Patriots off-season needs

With the sting of their Super Bowl loss still fresh in their minds, the Patriots need to press forward to prepare for next season, when they'll have a chance to once again be one of the top contenders.  Despite their run to the championship game, this roster still has some holes.  There are several avenues the team can take to address those needs and the Patriots will be expected to explore any of them that can help this team.

Here are some of the team's biggest priorities this off-season.

Re-sign Players

Priority number one is undoubtedly getting a new contract for Wes Welker.  Over the past five seasons since being traded to New England, Welker has led the league in receptions.  He's as sure a bet as anyone in the league to rack up 100 catches every season and this year he was also second in the league in receiving yards.  Ignore all the backlash about his over publicized drop at the end of the Super Bowl.  That was one play in one game.  Anyone who points to that play as a reason not to re-sign Welker is a fool.  There's no doubt that he will be back.  If they are unable to reach an agreement on a long term deal then expect the team to use the franchise tag on him to retain him on a one year deal for around $9.6 million. 

Another big decision will be whether to bring back Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis.  The Law Firm is far from being the most explosive back in the game, but he's never fumbled in his career, rarely loses yardage and has a nose for the endzone.  Even if he's not at the top of the depth chart, he's a solid option to keep on the roster.  The only issue is that another team may be willing to overpay for him.  Considering the team just drafted two running backs last year, it's unlikely the team will try to outbid anyone to retain Green-Ellis. 

Other players likely to be retained include Matthew Slater (for his importance on special teams), Deion Branch (he's expressed interest in finishing his career in New England and still has value as a 3rd or 4th receiver given his leadership and comfort level with Brady), Mark Anderson and Andre Carter (the team's best pass rushers last season).

Free Agents
This free agent class is loaded with quality wide receivers.  While the Patriots offense ranked as one of the league's best last year, they could still use another weapon.  The Giants just showed that this offense can be slowed by clogging the middle of the field, where their top options like Welker and their dynamic tight end duo like to operate.  They could use a more reliable option on the outside that can also stretch the field as a deep threat. 

Available options such as DeSean Jackson and Stevie Johnson appear to be good fits based on talent, but each comes with too much baggage to be trusted to fit into the Patriots demanding system.  Reggie Wayne may be the most accomplished of the group, but he's also the oldest.  It's unlikely he stays in Indy, but I'd expect him to wait to see where Peyton Manning ends up before making a decision on his destination.  Don't be surprised if he follows Manning wherever he goes, which would take him off the Patriots radar.  It'd be hard to imagine the Saints letting Marques Colston go, but if they can't work out a long term contract for Drew Brees and are forced to use their franchise tag on him, they may not be able to afford Colston.  Vincent Jackson is a player that has interested the Pats in the past and he may have worn out his welcome in San Diego.  The best available fit may be Brandon Lloyd.  He's familiar with the system from his time working with Josh McDaniels in Denver and St. Louis and he has the explosive big play talent the Pats are looking for.  The Pats won't break the bank for any of these options, but if they are willing to take a bit of a discount to play for a contender and catch passes from Tom Brady then it could be a big boost for an already explosive offense.  Any of these options would fill the role they expected Chad Ochocinco would provide when they signed him last off-season.  It's safe to say that Ochocinco and his $6 million price tag won't be brought back, so with the money they save from cutting him the Pats should have room to reach a reasonable agreement with one of these receiver options, even after factoring in a raise for Welker.

While pass rush is a big need for this team, they aren't likely to shell out big bucks for an elite guy like Mario Williams or Robert Mathis, assuming either is even allowed to walk away from their current teams.  A playmaker in the secondary would make for a great addition, particularly at safety, which was a revolving door for much of this season.  There isn't a lot of top shelf talent likely to hit the open market at that position, but even a mid-level player at the right price could prove to be a modest upgrade.

Draft

New England once again enters the draft loaded with assets, with two picks in each of the first two rounds.  Belichick's history suggests that he'll trade one of his first round picks for a second rounder and a future first round pick.  It's proved to be a great value move in the past, but at some point they need to start aiming for quality over quantity.  Brady isn't getting any younger and may only have a window of about 3-5 years of being an elite QB with a chance to win this team another title.  Last year was a mild disappointment when they passed over several pass rushing options that went on to have good rookie seasons and really could have helped this team.  If a player like that is available when it's their turn to pick, the Pats would be wise to use the picks this time.  If what they're looking for isn't available at that spot then of course they'll look to trade down for value rather than reach for a player not worthy of an early round pick.

Their primary needs include a pass rushing defensive end or outside linebacker, help for the secondary and a speedy wide receiver.  The Patriots haven't had much luck developing young receivers in recent years (unless you count Hernandez or Gronkowski as receivers instead of tight ends), but that doesn't they should stop trying.  They don't necessarily need to use an early round pick at this position either.  Some of the game's best receivers, such as Mike Wallace or Victor Cruz, were either late round picks or went undrafted.

Even if a young player isn't ready to contribute on offense or defense right away, they can still see some action on special teams.  The Patriots lack an explosive option to return kicks and punts.  Adding a young player with some speed could provide them with a game changer that can provide valuable field position and be a threat to score.

Improvement From Within
Some of the improvement for this team should come from the emergence of young players.  The defense in particular is very young, but still has players with upside that could improve just by having more experience.  A full off-season program will help as well, after last year's lock out deprived them of the chance to get their young players up to speed early in the season.

Injuries to players like Shane Vareen and Ras-I Dowling deprived them of valuable playing time in their rookie seasons.  With improved health, they should be ready to improve next year.  If Stevan Ridley can improve upon the issues with fumbles that plagued him late in the season and earn back the coaches trust then he can add another dimension to this offense with his combination of power and speed.

There's Always Next Year
The Patriot may have come up inches short of their goal of winning a Super Bowl, but they are still a team loaded with talent and should be among the favorites heading into next season.  With a few improvements to their roster, they could end up being an even more formidable force than the team that just won the AFC conference.