The Belly Check

5 Positions Of Need As Patriots Training Camp Opens

PATRIOTS START TRAINING CAMP TODAY

The New England Patriots report for duty Thursday (today) to begin their chase for the Super Bowl. This is training camp time, with the preseason games starting soon after.

The Patriots got tossed out of the playoffs like a salad last year. It wasn't pretty. Good teams blew us out. That undefeated season when we were beating teams 50-7 seemed a century away as Baltimore routed us on our home turf.

The Patriots haven't altered much since. They tend to trade down in the draft until they find players with no buzz about them. Last year, no one was saying "Watch out for New England... they got Patrick Chung," just like no one now is saying "How are we going to pass the ball with Devin McCourty around?"

The good news is that our draft class is now signed, so there will be no holdout nonsesne. If McCourty and Gronkowski stink, they will do so because they actually stink, rather than because they held out of camp and don't get all the plays memorized until late November.

I tend to worry too much, though. It's a good trait in a sportswriter, as it fills column space. So, with that in mind, here are a few things I'm keeping my eye on as the Pats start training camp:

- Defensive End

Last year, we traded star DE Richard Seymour for what we are hoping will be a top pick in the next NFL draft. Seymour Turf was missed, as Jarvis Greene didn't generate the same sort of impact as Seymour used to. Now, even Jarvis Greene is gone.

This is a hard position to stock, as most teams play with four defensive lineman in a 4-3 defense. The Pats play a 3-4, need the 300 pound defensive end kinda guy, and have little use for the 278 pound defensive end type who generally occupy the free agent class.

Mike Wright and Ron Brace may wind up at end. This is bad because A) they're both nose tackles, and B) they would be playing the position out of need. You hate to have a guy starting at one position because he can't start at the other one.

The other end position will be ably filled by Ty Warren, who- incredibly- holds the Massachusetts record catch for Mahi-Mahi. Ty is of no relation I'm aware of to new Pats defensive lineman Gerard Warren, who is also in the mix for that other DE spot.

A long shot is former Panther Damione Lewis. He's about the right size, we just signed him last winter, and his first name is what the anti-Christ would have been named if The Omen was a blaxploitation film.

- Cornerback

One spot seems secure (secure = "should be starting"), with Leigh Bodden covering the other team's top receiver. There are many better top corners out there, but he'll pass in a pinch.

The other side is a bit murky. 2009 second rounder Darius Butler is the early favorite among the media, although anything can happen. 2008 draft picks Jonathan Wilhite and Terrence Wheatley are pretty much at the end of the rope if they don't make it here.

Many a time last season, teams just tossed it at will on us. Unless some of the kids (mix in Pat Chung, Devin McCourty, Brandon Meriweather, etc) really turn into players this year, there may be frequent fits of rage at my house this autumn.

Note that Bill Belichick selected Oregon safet Patrick Chung just before Buffalo drafted Oregon safety Jairus Byrd. Byrd was briefly the NFL defensive rookie of the year, until they gave it back to that guy from Houston who did the steroids.

- Wide Receiver

Sadly, the "send Randy Moss full speed down the sideline" play only works 8 times in a great game. You have to throw it to other people the rest of the time. Wes Welker's injury is still keeping him out, and no one knows how much longer he'll be.

This moves nominally 4th WR Julian Edelman up to the #2 spot opposite Moss. Competition will be fierce, however. Torry Holt may have something left in his old legs, or perhaps Brandon Tate has something left in his damaged ones. 2010 4th rounder Taylor Price is a speed demon who may or may not have the moves to get open.

- Tight End

Tight End is also a tough one to call. We have veteran Alge Crumpler as a blocker. We have 2010 2nd rounder Rob Gronkowski as the starter-in-training. We have fellow rookie Aaron Hernandez as the speedy H-back.

Knowing who they'll play is only half of the problem. How they'll play is a bigger issue. Alge was OK back in 2002 or so, but both Atlanta and Tennesse weren't exactly begging him to stay when he left town. We have no idea if Gronk and Hernandez are ready for the NFL.

As it stands now, our passing game looks like Brady To Moss, Or Sacked For A Loss.

- Linebacker

Unless he got into cocaine recently, Jerod Mayo will be starting in the middle. Tully Banta-Cain, who had ten sacks and two last names in 2009, will be the pass rusher outside. After that, it gets cloudy.

Ideally, the other two spots in the linebacker core would be filled by 2010 2nd rounders Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham. They may take a while to grow into the roles, however. Until then, look for Pierre Woods, Derrick Burgess, Gary Guyton, Shawn Crable (cut yesterday, so scratch him) and Tyrone McKenzie to fight with them for playing time.

We'll have more coverage of the Patriots as the camp gets rolling. We don't actually go to the camp ourselves or anything, but we watch a lot of ESPN.