Patriots All Pro wide receiver Wes Welker announced on Twitter that he has signed his franchise tender:

I signed my tender today. I love the game and I love my teammates! Hopefully doing the right thing gets the right results. #leapoffaith

Welker has been in negotiations with the team for a longer contract extension after being the Patriots most reliable receiver for the past five seasons. The tag he has signed is a one year deal for $9.5 million. While Welker is worth that much for the season, he is hoping that his good faith in the front office will pay him back with a longer contract.

Welker is 31 years old, which is old for a receiver. Receivers typically see a drop off in production between the ages of 33 and 34, so the Patriots are hesitant to extend him beyond that horizon. Hopefully the Patriots can extend Welker in a fair value deal that both sides are happy with.

The Patriots have started to move with their younger players and announced the signing of Tavon Wilson and the release of Mike Hartline. Hopefully they can continue to fine-tune the roster as the off-season gets into full swing.

Wilson was selected in the second round, 48th overall, and was considered a shock to most draftniks. While he was a long term starter and a quality player in his conference, he didn't receive recognition in the post-college process and was not invited to the combine or other activities. Still, Bill Belichick and the Patriots thought he deserved to be drafted and jumped at the chance to take him. The contract is 4 years, $4.217 million, with a $1.507 million signing bonus. The first two years of his contract is guaranteed, while the final two are not. As is typical with top round picks, unless Wilson is devastatingly bad, he's assured to be around for at least two seasons.

Hartline was expected to be a camp body and his release gives the Patriots space to sign another team's castoffs.

Ever since moving from Corey Dillon and into the explosive 2007 season, the Patriots have shifted their offensive identity from a complementary offense to a passing offense with a supporting running game. That's not a bad thing; it's just how the game has evolved over time. Rules have developed to prevent as much contact against receivers and rule changes has led to greater performances by passing attacks. The Patriots have adjusted accordingly and have a tremendous wealth of talent at the receiver position.

But what about the backfield? What about the running backs? Before the draft, some of the most noteworthy free agent signings were fullbacks Spencer Larsen and Tony Fiammetta. Remember that? Once the calendar flipped to April, all focus has been on the attention to defense and to the receiving corps. Just don't forget about the fullbacks- Belichick wouldn't have brought them to the team if he didn't think they could help.

Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels is back and he enjoys having a versatile fullback- just think back to 2007 with Heath Evans and Kyle Eckel. Last season, the Patriots signed Lousaka Polite for the end of the year and he played well enough as a fullback and a special teams player. Due to the free agency period, it seems as if the team is willing to look at adding a fullback full time.

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Hey everyone, I'm one of the lead bloggers of at Pats Pulpit, the Patriots blog on SB Nation. I'm interested in all things football and I wanted to share a piece with you because I thought you would be very interested. CaliforniaJag does a great job analyzing very similar numbers, but he comes to a different conclusion. I believe that the selection of Bryan Anger is very defensible. Here's a post I made with former Denver Broncos GM Ted Sundquist, analyzing the selection.

Plenty of Jaguars fans were upset or, at the very least, confused when the front office selected punter Bryan Anger in the third round. Punters are rarely drafted and are definitely questionable selections in the middle rounds. There were other draftable players available who could have helped the team. My argument: Anger helps the team more than any of those other players could have.

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The Patriots continue to flesh out their roster and have brought former Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai into the fold. Addai is 29 years old, 5'11 and 215 lbs. He's a six year veteran and former first round pick and, coincidentally, the first round pick the year before fellow Colts-cast-off receiver Anthony Gonzalez was taken in the first round.

Addai has been injury prone throughout his career, but has generally been effective when he's been on the field. His injuries should be managed in the Patriots committee and he's going to be a depth player on the roster. He's a viable receiver out of the backfield and is an above average pass blocker. He's a do-everything running back that is reminiscent of a younger, much more injury-prone, Kevin Faulk.

In his three healthy seasons of '06, '07, and '09, Addai ran over 200 carries and caught over 40 passes and broke the 1000 yards from scrimmage mark in each season. Addai looks to be a solid rotational back for the Patriots and a veteran presence who can spell Shane Vereen early in the season as the young running backs on the roster continue to grow.

