Dec 2, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75). Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the fifth installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots under coach and executive Bill Belichick.  As the Patriots are beginning their “voluntary” organized team activities along with their other NFL counterparts, this period of preparing for the 2013 season until the kickoff of the official training camp in July is often the only down time in the NFL calendar. Now is an ideal time to look back and re-grade the previous drafts of the New England Patriots while under the leadership of Bill Belichick.

As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact while in New England weighed against the other players who were available in the draft at that time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  Below is the revisit and re-grading of the Bill Belichick draft that played a key role in adding two consecutive Super Bowl championships in New England: the 2004 NFL Draft.

The Patriots ended the 2003 season on a high note, as the team shook off a mind-numbing 31-0 loss to the recently released from New England Lawyer Milloy-led Buffalo Bills in week one to roar through the schedule and finish with 12 consecutive victories and a 14-2 regular season  record one year after missing the playoffs. The season included a memorable victory over Denver on a Monday night game at Mile Hile featuring an intentional safety by the Patriots. The Patriots were pinned down at the one yard line and went three-and-out and intentionally to the safety to pin Denver back. The strategy paid-off as young quarterback Danny Kanell went three-and-out and gave the ball back to the Patriots with 2:15 on the clock.  Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field and completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to young wide receiver David Givens with only 36 seconds remaining in the game.

There was also an epic defensive battle against the resurgent Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcells on a cold Sunday night in November at Gillette Stadium.  The Cowboy’s defense showed up, limiting the Patriots to 12 points and quarterback Tom Brady to a rare, sub-50% completion rate that night.; however, he did–as was customary in that offense–complete passes to 8 different receivers.  New England’s defense showed up strong and shut out the Cowboy’s offense (one of the defense’s 3 shutouts that season and 2 additional games without allowing a touchdown), as cornerback Ty Law picked off two Quincy Carter passes and fellow cornerback Tyrone Poole added another pick. Dallas’s leading rusher, Troy Hambrick, was held to 41 yards on 16 attempts on the ground.  The Patriots only scored once, a 2 yard plunge by running back Antowain Smith set-up by a 57 yard completion to David Givens on the previous play.

The Patriots headed into the 2004 draft with an additional 1st round pick and 2nd round pick courtesy of their previous trades into this draft year during the 2003 draft.  New England had packaged their second 1st round pick (#19) in 2003 to Baltimore for their 2nd round pick in 2003 and Baltimore’s 1st round pick in 2004. The Patriots also had traded one of their 3rd round picks (#78) to Miami for their 2004 2nd round pick.  That 2nd round pick was traded to Cincinnati for their disgruntled running back Corey Dillon, who allowed New England to replace aging and ineffective running back Antowain Smith with an all-pro talent on the cheap. Cincinnati drafted safety Madieu Williams with the 2nd round pick. Williams was a solid pick-up, but definitely it was a trade that New England would make every time, considering the next running back drafted after that spot was Mewelde Moore (Chris Perry, Kevin Jones, Greg Jones, Julius Jones, and Tatum Bell were drafted ahead of the pick that was traded for Dillon, along with running back Steven Jackson). In addition, the Patriots swung a deal prior to the 2003 season dealing one of their 4th round picks (#104) for nose tackle Ted Washington.

Sep 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) hits Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones (19) on a pass play and knocks the ball loose during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 52-28. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

1st Round #21: Vince Wilfork, Defensive Tackle:

The Patriots essentially got their all-pro nose tackle Vince Wilfork from the Baltimore Ravens for Kyle Boller along with their picks that–after more dealing–brought in defensive back Eugene WIlson and defensive lineman Dan Klecko in 2003:  That is the kind of deal that shapes franchises. Currently, Wilfork is manning the center of the Patriots’ defensive line while Baltimore had to invest in another 1st-round draft pick at quarterback after Boller cost them multiple opportunities with their championship defense.  Wilfork stepped in to replace Ted Washington, and has been one the Patriots’ most consistent and productive defensive players.

Should Have Drafted: Buffalo took quarterback J.P. Losman at #22, one pick after Wilfork. Seattle struck out with Marcus Tubbs at #23.  One could argue the Patriots should have taken running back Steven Jackson at #24 overall, but the choice of Wilfork has stood the test of time.

