Rely on the young guys

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

The Patriots can, and should, expect more from safety Tavon Wilson. He'll be a second-year player next year. He was the team's surprise second-round draft pick in 2012 and played a limited role as the team's dime defensive back.

If Wilson can successfully move into a more prominent role, that could allow Devin McCourty to move back to cornerback, allowing McCourty to be paired at corner with two-year veteran Ras-I Dowling. Dowling has suffered back-to-back season ending injuries, but at one point he was envisioned as the team’s starting corner along with McCourty. Maybe that dream can be resurrected.