Addai never reached the expectations of Colts fans, similar to Laurence Maroney with Patriots fans, but Addai was always appreciated as a solid player for his effort. He never produced like a first round talent, but the talent was there when he was healthy. Hopefully, he can thrive in New England as part of the committee.

This isn't technically Patriots news, but it totally is. Jason Cole reports that the Washington Redskins have released wide receiver Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney became expendable due to all of the off-season signings by the Redskins.

Gaffney is a 31 year old, 6'2, 200 lbs receiver who has been consistently productive his career. This past season he caught 68 passes for 947 yards and 5 touchdowns. He spent three seasons with the Patriots (2006-2008) and became one of the Patriots' best #3 receivers of the Bill Belichick era. In 2007 and 2008, he caught 35+ for 450+ yards.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has praised Gaffney's play:

He’s just one of those guys that, from the day we got him here, he was just so reliable and dependable because he knew what to do and he did it well. You gain a lot of trust from the quarterback when all those things matchup. I was bummed when he went to Denver and I was bummed when he went to Washington and here we are playing them.

Gaffney could make a Deion Branch-like return to bolster the Patriots receiving corps. It's extremely difficult to find receivers who can fit into the Patriots offense and Gaffney has proven that he can succeed. Don't be surprised if the Patriots make a move to bring Gaffney back into the fold.

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The Patriots continue to bring in players and have moved to grab WR Matt Roark, formerly of Kentucky. Roark stands at 6'5, 225 lbs and runs a 4.7 40 yard dash. While his 7.03 3 cone is impressive, his 9'7 broad jump, 30 inch vertical, and 4.39 shuttle leaves something to be desired. Roark has knowledge of one of the current Patriots under contract, having played with depth quarterback Mike Hartline at Kentucky. Off the field, Roark was tagged with a DUI in 2010.

He is best known for leading Kentucky to its first win over Tennessee in 26 tries- a game where he played quarterback. His production isn't great, but he has plenty of special teams value. Through his career, he blocked 7 kicks (6 extra points, 1 field goal) and has been a contributor as part of the kick coverage unit. Additionally, Roark played free safety in high school, so while he will most likely not be on defense in the NFL, who knows what tricks Bill Belichick has up his sleeves.

Where will Roark fit on the roster? He doesn't have the production to make me believe that he will be an impact receiver. He does have plenty of value as the Patriots try to find special teams players and, who knows, maybe Roark can be one of the last players to make the team.

The Patriots waited until their final pick of the draft to select an offensive player. Northwestern's WR Jeremy Ebert had plenty of success, picking up 173 receptions for 2400 yards and 21 touchdowns over his four seasons. He was the team's leading receiver over the past two seasons and could challenge for one of the final roster spots.

Standing at 5'11, 200 lbs, Ebert won't be towering over anyone, but his 4.38 40 yard dash and 6.70 3 cone shows potential to be a big play threat. He looks more natural in the slot, but has speed to eventually burn down the seam. On the other hand, his 33 inch vertical and 9'4 broad jump quantify his visible lack of burst from the snap. While Ebert may potentially have the ability to be a deep threat, he will most likely be playing in the slot.

He has great hands and a nose for contact and runs crisp routes- basically everything the Patriots want in a slot receiver. I wouldn't be surprised if Ebert could put Julian Edelman on notice this off-season. Even better, Ebert has only 1 career fumble, which should put him in the coaches favor right away.

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The Patriots managed to steal another low risk player when they took Nebraska DB Alfonzo Dennard in the 7th round. Dennard's stock plummeted due to altercations with the law (assaulting a cop), but Bill Belichick said he felt comfortable enough with the situation to take Dennard late in the draft. Dennard also has a history of injuries that has forced him to miss time each season (shoulder in 2009, concussion in 2010, leg in 2011, hip-flexor in 2012 during Senior Bowl).

Dennard participated in 36 games, with starts in his last three seasons. He totaled 4 interceptions and 21 passes defended in his career. He was Nebraska's Defensive MVP in 2011 and was named First Team All-Conference in 2010 and 2011. He stands at 5'10, 205 lbs and ran a 4.55 40 at the combine, but that was after recovering from his hip-flexor injury- his actual numbers are unknown.

