We already posted our thoughts on the offense after the initial waiver period. Let’s take a look at the defense, starting with the depth chart, and give out a few awards/projections for the Patriots:
LEFT EDGE
John Simon is a veteran and can play the run on the edge. That's his strength and he showed it last year, with a team-best 8.9 run stop percentage. But his pressure percentage of 6.4 percent was just barely better than Danny Shelton. That's just one example with how the Patriots will need to get pressure with a lot of scheme and very few 1-on-1 wins. With a lot of question marks on the edge, the Patriots will need Simon to lock down one of them. Expect him to be on the strong side of the formation. ... Shilique Calhoun showed a lot of potential but got hurt early and never really regained a role on the team. He's long and strong and if there's one guy who could pop to be a difference-maker in the front seven, it might be Calhoun.
[table id=424 /]
INTERIOR LINE
Pass rushing isn't his thing, but Lawrence Guy is the rock on the defensive line for this team, as his 32 stops a season ago were more in line with a linebacker. He's also great at holding up against double teams, and creating rushing lanes for others. There isn't much he doesn't do well and he's the Unsung Hero for this group. ... However, Guy needs a running mate and right now he doesn't have one since Beau Allen, the man the Patriots chose over Shelton, has yet to see the practice field and will miss the first three games at least for an undisclosed ailment. Even when Allen gets healthy, there are a lot of question marks because he didn't play all that much in Tampa last season for a reason. ... If Allen flops, the Patriots desperately need Byron Cowart to match his offseason hype — internally the Patriots think he has beast potential. But if there's been one trademark of Cowart to this point in his Patriots career, it's been inconsistency — an issue in college as well. He looks unstoppable on some snaps, and on others he's not feeling it and gets overwhelmed. If that happens, the Patriots are in trouble, because they have no other run-stuffing options. ... Adam Butler is the only other interior reserve, and he's still only a pass rusher despite adding more weight and bulk in the offseason. He's very good at his role, but he has much to prove when it comes to holding up against the run. ... Deatrich Wise remade his body a bit to be able to play 3-4 and it showed well in training camp. Will that continue into the season? That's a very big question mark. If he can't hold up better against double teams, the Patriots are going to get run over again against good running teams and that could get tested right off the bat against the Dolphins. They were terrible running last season, but revamped the offensive line with much bigger players and two good running backs. ... Xavier Williams was a late addition to the active roster. He's a 6-2, 320-pound run stuffer so the team at least has that option now.
[table id=423 /]
RIGHT EDGE
You would think that Chase Winovich would get the first shot at being a three-down player for the Patriots, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Derek Rivers could start and Winovich stays in his role as a designated rusher. That would be a great story for Rivers, and that would get top billing. But don't let anyone tell you different: Winovich not grabbing a bigger role after the free agency and opt-out departures would be a huge disappointment for the third-round draft choice and another blight on Bill Belichick's recent personnel record. ... Winovich is a good pass rusher but was borderline terrible against the run last season. He has to hold the edge better or else he's going to stay put in a part-time role. ... Rivers came on during camp is a better two-way player right now than Winovich. Rivers is strong and occasionally shows a pass-rush burst. ... Brandon Copeland came over from the Jets and has traditionally been a better outside player, and that's where he was in camp. But he can also play inside linebacker and will give the Patriots some coverage there. He's almost a swing linebacker.
LINEBACKERS
No player probably on the roster has more pressure on them than Ja'Whaun Bentley. He's the only linebacker on the roster who has played an NFL game. If he gets hurt, the Patriots are in a world of trouble. Bentley looked like a potential star as a rookie but then got hurt early. Last season he barely played behind Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. He was fine in camp, but without tackling it was tough to tell. He'll have the green dot and will need to keep everyone on the same page. ... Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche will likely split the other linebacker spot (Patriots are usually a 5-2 team against the run, and 4-2 otherwise with a safety in the box). Jennings looks closer physically to an NFL player, and that's to be expected out of Alabama where players often arrive in the NFL nearly at their ceiling due to Nick Saban's coaching. In time he could be all over the defense, but the Patriots also had the same plans for a similar player: Gary Guyton, among others. ... Uche is a wild card. He will play some inside, but is better on the edge as a pass rusher. Will probably take some time for the Patriots to find their rhythm in personnel, but Uche definitely knows how to shoot a gap on run blitzes (similar to Collins that way). ... Cassh Maluia is a typical try-hard undersized linebacker who will have to make his mark on special teams.
CORNERBACKS
Fresh off getting $5 million for free out of the goodness of Belichick's heart (ahem), $tephon Gilmore will be the man to start on the right side, but I'd be on the lookout for him moving all over the place a lot more this season. He's tremendous and deserved to be Defensive Player of the Year, but he's not perfect. He led the team in 20-yard passes allowed and with home-field advantage on the line in the season final, Devante Parker got the better of Gilmore. Still, he's a lock-down corner and as long as the refs let him get away with his handiwork, he should continue to dominate. ... JC Jackson and Jason McCourty should share time at the other boundary spot. Jackson deserves a starting role, and perhaps he gets it a year from now if the Patriots move on from Gilmore and his high salary. Each will have a different role/matchup each week and they are both good players. McCourty is a luxury item on the team, but a good veteran to have around who can play anywhere in the secondary. ... Jonathan Jones is up there with the best slot corners in the league, one of the hardest positions to play because you have no boundary to help you — every route is a possible two-way go. He's fast and physical, and will also see snaps at safety. ... Joejuan Williams will be the tight end up matchup person due to his long arms and frame. We'll see if he has the compete level to do that.
SAFETIES
Devin McCourty is still going strong but one interesting thing to watch is where he plays on passing downs. In the past with Duron Harmon playing deep safety, McCourty was often the robber and would roam the middle of the field. But Adrian Phillips, who barely practiced in camp, played that same role very well for the Chargers and the Patriots could elect to have McCourty, one of the fastest players still on the team, to play the deep safety role and be a bit more aggressive with it. ... Terrence Brooks started at safety in camp, but he could have just been a placeholder for Phillips. Phillips is a natural to fill Patrick Chung's star spot on early downs, and then slide into the robber role on passing downs. ... Not sure how much of a role Kyle Dugger will have in the early going, but he's an impressive physical specimen and should be the natural heir to Chung at some point, just a matter of when. Showed better ball skills than Chung in camp, and Dugger can really run and jump. A blitzing role could be effective for him early on.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Nick Folk was finally elevated from the practice squad to kick in the opener. He was rock-solid in camp and last season. ... Jake Bailey had a very good camp and should be primed for another standout campaign. Cody Davis and Justin Bethel will be big assets for a special teams unit that might have to do even more this season for a roster that is challenged in many spots.
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