Talib and Wilson Under Spotlight

You didn't think this story line was just
going to "go away" did you?

I am not entirely sold on Aqib Talib and Adrian Wilson being the answer in the Defensive Backfield. I would say that both players have track records of success, but both have also been let go by their teams for essentially nothing.

Are there hidden problems that may crop up? Perhaps. Wilson stands to be a high-character guy, but also an aging veteran. Talib was an instant upgrade to our CB group, but he has a very short history in New England. Staying out of trouble with expectations could be the biggest challenge for this Patriots team.

The returning champion Ravens are going to field an entirely new club led by the massively overpaid Joe Flacco. The Texans and Colts may be challenged by a few cinderella teams but, it looks like the AFC will be focused on Brady vs. Manning, just like old times. This time around, the pressure created from the Welker deal will be palpable.

Then again, it's The Patriots who may be a question mark heading into the season. There are going to be so many new guys that we're going to be counting on. Amendola will have the ghosts of Welker on him. Talib will be expected to cover everything. Wilson will be expected to be the next Rodney Harrison.

The Defense must improve dramatically, but I am still not convinced that Talib and Wilson will be enough. We still need another interior pass rusher, unfortunately there are none of those left in the free agent pool. One of these past-their-prime edge rushers guys could be worth a shot if the money is right. I would love to see Freeney or Abraham in blue and white, but only if they accept that they aren't worth the money they once were.

If we can't get some DT/DE help with negotiations, we'll have to draft some big bodies to stabilize Wilfork's playing time and maximize his potential. When Kyle Love got hurt in the AFCCG, it killed the whole gameplan against Ray Rice. We need to find some value, but also some talent.