There is a school of thought that believes Dennard could and should make the move to free safety due to as he was consistently beaten by receivers in off-coverage. However, others argue that his strength is in press coverage and that he was misplayed by the coaches at the Senior Bowl, which led him to be burned on deep throws. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots play Dennard on defense.

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The Patriots typically save their boom-bust picks for the end of the draft and Ohio State DB Nate Ebner fits the bill. Ebner is a former rugby star who represented the United States in both the U-19 and U-20 teams- and won two Rugby World Cup MVP awards. He's an elite athlete who has limited experience on the football field, just starting his football career at Ohio State. Of course, the fact that he was able to walk on to Ohio State's football team is a testament to his drive and potential.

Ebner stands at 6'0, 202 lbs and runs a 4.55 40, 6.59 3 cone, and 4.04 shuttle. He threw up the bar 23 teams to show off his strength, broad jumped 10'8 to show his explosion, and vertical jumped 39 inches. He's this season's Malcolm Williams, except bigger, stronger, and quicker. Ebner has potential to grow as a safety prospect while contributing immediately on special teams.

Through three seasons of football, Ebner totaled 30 tackles and 1 sack. He won the team's Special Teams Player of the Year award in 2011, as well as the Team's Most Inspirational Player award. Additionally, he earned a scholarship after having walked on to the team.

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The Patriots doubled down at DE/OLB (tripled down if you count Dont'a Hightower) when they selected Arkansas DE Jake Bequette 90th overall, after selecting the 6'5, 260 lbs Chandler Jones. Bequette stands at 6'4.5, 275 lbs, runs a 4.8 40 and an extraordinary 6.9 three cone drill. While his 9'5 broad jump leaves desire for a more explosive player, Bequette already possesses Belichick's ideal frame for an elephant on defense (6'5, 270, 4.8 40).

Most surprisingly, if you look at his combine workout, Bequette appears to have the fluidity and athleticism to develop into a solid coverage linebacker- at least out in the flat and between the down markers. He was a 42 game starter at Arkansas and developed into a true force. He was a two time captain and is recovering from a pectoral injury.

2008: 12 games (11 starts), 27 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 PBU

2009: 13 games (8 starts), 39 tackles, 9 TFL, 5.5 Sacks, 2 PBU, 2 FF

2010: 13 games (13 starts), 32 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 7 Sacks, 3 PBU, 1 FF, 2nd All-SEC

2011: 10 games (10 starts), Hamstring injury, 28 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 10 Sacks (#1 SEC), 1 PBU, 5 FF, 1st All-SEC

He does have visibly short arms (Chandler Jones has 10 inches of wing span over Bequette), but he makes up through sheer determination as he fights through to the whistle every time. The Patriots had to make a move for the top SEC defensive end in the draft as the Falcons, Colts, Bengals, and Giants were all picking next.

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The Patriots shocked the draftniks by taking Illinois DB Tavon Wilson with the 48th overall selection. Wilson was not invited to any of the main post-season events and turned down an invitation to a showing right after his Pro Day. Wilson stands at 6'0, 205 lbs, runs a 4.5 40, 4.16 20 shuttle, 7.04 three cone, has a 10'4 broad jump and a 32 inch vertical. Athletically, he falls in line with the top safeties in the draft.

Wilson played in 50 games while at Illinois, starting 39 of them. He played both safety positions and played inside and outside at cornerback. He filled his role on defense as the team needed him and was willing and able to play whatever the coaches asked of him. He was a team captain this past season.

2008: 12 games (1 start), ST + CB, 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 PBU

2009: 12 games (12 starts), ST + CB, 74 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 7 PBU, 1 INT

2010: 13 games (13 starts), ST + S, 48 tackles, 2 TFL, 8 PBU, 1 INT, 2 FR

2011: 13 games (13 starts), ST + CB + S, 81 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 6 PBU, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR

Both Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio Director of College Scouting Jon Robinson worked out Wilson at Illinois. Seven teams worked out Wilson and one of them, San Diego, was picking next. Belichick must have believed that the Chargers were interested in Wilson, or else they would have most likely waited. By selecting Wilson at 48, the Patriots were left with one more pick, which severely reduced their leverage in trading picks.