Grade: A

September 27, 2012;Baltimore, MD, USA;Baltimore Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger (99) deflects a pass intended for Cleveland Browns tight end Ben Watson (82) at M

1st Round #32: Ben Watson, Tight End:

Bill Belichick had visions of the two tight-end offense in mind back in 2004 when he grabbed Ben Watson to pair with his other 1st round pick tight end, Daniel Graham, from 2002.  Though this pairing never proved to be as effective as 2010 draft pick tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Watson was a solid, if unspectacular player for six years in New England before moving on to Cleveland.  Watson just never put all the athleticism and size together like Gronkowski, and his penchant for drops caused quarterback Tom Brady to look away from Big Ben at crunch time.

Should Have Drafted: The pick looks worse considering Arizona grabbed linebacker Karlos Dansby one pick later, and then the Giants snagged Boston College guard Chris Snee at #34 overall.  In addition, Jacksonville got linebacker Daryl Smith at #39, and Indianapolis picked up safety Bob Sanders at #44.  Of course, Detroit wasted the #30 pick on running back Kevin Jones that year, and San Francisco picked wide receiver Rashaun Woods one pick before Watson.

Grade: C

2nd Round #63: Marquise Hill, Defensive End:

Marquise Hill only played three seasons in New England. On May 28, 2007, Hill tragically passed away in a jet ski accident. Hill had stars Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and former teammate Jarvis Green ahead of him on the depth chart, and likely would have been a starter elsewhere in the NFL as he was just starting to get more playing time prior to his untimely passing. It is hard to ascertain Hill’s impact had he not passed away, as the Patriots likely planned to use him as Green, Warren, and Seymour were replaced.

Should Have Drafted: Tennessee picked defensive tackle Randy Starks at #71, San Diego grabbed center Nick Hardwick at #66, and Arizona grabbed defensive tackle Darnell Dockett at #64, who all are very good players in the NFL. Another name jumping out was tight end Chris Cooley, who-before being derailed by injury–had a four year run as a better receiving option than Ben Watson.

Grade: C-

3rd Round #95: Guss Scott, Defensive Back / 4th Round #113: Dexter Reid, Defensive Back:

These two defensive backs get lumped together due to their being the first of a long run of swings and misses by the Patriots in addressing their defensive backfield. Neither Scott nor Reid made any specific impact in New England, and both were out of the NFL by 2007.

Should Have Drafted: Three impact defensive linemen went off the board at #98 (Shaun Phillips-San Diego), #117 (Robert Geathers), and #126 (Jared Allen-Kansas City); in addition, defensive backs Nathan Vasher (#110-Chicago) and Will Allen (#111-Tampa) went off the board in the general area of these two picks.

Grade: D

4th Round #118: Cedric Cobbs, Running Back:

Cobbs contribution in New England was minimal. He played 3 games in 2004, rushed for 50 yards in 22 attempts, and other than a cup of coffee with Denver in 2006, was out of the NFL.

Should Have Drafted: San Diego got a decent running back at #154: Michael Turner.

Grade: D

5th Round #164: P.K. Sam, Wide Receiver:

The Patriots continued their later round washouts in this draft, as P.K. Sam played all of two games on special teams in New England in 2004.

Should Have Drafted: In the Patriots defense, after Michael Turner there were few impact players in this draft. Miami stole guard Rex Hadnot at #174, and Green Bay snagged defensive end Corey Williams, who had two good seasons in him at #179.  At least the Patriots got two games out of Sam, that was two more than Oakland got out of pick #166 (Shawn Johnson-Defensive End), or Houston from pick #170 (Vontez Duff-Defensive Back), or Pittsburgh at #177 (Bo Lacy-Tackle), or finally the Jets at #178 (Marko Cavka-Tackle): All four never played a snap in the regular season.

Grade: C

7th Round #233: Christian Morton, Defensive back:

The Patriots gave up a 6th round pick (#197) to sign restricted free agent defensive end Rodney Bailey away from the Steelers, so they had only this pick which came to them from New Orleans as part of the Tebucky Jones trade in 2003.  There remained slim pickings in the draft, and other than Green Bay hitting (another) late round home run with guard Scott Wells at #251. Beyond Wells, there was little value late in the draft that year.

