9. Recovering tight ends

Benjamin Watson (pictured) and David Thomas top the team's tight end depth chart, and their health will be closely monitored. Watson is coming back from offseason ankle surgery, while Thomas was limited to two games last season with a broken foot. If either player experiences a setback, the Patriots would presumably be in the market for a replacement. The team also enters the season without a tight end whose forte is blocking, so monitoring how that could alter the team's approach is noteworthy.