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The Patriots 31st and 126th overall selections to pick former Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower 25th overall. Hightower was one of the more coveted linebackers in the draft and was expected to be a target for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens as they look to replenish their aging linebacker corps. Boston Globe's Greg Bedard says that he, "heard from a few NFL sources that aren't thrilled the Steelers passed on Hightower and let him get to the Patriots." That definitely means he's a great pick, right?

Hightower was a four year starter at Alabama, a tremendous accomplishment, and played both the Will (weakside linebacker) for the first half of his career and the Mike (middle linebacker) for the second half. His versatility definitely attracted the Patriots.

Hightower stands at 6'2, 265 lbs, which is hefty for an inside linebacker. Hightower is known to be a thumper in the Brandon Spikes mold, but with much greater speed. He has tremendous instincts and can- and will- make plays all over the field. He has the ability to drop into coverage, stop the run, and rush the passer. He can doing everything to a high level and it's clear the Patriots respected his abilities.

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The Patriots have spent their first two draft picks on players for the defensive front seven as Bill Belichick and the front office try to improve their defense in order to be more competitive. They moved up in the draft to grab DE/OLB Chandler Jones and LB Dont'a Hightower. However, the Patriots seem fairly stacked at the linebacker position- so where do these players fit on the field and into the depth chart? It seems as if the Patriots spent both picks- and moved up- because they are impact-now type of players. Here's my projected positional depth charts:

3-4

LDE: Brandon Deaderick - Myron Pryor

NT: Vince Wilfork - Kyle Love

RDE: Jonathan Fanene - Ron Brace

Sam: Chandler Jones - Trevor Scott - Markell Carter

Mike: Jerod Mayo - Brandon Spikes - Dane Fletcher

Will: Dont'a Hightower - Tracy White - Bobby Carpenter

Jack: Rob Ninkovich - Jermaine Cunningham

Hightower has experience as the Will and Mayo would be able to play his Mike spot. To throw a wrench, I think that Brandon Spikes would assume the Mike and Mayo would slide to the Will if they're on the field at the same time. Jones assumes the elephant role as primarily a pass rusher and, as a rookie, I would expect him to have his hand in the dirt a fair amount of time.

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The Patriots packaged their 27th and 93rd overall picks to move up to 21st to grab former Syracuse DE/OLB Chandler Jones. With the Bengals openly shopping the pick, the Patriots most likely heard that team was interested in grabbing Jones, so they moved up to make their selection.

Jones stands at 6'5.5 and weights 255 lbs- however, his playing weight is 265 and he's been fluctuating with his weight (265 at the combine, 255 at his pro day) to show his versatility to potential teams. While his 4.8 40 isn't impressive, his 10' broad jump shows impressive explosion and his 7.07 3 cone ties him with Shea McClellin and puts him at 6th for OLB/DE prospects. His has the ability to be an elite athlete, but he looks extremely raw.

When looking at his film, it's clear that he needs to improve his running motion- and it's something you can be sure the Patriots coaching staff will help him with. He often gets up quickly in his stance, which gives him poor pad leverage, while also removing some of his speed and explosion. When he has proper form (around 33% of the time), he looks like a 4.7 type of player and can explode through his blocker. However, the rest of the time, he looks like a 5.0 player who has to try to work his way into the backfield. If he can clean up his technique, he looks to be great.

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So the day is over, but the draft has just begun. Plenty of prospects have fallen through the cracks and are ready to be taken at the top of the second round.

The Patriots stole the show, in my totally biased opinion, when they traded up twice to nab pass rusher Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Jones gives the Patriots a great option on the outside, with solid strength and athletic ability to complement Rob Ninkovich. Hightower is too good of a player to pass over and the Patriots had to make a move. Look for him to play both outside linebacker in the 4-3 fronts and on the inside in the 3-4.

How do you think the Patriots did? They gave away their later round picks to move up and it seems like they received very good deals while moving up.

