First and 10 for Patriots, imperfections and all
When the Patriots take the field for the start of training camp tomorrow - the symbolic start of the 2008 season - 172 days will have elapsed since Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress's perfection-preventing, game-winning touchdown grab in Super Bowl XLII. The memories - and pain - of an 18-1 season are still fresh; however, so is New England's start.
With a new season come new issues and new story lines. Here are 10 to keep track of as training camp kicks off:
1. Cornerback competition - Opposing receivers better not be as wide open as the Patriots' cornerback derby. With Asante Samuel and Randall Gay gone and starter Ellis Hobbs coming off surgeries for a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a hernia, cornerback is the team's biggest question mark. New England signed a trio of bargain-basement veterans - Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster, and Lewis Sanders. They'll be challenged by rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, as well as redshirt rookie Mike Richardson, who showed promise before breaking his left thumb last preseason.
2. Impact of Dom Capers - New England's biggest offseason addition may be a coach. Capers joined Bill Belichick's staff as secondary coach/special assistant, replacing Joel Collier. In each of the last two seasons, the Patriots have suffered crushing defeats after being unable to stop an opposing offense from marching for the decisive score. Capers, who was the opposing defensive coordinator the last time the Patriots were shut out (21-0 by Miami in 2006), will be asked to coach up the secondary and help defensive coordinator Dean Pees dial up some creative schemes.
3. Uneven Stephen - One of the enduring memories from the Patriots' 17-14 Super Bowl loss is Belichick eschewing a 49-yard field goal to go for it on fourth and 13. It was a rousing vote of no confidence in kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Now, in his third season, Gostkowski, who hit 21 of 24 field goals in 2007 but didn't make a kick longer than 45 yards, will be under the microscope.
4. Holding the line - The offensive line had three Pro Bowlers: center Dan Koppen, left tackle Matt Light, and left guard Logan Mankins. But after it allowed five sacks in the Super Bowl, the line's play suddenly became offensive to many. It's unfair to judge the unit on one bad game, but there are other issues, namely the health of right guard Stephen Neal, who suffered a knee injury in the Super Bowl and carries a $3 million salary cap charge, and the drug saga of right tackle Nick Kaczur. In court yesterday, Kaczur, who was arrested in April in New York while illegally in possession of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, will have the charge dismissed if he stays out of trouble for six months.
5. Inside job - The demands the Patriots place on their inside linebackers make it a tough position for the team to fill. Players have looked the part, but not been able to play it (see: Beisel, Monty). Belichick said the team has long had the goal of getting younger and more athletic on defense. To do that, the Patriots need rookie Jerod Mayo, the 10th pick in April's draft, and Jets refugee Victor Hobson, who will attempt to make the switch from 3-4 outside linebacker to 3-4 inside linebacker, to pick up the defense quickly.
6. Year two, A.D. - Linebacker Adalius Thomas - known to teammates as A.D. - flourished after being moved from inside to outside linebacker when Rosevelt Colvin suffered a broken foot. Thomas's best game as a Patriot was his two-sack performance in the Super Bowl. The costliest free agent acquisition (five years, $35 million) of the Belichick Era, Thomas figures to start the season outside opposite Mike Vrabel and top his 6 1/2-sack total from last season.
7. Seeing more from Seymour - This could be a make-or-break year for Richard Seymour. The lucrative extension he signed in 2006, which included $24 million in bonuses, expires following the 2009 season. He'll carry a $9.79 million cap charge in 2009 and could be a cap casualty if his play doesn't perk up. The perennial Pro Bowl defensive end missed the first seven games last season after a slow recovery from left knee surgery and finished with career lows of 30 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. He didn't register a sack or a quarterback hit in the playoffs. However, Seymour said he's healthy, and he was able to participate in the offseason program for the first time since 2005.
8. Tight (end) spot - Both starter Benjamin Watson (left ankle surgery) and David Thomas (foot) are coming back from injuries. Thomas showed potential as a pass catcher as a rookie in 2006, but broke his foot in the offseason program in 2007, then reinjured the foot in his second game back, ending his season in October. The Patriots signed veteran Marcus Pollard, brought back stopgap Stephen Spach, and brought in undrafted rookie Jonathan Stupar. But there is no proven blocker.
9. Running story - Laurence Maroney responded in the second half of the season, bouncing back from a groin injury that cost him three games to finish with 835 yards and six touchdowns on 185 carries. He added a pair of 122-yard rushing efforts in the playoffs. If Maroney can stay injury-free, he has a 1,300-yard season in him. If not, the Patriots better hope Sammy Morris is fully recovered from his sternum-clavicle separation.
10. Safety first - One thing became apparent watching Brandon Meriweather last season: He was a lot more effective at safety than at cornerback. Meriweather can still line up at corner in nickel and dime packages, but he's shown he's most likely to live up to his first-round pick status as a safety. With the contracts of James Sanders and Rodney Harrison up after this season, Meriweather merits a long look there.
