensive
linemen…
The
Patriots roster is loaded with athletic, disruptive defensive linemen with
positional versatility. They went light on linebackers because guys like Rob
Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, Chandler Jones and Trey Flowers can play in space if
needed and would also make for a paint-swappin' NASCAR front. Dominique Easley
is looking explosive and gives New England inside/outside options. Malcom Brown
looks like he was worth the 1st round pick. They also have some beef up front
in Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch and an end of the line wild card in Rufus
Johnson.
It
seems pretty clear that Matt Patricia's game plans in 2015 will begin on the
line of scrimmage and why not? This looks like a group that can keep the
linebackers clean and give the defensive backs that extra half second that
turns completions into passes defensed.
Belichick liked the 3rd Down Back competition so much he
baked it into the regular season roster…
The
release of Jonas Gray was something of a surprise, especially with LeGarrette
Blount suspended for the Week 1 tilt with the Steelers. Instead, Belichick
loaded up on 3rd down backs, keeping James White, Dion Lewis and Travaris
Cadet. We could also count Brandon Bolden in this group as the special teams
ace can also catch the ball out of the backfield.
Cadet
is something of a surprise as players aren't supposed to make the club if
they're in the tub. He couldn't get on the field in preseason but he did show
up in camp and can also split out wide (as we saw Dion Lewis do). White and
Lewis both has their moments in the preseason both catching and rushing the
football. If Cadet, Lewis, White and Bolden continue to compete and push each
other in practice and through their game day performances, nobody will be
missing Shane Vereen.
Assuming
Cadet can play (and isn't just a placeholder for Blount), this is an exciting
group of running backs that can provide Josh McDaniels with the opportunity to
be innovative and unpredictable.
Aaron Dobson isn't out of chances, yet…
With
Brandon LaFell on PUP, we can expect a heavy dose of the enigmatic wideout.
Dobson remains the only true deep threat on the roster which would be more
important if the Patriots offense revolved around the long ball. In many ways,
Chris Harper is a much better fit with the New England passing attack and I'm
happy to see he's still on the roster. If it had come down to Dobson vs. Harper
for the 53rd spot on the roster, I would've taken Harper.
That's
not to say I wouldn't like to see Dobson succeed. He's big and fast and if he'd
ever get out of his own head I think he'd catch the ball like he did in
college. The more options McDaniels and Tom Brady have, of course, the better.
If Dobson can put up per game numbers in the 5 catch 80 yards 1 TD range the
Patriots offense should be putting up 30+ points overall. An effective deep
threat opens things up underneath for Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola and
limits safety help on Gronk. Those are good, good things.
I'm
still on the Dobson Bandwagon but I'll admit I'm standing up and ready to jump.
I
hope he makes me take a seat this Thursday night.
Can the offensive line get off to a better start than they
did in 2014?
With
Bryan Stork sitting out most of the preseason with an injury to his undisclosed
(sounds painful) and rookie Shaq Mason struggling a bit in his transition to
the pros while Ryan Wendell was working his way back from injury to his
whatever, we didn't really get a look at the presumed starting offensive line
and can only guess who the starters will be this Thursday. The best case seems
to be Nate Solder, Wendell, Stork, Tre Jackson and Sebastian Vollmer. If Stork
can't go, that probably moves Wendell to center and Mason to left guard which I
would describe as less than ideal. UDFA rookie David Andrews at center and
Wendell at left guard? A Josh Kline appearance?
Will
Aaron Dobson even have time to get deep?
The core is solid…
There's
always some uncertainty. It's impossible under the salary cap for any one team
to have the best player at every position. As you might expect of a defending
Super Bowl champ, though, there's a lot to like on the New England roster. As
noted above, the defensive line is chock-a-block with talent. The starting trio
of linebackers, Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower and Jerod Mayo, is among the
best in the NFL. Collins could be on the cusp of superstardom. Malcolm Butler
may not be Darrelle Revis but he's looked like a credible CB1 in the preseason
and Devin McCourty is one of the best safeties in the league. Solder and
Vollmer are solid starting tackles, Stork – if healthy – looks like he could
develop into a pro-bowler at center. Gronk and Scott Chandler at tight end,
Jules, Amendola and LaFell when he comes off PUP give Brady plenty of options.
That's
pretty good. And did I mention…
Tom Brady will be wearing his angry eyes all season long…
He's
already one of the most competitive people in the known universe. He's played
his entire career with that 6th round draft pick chip on his shoulder. Despite
being the winningest QB in NFL history, despite the Super Bowl wins, the MVP
awards and everything he's accomplished, he's had to listen to pigskin pundits and
bobbleheads dismiss Peyton Manning's post-season failures, ignore all the years
Joe Montana failed to get to the Super Bowl and hand the crown of greatest of
all time to Aaron Rodgers even as Brady was beating the defense that Rodgers couldn't.
And
all that was before Deflategate.
You
can argue there isn't room for another log on the fire that burns in Brady's football
heart.
You
can argue that in fact Brady has nothing to prove.
Don't
forget: It's about honor.
It's about respect.
Back-to-back
Super Bowl wins would be remarkable under the best of circumstances but in the
wake of Deflategate, at the age of 38, it would be astonishing, a staggering
work of pigskin genius, an accomplishment of mythic proportions. It would be
Brady's 7th Super Bowl start, his 5th win and more than likely his 4th Super
Bowl MVP. He would add 3 or 4 more wins to his postseason resume and extend his
individual postseason and Super Bowl records for passing yards and touchdown
passes.
And
if on that journey, Brady were to win games against teams quarterbacked by
Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, what then
could be said about Tom Brady?
Greatest
of all time.
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