Here are some of the top remaining players:

CB Janoris Jenkins, Josh Robinson, Casey Hayward

LB Lavonte David, Zach Brown

DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw, Andre Branch, Vinny Curry

DT Devon Still, Jerel Worthy, Kendall Reyes,

OG Cordy Glenn, Amini Silatolu

OT Jonathan Martin, Bobby Massie, Mike Adams

OC Peter Konz

WR Stephen Hill, Alshon Jeffery

TE Coby Fleener

So talk about today! Who did well? What should the Patriots do tomorrow?

First Round Draft Order

1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck - Great fit
   
2. Washington Redskins - QB Robert Griffin III - Great fit
   
3. Minnesota Vikings - Traded to Cleveland - RB Trent Richardson - Great deal for both teams. Cleveland wins outdated draft value chart and had extra late round picks. Vikings can add more depth.
   
4. Cleveland Browns - Traded to Minnesota - OT Matt Kalil - Vikings move down a slot and get the guy they want.
   
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Traded to Jacksonville - WR Justin Blackmon - Jaguars worried about STL taking the receiver and made a good move to get their guy.
   
6. St. Louis Rams - Traded to Dallas - CB Morris Claiborne - He dropped further than expected and the Cowboys wanted him badly.
   
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Traded to Tampa Bay - S Mark Barron - The Bucs needed a lot of help in their secondary and Barron can step in and help out.
   
8. Miami Dolphins - QB Ryan Tannehill - Should groom for a year or two behind whoever starts at quarterback.
   
9. Carolina Panthers - ILB Luke Kuechly - One of the most solid players in the draft, he should help out plenty.
   
10. Buffalo Bills - CB Stephon Gilmore - The Bills needed help as cornerback as they focused their free agency on bolstering the defense. Gilmore is a great addition.
    
11. Kansas City Chiefs - NT Dontari Poe - Poe is a workout warrior and is a boom-bust prospect. Wait and see.
    
12. Seattle Seahawks - Traded to Philadelphia - DT Fletcher Cox - When Cox fell out of the first round, a team had to trade up to grab him. He'll go very well on their defensive line.
    
13. Arizona Cardinals - WR Michael Floyd - Floyd is one of the best players, never mind receivers, in the draft and should pair up with Larry Fitzgerald to make a dangerous pairing.
    
14. Dallas Cowboys - Traded to St. Louis - DT Michael Brockers - The Rams like his size and he should fit will on the defense.
    
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Traded to Seattle - OLB/DE Bruce Irvin - While he may seem like a reach, he produced on the field and he had a fantastic combine. I'll hold judgment.
    
16. New York Jets - OLB/DE Quinton Coples - A little oversized to be an OLB and undersized to be a DE, Rex Ryan will find a spot for this athlete.
    
17. Cincinnati Bengals - CB Dre Kirkpatrick - The Bengals need a ton of help in the secondary and Kirkpatrick is a great pick to fall to them.
18. San Diego Chargers - OLB Melvin Ingram - Extremely versatile, the Chargers couldn't help but jump at his value.
19. Chicago Bears - DE Shea McClellin - Great and well rounded player, should help out from the start. However, is he big enough to play DE?
20. Tennessee Titans - WR Kendall Wright - Add another weapon to play with Kenny Britt and helps set quarterback Jake Locker up nicely.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Traded to New England - OLB/DE Chandler Jones - Jones is an interesting prospect. He has an injury history, but has optimal size at 6'5, 265 and . He is a solid pass rusher, but is more of a stout player, which fits the Patriots defensive mentality. He can reach the quarterback, but he is strong enough to play contain against the run. He's explosive with a 10 foot broad jump and has 4.8 speed- not elite, but enough to get the job done. He's a high effort player who should fit well across from Rob Ninkovich.
    
22. Cleveland Browns - QB Brandon Weeden - Weeden gives the Browns their quarterback since they don't trust Colt McCoy. Good move and the franchise can move forward.
    
