With a week off maybe it is time to look at what the off season will bring.  Looking at the draft, the Patriots are limited in their picks.  They should get a compensation pick for law firm to go with their current picks.

Areas of need:  OL, WR, safety.

The Patriots have 3 players that need to be resigned:

Talib, Vollmer, and Welker.

Once this is complete, they should look for a free agent WR to compliment their current crop.

Suggestion: Hartline from Miami. 

They should look for a couple of OL in the draft to improve on what they currently have.

I would also look for another LB.  Their current crop is good but they lack depth.

In response to msteven's comment:

   That's for fans of teams that are done for the season.

hingham - It's never to early. That's the fun part about being fan, we don't have to take it one game at a time. Since we have the week and until we actually know who we are going to play it is a good time to think about this.

msteven - Not sure OL is an area of need honestly. Breaking it down Wendell has been an above average C, the T core has been solid for a large part of the year, Brady has been one of the least pressured QB's in the league, and the running game is getting tough yards when needed. I would say depth and multiple position players would be nice. Maybe, a RG would be good but I don't see it as a need compared to other positions.

Same with S honestly. Moving McCourty to FS has sured up a weak S core. Gregory has been decent at SS and Wilson playing close to the line has played well against the run. Though I might look to upgrade the SS position if they don't think Wilson is going to be that guy I wouldn't call it a need. Now that said I think CB becomes a need. I don't think they will give Arrington what it will take to retain him (someone will give him starter money and he's not a starting caliber CB), Ras is a giant question mark, who knows if they can resign Talib (though I think they will try). With McCourty moving to FS you basically are left with Dennard as a CB as the only non-question mark. To me this is a much more pressing matter then S

WR I agree with, esp if they let Welker walk. Lloyd is a solid WR and affordable and Branch will be on quick dial but Edelman is a question mark if he can stay healthy. Also watch for Hern to make the shift. With Ballard coming back they have 5 solid TE's on the roster next year so Hern might become a larger possession WR next year. I'd be looking for a slot WR (if Welker walks) which imo you can't find anyone better than Amendola as a replacement. I'd also like to find a deeper threat. The draft might be the best place to look for one but I'd like to see Bowe in here. I think Wallace is going to price himself out but Bowe might be within the price range.

One area I'd like to improve in is the interior rush. Right now Deadrick, Francis, Cunningham are filling that role but honestly none of them are suited for that role. All are good sub/situational players and I think Francis has a bright future replacing Nink eventually I'm looking for a 3 down player to put next to Wilfork. I think Love has shown he's good in short stints but I don't think he's a good 2 down starter. This years draft has a lot of interior rushers and some really good DT/NT's out there who are also strong against the run. I'd look at the draft first and foremost but in FA Henry Melton might be one of the better interior presences out there. Randy Starks is another lower cost option who will provide flexibility and be an upgrade over a Deadrick but I think i'd rather use a 1st on a young guy like Jonathan Jenkins as an eventual Wilfork replacement

Another area of need is a coverage LB. Coverage LB's can be very hard to find and honestly I don't know who's out there to bring in. Hoping Fletcher can stay healthy might be the best option or that Tarp can improve his coverage skills going into next year.

I agree though Talib, Welker, and Vollmer should be the main focus this offseason

I think the Pats need to address both interior OL and DL, not only with an eye towards 2013, but beyond.

I also think with FA's Talib, Arrington, Chung, Cole all questionable to come back, the DB's also need to be addressed.

I think the Pats carry 4 TE's next season, and Hooma is a free agent. He plays ST's as well, so most likely comes down to Hooma, Fells and Ballard.

Woody and Edelman need to be resigned

Pats free agents;

Edelman, Talib, Vollmer, Wes, Arrington, Chung, Cole, Hooma, Koutavides, Scott, Thomas, White, Woody

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I like Deadrick in the rotational mix, but I think a 4th is needed, especially as Vince ages. I also think that Deadrick is on the smallish size for the position. I dont like Cunningham in that inside position, as he is very small for that position.

