2007 NewEngland Patriots

After falling just short of a fourth Super Bowl appearance in six seasons, the New England Patriots showed that they would not except another season without reaching the big game. By attacking the free agent market to fill their holes, the Patriots have put themselves in a great position to get back to the Bowl of all bowls.

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The Patriots needed linebackers so they went out and got Adalius Thomas formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. New England didn’t have to try too hard to get this versatile strong side backer aboard. They just flashed him a little money and a solid chance of winning a Super Bowl and he was ready to go.

Tom Brady and the Pats have had a below average receiving unit for years, but those days appear to be over. Donte Stallworth will give Mr. Brady a legit deep threat and if one wasn’t enough, they got the steal of all steals by acquiring Randy Moss in exchange for a fourth round pick. Now that cool Tom Brady has some talented playmakers, the Patriots have to be the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2007 and that’s just the way the oddsmakers see it.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels now has the personnel to spread the field and open up the passing game — something he has been dying to do with Brady. Mr. Brady is in the prime of his career and he gets two Pro Bowl caliber wide outs and an emerging star runner in Laurence Maroney to make up the most balanced offensive attack in the NFL. Expect to see the Pats airing it out early to put defenses on tilt, building leads, and then pounding it with Maroney late to run clock and seal games.

Defensively, the Patriots go to battle with a solid nucleus of stars. Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and Vince Wilfork make it easy for the Pats to continue to utilize a 3-4 scheme, especially in running situations. Against passing teams or in passing downs, they will switch to a 4-3 scheme that moves Seymour inside where the Pats can utilize his power to push the pocket. You can also expect them to bring Jarvis Green, a talented defensive end, into the mix in these spots to put some heat on opposing QBs. If Moss was prized offensive acquisition, it’s Adalius Thomas on the defensive side of the ball. He will shore up an aging core of linebackers which will take some pressure off of Tedy Bruschi and also odd hard hitting safety Rodney Harrison.

The value is not there, but with New England seemingly having all of the pieces in place, you won’t find a safer bet for a Super Bowl Champion. Check out the rest of the teams in the AFC East with Jeff’s 2007 AFC East predictions article and his 2007 NFL predictions will give you a run down of every team in the league.

By Jeff Alexander – 7/17/2007

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