23. Detroit Lions - OT Riley Reiff - Need help on the offensive lineman and Reiff is one of the best players on the board. Lions have solid guards, but need help at center and tackle. Great pick.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - OG David DeCastro - Great pick as the Steelers needed help at guard and got the best one in the draft.
25. Denver Broncos - Traded to New England - LB Dont'a Hightower - Grabs one of the Alabama defenders. He's a beast at 6'2, 265 and can play all LB positions and possible 3-4 DE. He's a stout run defender and is a very good coverage linebacker. He doesn't possess elite speed, but he runas a 4.6 40, which is fantastic for whatever role is asked. He's a film junky and a team leader and he'll definitely help the Patriots defense take another step forward.
26. Houston Texans - OLB/DE Whitney Mercilus - Texans didn't really need another pass rusher after grabbing Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin the past couple of seasons, but Mercilus is a talent that they'll find time to put on the field.
27. New England Patriots - Traded to Cincinnati - OG Kevin Zeitler - Needed help on their offensive line and Zeitler is a great, feisty, player.
    
28. Green Bay Packers - OLB Nick Perry - Perry fits extremely well across from Clay Matthews and the Packers have a revamped pass rush with a pair of USC Trojans.
29. Baltimore Ravens - Traded to Minnesota - S Harrison Smith - Smith is a great athlete in shorts, but it doesn't always show on the field. That said, his instincts are top notch and if he can combine his off-field athletics with his on-field instincts, the sky is the limit.
30. San Francisco 49ers - WR A.J. Jenkins - Jenkins might be slight overdrafted, but he has blazing speed and gives another weapon to develop the 49ers offense.
31. New England Patriots - Traded to Denver - Traded to Tampa Bay - RB Doug Martin - An every down back, he should help the Bucs as they revolutionize their offensive attack.
32. New York Giants - RB David Wilson - The most explosive back in the draft, if he can learn to control his amazing skills, he could be the best back in the draft.

Let's head into the draft!

1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck: Obvious.

2. Washington Redskins - QB Robert Griffin III: Obvious 2.0.

3. Minnesota Vikings - OT Matt Kalil: They need a tackle and a cornerback, but I think a better corner will drop to the top of the second round, like Casey Hayward, Janoris Jenkins, or Josh Robinson.

4. Cleveland Browns - RB Trent Richardson: Whoever the Browns have at quarterback will need some help at running back to relieve some of the pressure.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CB Morris Claiborne: They need a cornerback. Badly.

6. St. Louis Rams - WR Michael Floyd: Quarterback Sam Bradford needs some weapons and Floyd is my top rated receiver in the draft.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars - WR Justin Blackmon: Their defense is underrated (6th in yards, 11th in points), and they have a hideous receiving unit. If Gabbert is to succeed, he needs a lot of help.

8. Miami Dolphins - QB Ryan Tannehill: I think they do it, although I don't think it's a good pick. Let him sit behind Garrard to develop and maybe he'll pan out.

9. Carolina Panthers - DT Fletcher Cox: He'll help bolster the defensive line and add some strength up the middle.

10. Buffalo Bills - S Mark Barron: Pair him up with Jairus Byrd for a dangerous safety tandem in a league with dangerous passing attacks.

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According to Albert Breer, the Patriots have contacted the Seattle Seahawks to determine how much it would cost to move up to the 12th overall pick. Breer states that it could be information gathering and I believe it has a lot to do with how the draft potentially falls.

Seattle has stated that they're willing and able to move around the draft board and the Patriots are clearly throwing their hat into the ring because, hey, why not. Bill Belichick putting his feelers out to the 12th overall pick shows the other top 20 picks that Belichick might be interested in a trade- and if they want to make a deal, he'll be in the front of their mind. While seeing the asking price of Seattle could be due diligence, he is also setting a cap for what he would be willing to pay to move up, or what other team is willing to trade to move down.

Of course, it's hard to ignore that the Seahawks are positioned two picks before the 14th Dallas Cowboys, who have outwardly expressed their interest in safety Mark Barron. The Patriots have a clear need for another top safety in their backfield and Barron is the best in the draft. While some analysts are thinking that Barron might not make it out of the top 10, if he does slide, the Patriots need to know the value and whether it's worth a trade to move up to grab him.