Should Have Drafted: Besides Wells, maybe Giants running back Derrick Ward (#235), who at least was a decent special teams player and stepped up in 2008 to contribute a 1,000 yard season. Considering he played at Fresno State for FBB (Friend of Bill Belichick) Pat Hill, the Patriots should have had the inside track for drafting Ward.

Grade: C-

1st round pick Vince Wilfork was a great value pick for New England. Getting a stalwart of the defense for ten years from a 1st round pick is a win. For example, Jacksonville wasted the #9 overall pick on wide receiver Reggie Williams.  Tampa never got the production they expected from #15 overall pick Michael Clayton.  Cleveland spent the #6 overall pick on tight end Kellen Winslow Jr, who pieced together two good seasons after missing almost two full season with injuries.   Unfortunately, the rest of the Patriots’ picks came up short that year, which made them part of the trend, no the exception as this draft had numerous top 100 picks who never contributed in the NFL. Unfortunately in New England, these lean drafts began to become a disturbing trend, rather than a one-year aberration.

Overall Grade: C+

November 27, 2011; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel before the game against the New England Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

This is the fourth installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots in the Bill Belichick era.  As the NFL remains in the doldrums of the off-season calendar, the Patriots and other NFL teams are in a period of preparation and review until training camp kicks off in July. Now is the opportune time to look back and re-grade the previous drafts of the Bill Belichick led New England Patriots.

As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact in New England weighed against the other players who were available at the time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  Below is the revisit and re-grading of the Bill Belichick draft that played a key role in adding two consecutive Super Bowl championships in New England: the 2003 NFL Draft.

The Patriots ended the 2002 season on the outside looking in, as an inconsistent team struggled to a 9-7 record and missing the playoffs. One year after their amazing Super Bowl victory over St. Louis, the Patriots suffered a four game losing streak during the 2002 season, as well as losing two of their last three regular season games in uninspired fashion.  The team needed an infusion of youth and playmakers, as the offense struggled to score at times and the defense repeatedly gave up crucial conversions.

The Patriots headed into the 2003 draft determined to show that previous seasons wheeling and dealing was a mere trifle compared to this year.  Players deemed expendable were moved for draft picks that became pieces of moves by the Patriots up, down, and all over the draft board.  The Patriots pre-draft day dealing included having the Buffalo Bills 1st round pick as part of their 2002 deal for former Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe, starting safety and former 1st round pick Tebucky Jones to the Saints for three picks (3rd & 7th round picks and a future 4th round pick in 2004), tackle Greg Robinson-Randall for a 5th round pick (to the young franchise Houston Texans), and trading back-up offensive tackle Grant Williams to the Rams for a 7th round pick.

Once the draft started, the Patriots continued to jump around, moving up in the draft, trading down and out of the draft, and stockpiling future picks. One of those future picks (not to steal the thunder from the 2004 draft), but the Patriots made two “future trades” that drive fans batty on draft day but often pay dividends: New England packaged their second 1st round pick (#19) to Baltimore for their 2nd round pick in 2003 (more about that pick later) and Baltimore’s 1st round pick in 2004; Also, New England traded one of their 3rd round picks (#78) to Miami for their 2004 2nd round pick.  Those picks eventually turned into defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon, two key cogs in 2004 and beyond.

1st Round #13: Ty Warren, Defensive End:

The 2003 draft was notable for the depth on the defensive line as 8 of the first 18 picks were on the defensive line.  Some were studs: (Kevin Williams, Minnesota at #9), but most were duds: (Dewayne Robinson, New York Jets #4; Jonathan Sullivan, New Orleans #6; and Jimmy Kennedy, St. Louis #12).  Sitting at #14, the Patriots were looking for help on the defensive line to pair with young star Richard Seymour, and apparently got nervous as Jimmy Kennedy went off the board and the Chicago Bears got ready to pick.  Throwing in a 6th round pick (#193), the Patriots jumped over the Bears to grab Texas A&M defensive end Ty Warren.  All the Patriots got were two Super Bowl rings and an unheralded mauler opposite Seymour for the next seven years. The Bears, content to move down, took Penn State defensive end Michael Haynes followed by the Eagles taking underachiever Jerome McDougle to supplement their defensive line at #15 overall.

