With Brady suspension nullified, Patriots look to move on from Deflategate

Cause for Concern - Running Back 

Both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen have headed to New York with the Jets and Giants, respectively. Veteran LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray, he of the four rushing TDs against the Colts in November, return and will compete with second-year back Dion Lewis for carries, while James White will likely take over Vereen’s third-down role. Neither Ridley nor Vereen was particularly beloved by Patriots fans, but they could become remembered more fondly if problems persist in the backfield.

Defensive Breakdown

Changing of the Guard

One of the keys to the success of Belichick-coached teams is the idea that the system is more important that its pieces. Players change while roles stay the same. This idea will be challenged this season with Matt Patricia’s defensive corps.

Not just anybody can replace corners Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler will be one of the men given that task, but who will be the other on the outside is still up in there. Bradley Fletcher, coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles, has worked his way up the depth charts, but will get exposed by receivers with speed and height. Tarell Brown looks to be the preferred option at nickel, leaving Robert McClain, rookie Darryl Roberts and Logan Ryan (who has only played once in the preseason) competing with Fletcher. The fact that the team has experimented with Devin McCourty at corner (and it did not go well) says that matters appear to be far from settled here. At safety, McCourty and Patrick Chung are firmly ensconced in their roles.

With Pats legend and five-time Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork plying his trade in Houston after 11 seasons at Foxboro, second-year defensive tackle Dominique Easley has starred in the preseason and will be expected to assume a much larger role with the team this year. A 2014 first-round pick out of Florida, Easley was limited to only 11 games last season has shown glimpses of the explosiveness that made him a tantalizing prospect out of school despite missing his senior year with an ACL tear. This year’s first rounder, DT Malcom Brown (Texas) is a work-in-progress, but should play a large part as the season progresses.

The Pats will again be led at defensive end by sacks leader Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones, while the trio of Dont’a Hightower, Jerrod Mayo and Jamie Collins highlight one of the best linebacker corps in the AFC.

Draft Review

The Pats used their 11 picks this year to address needs both future and immediate with five of their first six picks answering concerns on both lines. Getting Brown all the way at 32 overall could prove to be a steal when it’s all said and done, but if issues persist with the secondary, questions will be asked as to why only one corner (Roberts in the seventh round) was taken.