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The Patriots were able to find a gem last season with the signing of defensive end Andre Carter. Due to the lockout, the whole off-season was jilted and the Patriots were forced to modify their defense to fit the skill sets of those on the roster. Carter stepped up in a big way as one of the league's premier pass rushers and run stoppers as the Patriots opened the season in the 4-3 set. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to an injury, but it's been generally assumed the Patriots have an idea that they'll bring Carter back as soon as he passes his physicals.

According to Tom Curran of CSNNE, that might not happen.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Carter said Tuesday when asked if he knew the Patriots plans for him. "They kind of just said, 'Thanks for everything,' at the end of the year and I haven't heard from them since. But I'm optimistic everything works out."

Apparently, the Patriots haven't even talked to Carter, which isn't a very good sign. I was expected at least some discussion to the extent of, "Hey, let us know when you feel healthy." If the Patriots haven't even talked with him, I don't think the prospects are that good of Carter returning before the pre-season.

My guess is that the Patriots are hoping to move on from the 4-3 defense (and Carter and Mark Anderson) and shift back to a more hybrid scheme that Carter doesn't fit. However, if no player emerges during the off-season, the Patriots still have the chance to bring back Carter and reinvent their defense.

The Patriots aren't strangers to using some of the older players and moving on. Stud blocking tight end Alge Crumpler immediately comes to mind. Rotational defensive tackle Gerard Warren wasn't signed until early August last season. If the Patriots want Carter, they'll get him back in the fold, but it's likely that they want to exhaust all other venues in order to bring youth and progress to the defense. Carter will most likely be a last resort.

ESPN had a special with former GMs Bill Polian and Bill Parcells presenting what it's like during the draft. They had their own draft board on the wall behind them and here's a breakdown of what they had:

Offensive Skill Players:

	WR	QB	RB	TE/FB
Round 1		Andrew Luck	Trent Richardson
	Justin Blackmon	Robert Griffin III
	Michael Floyd	Ryan Tannehill
	Stephen Hill			Coby Fleener
Round 2	Kendall Wright
			Lamar Miller
	Tommy Streeter
			David Wilson	Dwayne Allen
	Alshon Jeffery
	Rueben Randle	Brock Osweiler
	Juron Criner
		Kirk Cousins	Doug Martin
	Ryan Broyles
Round 3	Mohamed Sanu
			Isaiah Pead
		Brandon Wheeden	LaMichael James
	Jeff Fuller			Orson Charles
	Dwight Jones		Bernard Pierce
	DeVier Posey
Round 4			Chris Polk
				Ladarius Green
	Brian Quick			Michael Egnew
				Bradie Ewing
				Rhett Ellison
PFA

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We've looked at Nick Perry, Whitney Mercilus, Courtney Upshaw, Melvin Ingram, and Quentin Coples. There are a few other top tier OLB prospects to look at. The following players are expected to be off the board either in the last first or early second:

Clemson's Andre Branch:

CBS Report

Standing at 6'4, 260 lbs, Branch matches the prototypical 3-4 OLB size and he has the athleticism to develop into a do-everything linebacker.

Strengths: Able to set the edge. Great closing burst to reach the ball carrier in the back field. Great effort to disengage and make a play.

Weaknesses: Struggles to shed blockers (both tackles and tight ends) and can be stood up on the line. Raw as a player due to inexperience.

Syracuse's Chandler Jones:

CBS Report

Jones has a history of injuries, but has a lot of hustle. At 6'5, 265 lbs, Jones has great size for the position. His frame is a little on the long side, though, so he may struggle in space.

Strengths: Gives his all every single snap. Comes from a family of athletes. Violent with his hands. Stout defender who can set the edge. Has great strength to knock off blockers.

Weaknesses: Doesn't have a great speed move. Lacks great lateral athleticism. Raw as a prospect. Injury history. May not develop into an all-around outside linebacker.

