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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Tom Brady

Patriots offseason report: Deflategate casts pall over Super Bowl afterglow

Lorenzo Reyes
USA TODAY
Patriots QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick hope to win a record fifth Super Bowl together.

Even with the glory of a fourth Super Bowl championship to glorify them, the New England Patriots had a rough offseason.

Quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension, upheld by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, for his role in the deflated footballs scandal during the AFC Championship Game has been a national story for six months amid its twists and turns.

Now, with this case headed to federal court, Deflategate is set to drag into the fall. And never mind that the organization accepted the league's punishment stemming from the incident — a $1 million fine and the loss of two draft picks, including next year's first rounder — a decision owner Robert Kraft now clearly regrets.

Yet there's more. There were a number of free agent departures, especially in the secondary, where New England lost arguably the NFL's best cornerback, Darrelle Revis — and to the division rival New York Jets.

But the Pats are no strangers to minimizing the impact of outside distractions during the Bill Belichick era — and that goes for positive ones, too.

All things Patriots: Latest New England Patriots news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

"You never hear Super Bowl talk around here," rookie offensive lineman Shaq Mason said. "We're just focusing on this season."

That's a sound bite not even typically tight-lipped Belichick could have said better.

He was in midseason form Wednesday, refusing to address Brady's upheld suspension and what impact it might have on the team or backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

"We're going to take it day to day, just like we always do," said Belichick. "We start training camp today. We'll get ready for the 2015 season starting today."

WATCH: Pats take aim at Brady's suspension

Quarterback

Suspended or not, Brady has proven that he's still one of the top quarterbacks in the league. No other quarterback does more in the NFL with a cast of unheralded receivers. His third career Super Bowl MVP trophy in February was further proof. Assuming Brady is actually sidelined because of the Deflategate suspension, Garoppolo will take the reins. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said at minicamp that Garoppolo, a second-round pick in 2014, had a positive spring and was further along than he was as a rookie the previous year. The Patriots signed veteran Matt Flynn as insurance, though his stay could be over once Brady returns.

Running back

Perhaps the most significant departure in the NFL that no one is talking about is that of Shane Vereen signing with the New York Giants. He was an extremely productive member of the Patriots with his rushing and pass-catching ability. He was one of Brady's most trusted dump-down options and will be missed. It's up to a pair of bigger backs to get it done now. LeGarrette Blount projects as the starter. And though he entered Belichick's doghouse for oversleeping and never seemed to escape, Jonas Gray is a physical and talented option who showed he could excel in a lead back role with a 201-yard, four-touchdown game against the Indianapolis Colts last year.

Wide receiver

Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are the headliners, though the Patriots lack a game-changer at the position. After a somewhat productive rookie season in 2013, Aaron Dobson dealt with too many nagging injuries to be a reliable threat. But if Dobson can make strides, he could work his way into the regular rotation partly because his 6-3 size and leaping ability give Brady another athletic weapon.

Tight end

The Patriots boast arguably the league's top tight end in Rob Gronkowski (82 catches, 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014). As long as Gronk stays healthy, he'll continue to be Brady's security blanket, especially on third downs and in the red zone. The Patriots also signed Scott Chandler. "He's a hard worker," tight ends coach Brian Daboll said. "Smart. Comes to meetings ready to work. Has veteran experience. Good teammate." Chandler will replace recently released Tim Wright.

Offensive line

New England's starting line from the Super Bowl is back. Left tackle Nate Solder is the anchor, joining right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, center Bryan Stork and guards Josh Kline and Ryan Wendell. A player to watch is fourth-round pick Tre' Jackson, who, with his 6-4, 330-pound frame and run-blocking ability, could earn playing time. The Patriots have been known to mix and match different combinations along the line, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if backup tackle Marcus Cannon or backup guard Cameron Fleming became regular contributors.

Defensive line

The Patriots released defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, a mainstay on the line for 11 seasons. The good news is his eventual replacement fell into their laps with the last pick in the first round of the draft, Malcom Brown. Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones continue to anchor the ends, but expect free agent signing Jabaal Sheard to contribute right away in the pass rush. Second-year tackle Dominique Easley, who battled knee injuries as a rookie, will be given every opportunity to become a regular starter and will compete with Brown and Sealver Siliga for playing time.

Linebacker

The Patriots have a young and potent cast. Jerod Mayo is the leader, but injury issues — he has been limited to 12 games over the past two seasons — raise questions about whether he can be a consistent contributor. On the outside, Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower are athletic and effective players who should keep getting better.

Secondary

No other position group suffered more this offseason. New England declined to pick up Revis' and Brandon Browner's options. The Patriots likely will ask Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler to blossom into a starter at corner. Though free agents Bradley Fletcher, Tarell Brown and Robert McClain were signed, the group could be in line for a decline. The good news? The team signed safety Devin McCourty to a five-year, $47.5 million deal. Though he has become one of the NFL's top safeties, his experience at corner gives New England an added wrinkle. The Patriots extended strong safety Patrick Chung, and he'll look to build on a successful 2014.

Special teams

The Patriots placed the franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski and later locked him up to a four-year deal. New England is set at punter with Ryan Allen, whose 46.4-yard average tied for 10th in the NFL. Amendola, Edelman and special-teams whiz Matthew Slater could handle returns.

Coaching

Despite having two top young coordinators in Matt Patricia (defense) and McDaniels (offense), New England's coaching staff stayed mostly intact. The one notable change is the promotion of Joe Judge to special teams coordinator after three seasons as a special teams assistant. He replaces Scott O'Brien, who retired. If the Patriots make another deep postseason run, Patricia, 40, and McDaniels, 39, might be in line for head jobs.

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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes

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