Should Have Drafted:  Warren was not flashy, but he was the perfect fit on the defensive line. He ate up blockers and made the lives of Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Tedy Bruschi that much easier for the next few years while displaying occasional pass rush skills.  The only other 1st round pick after #13 overall who the Patriots may front office may smack their forehead in a moment of reflection would be USC safety Troy Polamalu who went to Pittsburgh at #16. That said, Warren stepped in and played a key role in the trenches to help add two Super Bowl rings. In comparison, the Jets took the first defensive lineman in the draft with Dewayne Robinson at #4 overall, and he failed to make as much contribution as compared to Warren.

Grade: A

2nd Round #36: Eugene Wilson, Defensive Back:

The Patriots 2003 season started about as bad as any season ever had in New England Patriots history, as the Patriots released Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy in the week prior to the start of the season and saw him sign in Buffalo, their week one opponent.  One 31-0 loss later, and the 2003 season hardly seemed to be one that would end with confetti falling in Reliant Stadium on February 1st in the Super Bowl.  However, a rookie cornerback was converted to safety, and suddenly the secondary righted itself, the team moved on from the loss of Milloy, and they closed the season with a perfect inverse, beating Buffalo in week 17 31-0 to finish 14-2 (Milloy had a great view of the playoffs on his couch as the Bills went 5-10 the rest of the way after beating New England week one).  No small part of the turnaround was due to 2nd round pick Eugene Wilson, who stepped in as as starter and added 47 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 9 passes defended on the way to starting in the Super Bowl the next two seasons. The Patriots moved up to grab him, and by week two of the regular season, not one New England fan was upset that it cost them their 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up five spots (the Patriots got a 4th round pick back in the deal with Houston

Should Have Drafted:  Rashean Mathis (#39) and Drayton Florence (#46) were very good 2nd round picks who have had long, productive careers. That said, Dallas struck out with center Al Johnson at #38 and Houston wasted the #41 pick (which they received when they traded down with the Patriots) on tight end Bennie Joppru, who never caught a pass in the NFL during the regular season.

Grade: B

2nd Round #45: Bethel Johnson, Wide Receiver:

This pick gets dragged to light each year at draft time as a huge miss at wide receiver by Bill Belichick and the Patriots.  Johnson should have been quarterback Tom Brady’s vertical threat for years to come.  Instead, Johnson contributed more on special teams in his career in New England than with the regular offense. The only thing worse than seeing that the Patriots took Johnson at #45 was remembering that they traded up to get him, adding a 4th round pick (#120) to move up.

Should Have Drafted: Anquan Bolden, wide receiver and “that guy” that abused the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and could have been Super Bowl MVP went to Arizona at #54.  Of course, imagine if the New England defense added pick #56, defensive end Osi Umenioya.

Grade: D

4th Round #117: Dan Klecko, Defensive Line:

Dan “Son of New York Sack Exchange Member, Dan” Klecko was not much of an impact player in the regular defense in New England; however, Klecko was one of those “Belichick Guys” who contributed to the team on special teams.  Klecko even saved a roster spot of offense as he stepped up as the blocking back–and even catching passes out of the backfield–in short yardage situations. A solid, if unspectacular pick, Klecko earned his money during his time in New England .

Should Have Drafted: Three names jump off the page with San Francisco taking future Patriot wide receiver Brandon Lloyd at #124, Pittsburgh taking Tom Brady’s nemesis defensive back Ike Taylor at #125, and Indianapolis taking speed rushing defensive end Robert Mathis at #138.  Of course, the 4th round also churned out soon-to-be-out-of-the-league players like tackle Lance Nimmo (#130), defensive end Bryant McNeal (#128), center Austin King (#133), and defensive tackle Rien Long (#126). Those four make the pick of Klecko look a lot better.

