Sports Insider by Frank Coppola: Question of the Week: What is the biggest storyline at Patriots training camp?

July 26, 2008

Question of the Week: What is the biggest storyline at Patriots training camp?

There are plenty of issues facing the defending AFC champion New England Patriots as they open training camp this summer, so we ask:

What is the biggest storyline at Patriots training camp?

Ed Flaherty
Seacoast Media Group sports editor
Defensive stamina. In the last two seasons, the Patriots have suffered late-game collapses on the biggest stages: the AFC championship game against the Colts two years ago and, of course, the last-minute loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. In both instances the Patriots were in position to secure the victory before the defense succumbed when needed the most. Age is a concern on a defense that was at one time feared but now plays second banana to New England’s high-octane offense. That Tom Brady-led offense will undoubtedly put up high scores on a weekly basis, but in tight, last-minute situations, however, it’s the defense that will need to rise to the challenge if the Patriots want to erase the sting of that stunning loss to the Giants.

Frank Coppola
Seacoast Media Group assistant sports editor
For a team that went 18-1 last season, the Patriots certainly have their share of on-the-field questions. Who replaces Asante Samuel and Randall Gay in the secondary? Can rookie Jerod Mayo invigorate an aging linebacking corps? How will the offensive line respond after getting torched by the Giants in the Super Bowl? But things in Foxborough are always about the big picture, and Bill Belichick’s biggest challenge this season will be making sure his team doesn’t suffer from the hangover that has affected most of the previous 41 Super Bowl losers. To a man, the players to say they’ve moved on and forgotten about their blown chance at football immortality, but can it really be that easy? As a fan, I can tell you it’s not. The Patriots are too talented not to make the playoffs, but the mental hurdle they must clear between now and the Super Bowl is a big one.

Roger Brown
Seacoast Media Group staff writer
There will be many stories written about the New England secondary in the next few weeks — and for good reason. Cornerback Asante Samuel was the team’s biggest offseason loss, but the Patriots lost defensive backs Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson as well. There are six cornerbacks currently on the roster who have yet to play a down for the Patriots. Samuel’s departure leaves the team without a lockdown corner, which means the spotlight will be on assistant coach Dom Capers this season. Capers was hired in February as a special assistant/secondary coach, so head coach Bill Belichick must have felt the secondary needed extra attention. The Patriots may have enough talent elsewhere to overcome any secondary issues, but the defensive backfield is the area that could prevent the Patriots from making a return trip to the Super Bowl.

Mike Zhe
Seacoast Media Group staff writer
The secondary. Losing Asante Samuel and Randall Gay turns the cornerback position from a plus to a question mark, especially with Ellis Hobbs recovering from offseason shoulder and hernia surgeries. The Pats would love to see more development from second-year guy Brandon Meriweather, who brings speed and cover ability to the safety slot that 15-year veteran Rodney Harrison lacks. And there are a half-dozen other DBs who’ll be under the spotlight between now and Sept. 7. There’s no reason to think the explosive Pats won’t be at or near the top of the charts in total offense; but a defense that ranked sixth overall last year in yards allowed — and is 1) aging and 2) missing key parts — has work to do before it is regarded that highly in 2008.

Mike Sullivan
Seacoast Media Group columnist
It should be the cornerback position because, let’s face it, it’s completely unclear what is going to happen there. Unfortunately, it will probably end up being Nick Kaczur depending on what happens in the wake of his offseason arrest for alleged drug possession. For now, the biggest storylines involve the past. Questions linger about the Super Bowl loss to the Giants. Apparently the dead Spygate horse hasn’t been kicked enough. Oh, and let’s not forget Tom Brady’s offseason vacation itinerary — based on the amount of coverage that has gotten, it would seem as though sports reporting has gone completely tabloid. The sooner the focus gets back to football — the 2008 season, mind you — the better off the Patriots, and football fans, will be.

Posted by Frank Coppola at July 26, 2008 07:07 PM

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