New England Patriots Team To beat

The New England Patriots have been questioned about how good they will be coming into the 2013 year. I think it’s a matter about how amazing they will be in the Super Bowl.

                On offense, the Patriots have a hungry Tom Brady returning for yet another season, young stud Stevan Ridley at running back, old man Lloyd at wide receiver, and Gronk and Hernandez at tight end. The offensive line isn’t bad either. Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback currently playing in the NFL, returns hungrier than ever in maybe his last season. Ridley, the newly discovered star running back, has plenty of years to go. However, with Brady leaving sometime in the near future, Ridley will try harder to succeed. Winning the Super Bowl is probably Brandon Lloyd’s top priority. This thirty-six year old will try his best to fill Wes Welker’s shoes. Welker will be a free agent and it’s very plausible that he will not return to New England. Which means Lloyd, Edelman, Branch, and Slater have to step it up and play their best ball. Gronkowski has emerged as the NFL’s best tight end with Aaron Hernandez hovering around the sixth seventh spot. Gronkowski has the strength and build to crash his way to the end zone. Hernandez is the complete opposite; he has outstandingly fast speed, which he usually uses for running short out routes. The offensive line has been fantastic this season, but they are getting older and older. Watch for Belichick to select an offensive lineman in the second or third rounds of the draft.

                On defense, there are defensive linemen Rob Ninkovich, Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones, and Brandon Deaderick. Who all play absolutely superbly. Linebackers Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower, and Brandon Spikes punish all running backs and wide receivers who dare to invade their space. At cornerback, Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib, and Kyle Arrington have shut down opposing teams passing games. At safety, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, and Steve Gregory take any long balls out of the opponent’s playbook. Though most of the DL consists of young players, Vince Wilfork is aging; do not be surprised if the Pats pick up a DL before the season. Though the linebacking corps of the Patriots has already sent shivers through opponents, their depth at this position is weak. Dennard, even as a rookie, showed he can be trusted covering superb wide outs. Talib has been a major success at cornerback this past year; however, Talib might decide to leave the Patriots for good before the season starts. safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung have done a great job at safety, but with Gregory on the roster, they might have to make a run for their money.