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With Patriots franchise left tackle Matt Light set to retire after a fantastic career, the team must shuffle the deck a little bit if they wish to protect quarterback Tom Brady for the upcoming season. Here's a breakdown of all of the players on the roster:

Tackle:

Nate Solder

Sebastian Vollmer

Matt Kopa

Kyle Hix

Tackle/Guard:

Robert Gallery

Marcus Cannon

Guard:

Logan Mankins

Brian Waters

Donald Thomas

Guard/Center:

Dan Connolly

Nick McDonald

Ryan Wendell

Center:

Dan Koppen

Out of these 13 players, which (likely) 10 players will make the team? Don't be surprised if the Patriots bring in another player in the draft or as an undrafted free agent- and don't be surprised if and when the Patriots bring in a lineman who is cut from another team.

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Two weeks ago, the NFL announced the weeks and match-ups for the 2012 preseason. Now, we have the exact dates and times as the the Patriots have released the team's final preseason schedule:

Thursday 8/9 7:30 v. Saints

Monday 8/20 8:00 v. Eagles

Friday 8/24 7:30 @ Buccaneers

Wednesday 8/29 7:30 @ NY Giants

You can see that the team is lined up to have three games in a span of 10 days, flying from New England to Tampa Bay, and back to New York. That's a lot of travel that, hopefully, won't have a lasting impact on the team's open to the season. Additionally, the Patriots open up the season with three of four games on the road, so they'll be traveling a lot early on.

However, Ethan Hammerman makes a good point that the three games in 10 days shouldn't be too bad. Bill Belichick is known for amicable relationship with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and was Tampa Bay's head coach Greg Schiano's biggest fan in getting him hired. Those two games should be nothing more than advanced scrimmages for the Patriots.

On the other hand, the Saints team is in complete shambles, so who knows how they'll play to open the pre-season (I'm assuming they'll be well behaved). Additionally, the Giants game should have a little more emotion due to the Super Bowl.

What do you all think about the schedule?

As the NFL turns to a passing-dependent league, teams will looks to develop their defenses to handle passing-oriented offenses. Over the past couple of years, it has become increasingly common to see teams play five defensive backs in order to cover three receivers on the field. I shot a couple questions at Pro Football Focus's Mike Clay and asked him to compare the production of the three main defensive alternatives that feature five defensive backs: 2-4-5, 3-3-5, and 4-2-5.

The Patriots have primarily operated with the 3-3-5 and the 4-2-5, while teams like the Green Bay Packers have had success in the 2-4-5. Clay was able to put out the rankings of those three formations.

Pass Defense (YPA):

1. 4-2-5: 7.3

2. 2-4-5: 7.5

3. 3-3-5: 8.1

Run Defense (YPC):

1. 2-4-5: 4.7

2. 4-2-5: 4.9

3. 3-3-5: 5.1

So how can the Patriots use these numbers? Teams will play formations that fit the personnel. It's clear that the 3-3-5 formation is the least effective, so the Patriots must find players that can play in either the 4-2 or the 2-4 front. Or, even better, they can find players who can do both.

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Name: DE/OLB Quinton Coples

School: North Carolina

Size: 6'5.5, 278 lbs

Stats

CBS Draft Profile

Expected Round: 1, top 20

Game Footage

Strengths: Athletic freak. Great first step. Versatile to play inside and outside on the defensive line. Violent arms. Willing to chase down field. Can push back tackles and other linemen. Tremendous wingspan. Able to stack-and-shed against tackles. Disciplined, but not polished instincts. Can push the double team.

Weaknesses: Sometimes too lengthy to turn the corner. Runs himself out of a lot of plays when he could cut back inside. Rarely asked to play contain as a defensive end (but was able to when called upon). Needs a closing step when chasing down the ball carrier in the open field. Needs a lot of work on his football IQ.

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Name: RB Trent Richardson

School: Alabama

Size: 5'9, 228 lbs

Stats

CBS Draft Profile

Expected Round: 1, top 10

Game Footage

Strengths: Stops on a dime. Fantastic lateral movement and hesitation moves. Solid receiver. Low center of gravity, hard to tackle. Willing blocker. Great when running to the outside. Powerful and can pick up yards when he lowers his shoulder. Can attack the hole with a single cut run. Easily breaks arm tackles and continuously churns his legs. Extraordinarily strong.

Weaknesses: Lacks elite breakaway speed. Might not be as reliable when running directly behind center. Very few holes in his game. Underwent knee surgery in the off-season.

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