Dec 24, 2011; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Brandon Deaderick (71) celebrates a sack with New England Patriots defensive tackle Kyle Love (left) against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Putting aside the 2003 draft right now to digest these recent roster moves by the New England Patriots (another draft revisit and grading of 2003 will be posted this weekend), some additional perspective is needed with these head scratching moves.

First, the release of defensive tackles Brandon Deaderick and Kyle Love are obviously not salary cap related, as both were playing on what is basically their rookie minimum contracts.  The release of Deaderick–where the Patriots were apparently aware that Love was not going to play this season if they had their way–seems to indicate there are some kind of  issues there.  Deaderick got the majority of playing time over the last six games, while Love was the regular for the first half of the season.  Now both are gone.  Not traded before the draft for a late round pick: released, with nothing back in return.

There were two new defensive linemen brought in this off-season–Tommy Kelly and Armond Armstead–and both are unknown products to an extent, as neither have played a snap for this defense, and neither are big, offensive-linemen occupying bodies like Deaderick and Love were in the past.  Add in that the Patriots parted ways with Myron Pryor prior to the draft and 2nd-round wash-out (and Boston College product) Ron Brace at the end of last season, and all-pro nose tackle Vince Wilfork will need a program to know who is lining up next to him at training camp.

The release of defensive tackle Kyle Love as Non-Football Injury/Illness clause release due to his diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes is puzzling to say the least.  From a personal perspective (as I switch to first-person–which I am loathe to do when writing and can feel the wrath of my journalism professor bearing down on me from 20 years ago), I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes almost exactly three years ago, and in my case, I was quickly able to get my diabetes under control. Once I did my health has improved markedly since the diagnosis. In that time I have shed over 60 pounds and gone from a 40 inch waist to a 32 inch waist.  When I would be winded after climbing the four flights of stairs to my 9-5 job three years ago, now I pound out 20 to 30 minutes of high-step each morning just to reach my target heart rate and begin to break a sweat.  My HBA1C, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc have swung from health hazard to healthy athlete level (disclaimer: I do take insulin daily and am on low-dose cholesterol and blood-pressure  medications as a precaution).   This is why the release puzzles me: if anything, the fact he has been diagnosed should lead to improved health, strength, stamina and play from Love.  Why release him now?  Is it a retaliatory move for something? Was he withholding the information from the team?  I do not understand where the Patriots front office is coming from with this move.

As for defensive tackle Brandon Deaderick, the timing of the move is puzzling and leads to speculation about off-field issues. Deaderick and Love split snaps next to Wilfork and both were major contributors.  At worst, the two were expected to battle in training camp for a depth spot behind Kelly and Armstead.  Is this a sign that the Patriots are comfortable with Marcus Forston as their depth defensive lineman?  Behind Fortson are only long-shots/practice-squad potential defensive linemen such as Joe Vellano, Cory Grisson, and Dewayne Cherrington.  Right now, the only other defensive tackle to play a snap on defense in 2012 with the Patriots is Fortson, with 8 snaps total in game three versus Baltimore.

Perhaps it is a change in philosophy. If the defensive line is going to get active (they were in the nickel/sub defense package almost 60% of the time last year) and go after the quarterback, then it makes sense to get rid of them as Love and Deaderick are not fits as they are space eaters.  It leaves the depth a bit thin, but the team was high on undrafted defensive tackle Marcus Fortson last season in training camp, and coach Bill Belichick, defensive coach Pepper Johnson, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia may believe he is ready to take a huge step forward.  Having Fortson, Kelly, and Armstead with Wilfork inside gives the team a pass rushing presence in the interior defensive line that has  been non-existent since Ted Washington filled the nose tackle position in 2003.

What is also possible is the team is looking to move back to a 3-4 alignment with Vince Wilfork in the middle of the defense. Kelly has experience as a nose tackle and an end in the 3-4, in addition to playing inside in a 4-3.  Kelly and Wilfork on the nose, and Chandler Jones as a 3-4 defensive end with Armond Armstead, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Francis, and Marcus Fortson at depth would be a possible alignment.  That would flex defensive end/outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich to linebacker in the 3-4 with Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes inside, and a combination of Dont’a Hightower, Ninkovich, and rookie Jamie Collins outside.  That alignment would play to their strength at linebacker, but seems to lessen the versatility of Vince Wilfork by having him occupying multiple blockers. Also, defensive end Chandler Jones  playing a 3-4 at end moves him off the edge and has him playing with strength rather than speed (especially in rushing defense) which seems to not maximize his skills.

Unfortunately, the fans are left to wonder about these moves, as coach Bill Belichick is not about to share his thoughts and explain his motivation for these moves on the defensive line, releasing both Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick.  Considering how both players were snapped up on waivers shows that there was value there for both of them, as even a  future late round pick has more value than getting nothing at all.  In this case, the Patriots appear to have missed an opportunity to maximize their value and stockpile a few late round draft picks.  As always, the Patriots consistency in the off-season is their unpredictable nature.  Once again, the 2013 off-season is proving to be full of surprises and intrigue in Foxboro, MA.

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) runs out on the field before the start of the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Like many of you, I spend much of my free time surfing and clicking around the internet looking for different takes, spins and opinions on my team. I am a Patriots fan — as die-hard as they come. As such, I try to distance myself from writing too much on the team in fear of being perceived as a “homer.” I don’t think I’m a homer, as I’ve been vocal in the past about some things that I felt could have been done better in Foxboro, both on and off the field. In my opinion, a true homer is one who sees only cupcakes, unicorns and rainbows when he sees his team.