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not an Osi fan. One dimensional, expensive, aging. I can live with Nink, Jones, Cunningham, Scott, Francis on the outside....and Vince, Lovie and Deadrick on the inside. I think inside depth and size is where help is needed  

In response to rkarp's comment:

Bill's gonna be busy this offseason...

In response to rkarp's comment:

In response to part-timer's comment:

In response to PatsEng's comment:

IrishMob7

Are you talking about that force of nature : Roy Bruce? He will probably elbow everyone aside and take over at the top of the depth chart.

I'd like to see the Pats sign Vollmer (physical) and Talib. I leave Welker out because that is largely a financial decision.

Made the mistake of discussing Brady with Rock. My prediction is Brady won't be traded. And that winning an internet argument is alot like winning at the special olympics......you still walk away looking idiotic. Also GF gets home from visiting her folks.....board free for the next three hours.

You know Irish, BB generally doesn't miss on DL in the draft. Even his mid to late rounds picks tend to at least give something in a sub/situational role. Brace was the only DL I can remember him picking that I just couldn't figure out why he picked him. It's not like Brace even was all that great in college and he had an all-pro playing next to him. Though, I wanted either Brown or Barwin which was a 50/50 on my part. Barwin has been great but Brown would have been just as bad as Brace in the end. When it comes to DL I trust BB though and this year I hope he trades up a bit to get another interior presence

In response to JohnHannahrulz's comment:

In response to nomadfan's comment:

In response to PatsEng's comment:

Barwin would have looked reallllll nice in a Pats uni, but I'm not about to be one of the typical village idiots who revert to 20/20 draft hindsight.  BB has an exceptional drafting record and I wouldn't want anybody else running the show.  But, the thing is, it's not only drafting(in regards to D-line) that he's great at; he has picked some diamonds in the rough out of UDFA which have worked wonders for this club.

In response to PatsEng's comment:

Kade Weston, Ron BRace, Myron Pryor, Darryl Richard, Kareem Brown, Jeremy Mincey, LeKevin Smith, Marquise Hill, Dan Klecko, Ethan Kelley.

BB has hit with Vince, Ty Warren, Seymour

That is every DL that BB has drafted

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In response to rkarp's comment:

There is absolutely no way you are a Pats fan.  You aren't fooling anybody.

In response to ricky12684's comment:

In response to rkarp's comment:

Brace - huge flop already admitted that

Pryor - injurer ridden

Richard - pick #234

Brown - pick 127

Mincey - pick #191 and who is a solid starting DE for Jax

Smith - pick #206

Hill - showing promise before his death (you going to say BB killed him?)

Klecko - was productive for the Pats SB team and an Indy SB team, complaint?

Kelley - pick #243

Really man, these are the ones you going to point to as reasons why BB isn't good at picking DL? 1 was productive (Klecko), 1 died before his career really even started (Hill), 1 was injury prone but productive when on the field (Pryor), 1 is currently a starter and productive for another team (Mincey) and the two strong cases for you in Brace and Brown considering they are at least day 2 picks. Show me one GM out there who hits on late round DL.

BTW if you are going to include who he's hit on considering where they were taken how about Green, Deadrick, Francis, Love, Jones who have all provided meaning snaps to the team 

In response to PatsEng's comment:

I couldn't have said it better myself. 

I was actually just thinking about Marquise Hill the other day.  What an absolute tragedy to such a great young man.  By all accounts, he was a great person and how he died was the definition of a selfless act.  RIP, Marquise.

the DLmen that I have listed were not cherry picked. That list is EVERY DL that BB has drafted. So when you say BB is a great drafter of DL, he has hit on 3 DL in his 11 drafts...Seymour, Warren and Vince.  Lastly, I did miss Jarvis Green, so I stand corrected

There you have it...11 draft years, 14 DL drafted, 4 good picks. You are correct, he is an expert!