Grade: C+

4th Round #120: Asante Samuel, Cornerback:  

Along with their second round defensive back, Eugene Wilson, the Patriots doubled-up at defensive back by grabbing a short cornerback out of Central Florida.  This year Samuel picked off pick #50 of his career, 16 more than #5 overall pick Terence Newman. Samuel had an acrimonious exit from New England after he outplayed his rookie contract.  In one of the few mis-steps by the front office, New England failed to lock up Samuel early in his contract and traded future Pro Bowl seasons for a few well under-market value seasons. Whatever happened afterwards, the Patriots did get 5 excellent seasons out of the #120 pick.

Should Have Drafted: See above, Ike Taylor or Robert Mathis were the only two who are comparable.

Grade: A

Aug 20, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center Dan Koppen (67) on the field as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of the preseason game at Gillette Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Patriots 27-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

5th Round #164: Dan Koppen, Center:

Boston College had back-to-back picks in the 5th round, as Pittsburgh grabbed quarterback Brian St. Pierre at #163 and the Patriots took his center, Dan Koppen, at #164.  St. Pierre was a serviceable back-up for a few years, but Koppen was forced into action in 2003 when former Boston College Eagle and Patriots first round pick, starting center Damien Woody, missed their game in week two.  After starting guard Mike Compton went down in week three for the season, Woody slid over to guard and Koppen started at center in New England through 2010. Eight seasons and a Pro Bowl is an effective use of the #164 pick.

Should Have Drafted: Arizona took guard Reggie Wells at #177 and Philadelphia took guard Jeremy Bridges at #185, both are comparable talents.  Three good interior linemen contributing out of that late part of the draft is impressive and speaks to the depth of the draft this season.

Grade: A

6th Round #201: Kliff Kingsbury, Quarterback:

Not much to say about Kingsbury: Nothing special: Out of the league by 2006.

Should Have Drafted: Miami snagged safety Yeremiah Bell at #213, but some beautiful symmetry would have been better served by moving up in the round to grab Tom Brady’s heralded competition at Michigan, Drew Henson, as he was available until pick #192 when Houston picked him up. Something tells me Tom Brady would have had a measure of satisfaction knowing Henson was on the bench watching him win Super Bowls.

Grade: C-

7th Round #234: Spencer Nead, Fullback:

Nead never played in New England, as his role as a fullback was co-opted by 4th round pick, Dan Klecko.

Should Have Drafted: Taco Wallace, wide receiver out of Kansas State. No, seriously, he was off the board at #224. How great would it be to have been able to hear the Patriots announcers say “Brady trying to find Taco down the field!”?  The Giants got wide receiver Kevin Walter at #255 who has turned into a decent wide-out after a few years of seasoning before finding a role in Houston.

Grade: C-

7th Round #239: Tully Banta-Cain, Linebacker:

The Patriots got a steal in Banta-Cain, who carved out a niche as a special teams player and situational pass rusher in New England before making some free-agent money from San Francisco after a break-out 2006 season; then, after being a salary cap casualty, he came back to contribute a 10 sack season in 2009 and another 5 in 2010.

Should Have Drafted: Green Bay took “The other” Chris Johnson at #245 and Oakland got some decent seasons out of him (2008 to 2010) after he bounced around the league a bit.

Grade: B+

7th Round #243: Ethan Kelley, Defensive Tackle:

Kelley ended up playing 36 games in the NFL, playing three seasons in Cleveland contributing on special teams and even starting a few games on the defensive line.  He played one game in 2004 and made one tackle

Should Have Drafted: Scott Shanle was drafted #251 by St. Louis and found a role as a starting linebacker and a Super Bowl ring after the 2009 season when he was 4th on that team with 56 tackles and recovered two fumbles and added two interceptions.

Grade: C-

This draft added three starters and two solid role players on defense and a starting center for the offense.  Wide receiver Bethel Johnson was the only glaring swing and miss, and the Patriots even got a good player out of one of their 7th round picks. This draft added solid pieces on the defense and injected some playmakers in the secondary. It was the kind of deep draft that still netted a future #1 and #2 pick who became players who played, and still play, key roles in New England.

Overall Grade: A-

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.