That just isn’t me.

Having said that, I was a bit shocked to read a post by James Walker on ESPN’s AFC East Blog this past week. Walker’s take on whether or not the 2013 Patriots would be better than the 2012 Patriots had the feel of someone who was reaching for a reason to knock a great organization down a notch. James Walker is a great writer, especially when it comes to his Miami Dolphin coverage. I have the utmost respect for him as a professional and respect his opinion — I just happen to disagree with just about everything he said about the 2013 Patriots.

Let us first establish that nobody really knows how this or any other season is going to pan out until the players actually take the field. That’s Day-1 stuff. That said, anyone who wants to offer up an opinion and be taken seriously must not have tunnel vision in regard to a topic, unless the entire intent is to get under someone’s skin. To Walker’s credit, he got under mine as a New England fan and I think that was his goal.

James Walker listed five reasons that the New England Patriots would not, in fact, do as well in 2013 as they did in 2012.

He cited too many changes at receiver as Reason No. 1. Come again? The history of the Patriots with Tom Brady under center is full of nothing but changes at the wide receiver position. The six consecutive years Wes Welker spent catching passes from Tom Brady is the longest stretch that any Patriot receiver has spent in New England during the Brady era. The last time there was as much turnover at the position as the Patriots have heading into 2013, they went 16-0 during the regular season. Receiver turnover has never been an issue in Foxboro.

Walker goes on to mention injuries as his second reason the 2013 Patriots will fall short of 2012. He then mentions only Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Edelman is a great guy to have around and brings depth, but he is not nor has he ever been considered a catalyst for New England’s success. As far as Gronkowski, yes — he is an elite weapon that makes New England a more formidable offensive threat. Having said that, New England rattled off 33 points a game in the final six games without Gronkowski, losing only to San Francisco.

Reason No. 3 applies to every player in the NFL — age. We all age, even NFL players. All of them. I’m not worried about Brady losing any athleticism that changes his game in a six month span. Tom Brady being one year older will have very little to do with anything. Walker even threw in a link to Ryan Clark’s “seeing ghosts” comment. I remember the last time a member of the Steeler secondary talked smack about Brady. That didn’t end well for that guy.

I actually agree with Walker’s fourth reason — a tougher schedule. I don’t like the idea of playing Denver, Atlanta, Houston, and Cincy (who incidentally is my sleeper team for 2013). Then he goes and mentions the Steelers. Unless New England is playing  Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers from the 1970′s, I don’t consider them a threat. They’ll be lucky to finish third in their own division.

James Walker wraps up his piece with a 5th Reason that the Patriots will fail to have the same success in 2013 as they had in 2012: The AFC East is Stronger. Really? How so? The Dolphins signed an average linebacker away from Baltimore and a deep threat that everyone will key on. In the meantime, they lost their best running back and their franchise offensive tackle. The Bills bring in a new coach with no NFL head coaching experience and possibly a rookie starting quarterback by mid-season. The Jets? They’re still the Jets.

The lesson in all of this is that we the fans have a better grasp on our team and its strengths and weaknesses than anyone else, including an ESPN AFC East blogger. The nearly 1000 comments on Walker’s article tell me that he succeeded in grabbing the attention of the average Patriots fan — and more power to him for that. All you have to know is that the New England Patriots have been and continue to be one of the most stable organizations in professional sports. The have a legend as a head coach and a legend under center. You don’t have to worry about the wheels falling off the wagon in New England because the wagon is always fully stocked with spare parts.

Until Bill Belichick packs up his hoody and Tom Brady rides off into the California sunset, I wouldn’t worry about what anyone says about the Patriots, especially in the month of May. Then again, if I followed my own advice, I probably wouldn’t have written what you just read.

Oh well. Go Pats!

Nov 18, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Brandon Deaderick (71) during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 59-24. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

In 34 games with 14 starts, Deaderick produced 51 total tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. In six postseason games, he added 11 tackles and one sack, and last season, he played in 14 games with five starts recording 14 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles. But with a more enhanced list of defensive lineman in place such as Rob Ninkovich, Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Chandler Jones, Justin Francis, Kyle Love, Jermaine Cunningham, Jake Bequette, Armond Armstead, Marcus Forston, Michael Buchanan, and Jason Vega, I think this move allows Armond Armstead to take Deaderick’s spot higher on the depth chart. It also makes interesting to speculate how Belichick is planning in utilizing our 2013 second round pick Jamie Collins as defensive lineman and/or linebacker.

Although guesses can run high as to the reason Deaderick was suddenly released, I can only think it might had something to do with a lack of fitting the Patriot way. Back in 2011, Deaderick was suspended by the team and reasons where unknown as Belichick, of course, maintained the situation between the player and the team. But rumors were that Deaderick had missed several meetings. It could very well be that roster competition just got tougher and coach Belichick was just not going to have team personnel distractions and lack of work ethic.

At least Deaderick was cut early in the season and for him it’s still in time to land on another club. Given that the Oakland Raiders was in need to draft defensive lineman, but waited until the sixth round to draft Stacy McGee and David Bass, Deaderick could be a good and inexpensive addition to their roster – sort of close to fill in the hole left by the departure of free agent Tommy Kelly to the Patriots, but not enough to supplement the departure of Desmond Bryant and Richard Seymour. During this year’s UDFA, the Raiders signed just one defensive tackle – Kurt Taufa’asau, but it’s worrisome as Taufa’asau had little play time due to hand and knee injury. We’ll see if the Raiders see value on Deaderick because I think his stats were relatively good.

Follow Celia Westbrook on Twitter @celiawestbrook