Look for Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk to form a solid committee of RBs in 2010 for the Patriots.  Those 4 RBs combined to rush for 1,680 yards with 16 rushing TDs so the sum is greater than the parts.  33-year old Sammy Morris has been a Belichick favorite since coming to the Patriots.  Morris played in 12 games (5 starts) for the Patriots last season and he carried the ball 73 times for 319 yards (4.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 19 passes for 180 yards (9.5 avg) for the Pats last season.  Morris has now played in 125 games (37 starts) in his 10 years in the NFL in which he has carried the ball 688 times for 2,899 yards (4.2 ypc) with 26 TD runs.  He has also caught 154 passes for 1,168 yards (7.6 avg) with 1 TD grab in his NFL career.  At this point in his career Morris seems best if given 8-10 carries a game due to his very physical running style.

34-year old Fred Taylor was really playing well last season before he was injured.  Taylor played in 6 games (1 start) for the Patriots last season and he carried the ball 63 times for 269 yards (4.3 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  He also caught 2 passes for 17 yards (8.5 avg) last season.  Taylor has had a great career in the NFL and he’s trying to get a ring with the Patriots to top it off.  Taylor has played in 146 games (137 starts) in his 12 years in the NFL in which he has carried the ball 2,491 times for 11,540 yards (4.6 ypc) with 66 TD carries and he has also caught 288 passes for 2,378 yards (8.3 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  Like Morris the Patriots are likely to limit Taylor to 8-10 carries in an attempt to keep him fresh and healthy in 2010.

25-year old Laurence Maroney has by far the most upside of this bunch but he also tends to break down.  Maroney played in 15 games (5 starts) for the Patriots last season in which he carried the ball 194 times for 757 yards (3.9 ypc) with 9 TD carries.  He also caught 14 passes for 99 yards (7.1 avg) last season.  Maroney has now played in 45 games (14 starts) in his four years with the Patriots in which he has carried the ball 582 times for 2,430 yards (4.2 ypc) with 21 TD runs.  He has also caught 40 passes for 409 yards (10.2 avg) with 1 TD grab in his career with the Patriots.  Maroney also helps out on special teams from time to time as he has returned 41 kickoffs for 1,062 yards (25.9 avg) in his NFL career to date.  The Patriots would like to give Maroney 15-20 touches per game as long as he can handle it.

34-year old Kevin Faulk is like the Energizer Bunny as he takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  Faulk seems to elude Father Time and keep making big plays for the Patriots.  He played in 15 games (7 starts) for the Patriots last season in which he carried the ball 62 times for 335 yards (5.4 ypc) with 2 TD carries and he also caught 37 passes for 301 yards (8.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Faulk also helped out on special teams last season as he returned 5 punts for 31 yards (6.2 avg) and 6 kickoffs for 144 yards (24.0 avg) as he does a little bit of everything.  Faulk has now played in 152 games (42 starts) in his 11 years with the Pats and he has carried the ball 839 times for 3,505 yards (4.2 ypc) with 16 TD runs.  He has also caught 418 passes for 3,605 yards (8.6 avg) with 15 TD receptions.  Faulk has also returned 99 punts for 932 yards (9.4 avg) and 181 kickoffs for 4,098 yards (22.6 avg) with 2 TD returns in his NFL career.  Kevin Faulk is one of the unsung heroes in the history of the Patriots as he always seems to step up when they need a big play.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE PATRIOTS RBs in 2010:  B

32-year old QB Tom Brady is one of the best QBs of all time and he is still playing at a very high level for the Patriots.  He started all 16 games for the Patriots last season and he completed 371 of 565 passes (65.7%) for 4,398 yards with 28 TD passes and 13 INTs (96.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 29 times for 44 yards (1.5 ypc) with 1 TD run last year.  Brady might not be the most mobile QB but he usually can buy himself enough time to get rid of the ball.  And while he might not have the strongest arm in the league it’s still more than strong enough to make every throw.  Where Brady separates himself from other QBs is above the neck as he very rarely throws the ball where he shouldn’t.  Brady has now played in 129 games in his NFL career and he has completed 2,672 of 4,218 passes (63.3%) for 30,844 yards with 225 TD passes and 99 INTs (93.3 QB Rating).  Brady has also carried the ball 305 times for 577 yards (1.9 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career.  The Patriots are 97-30 (76.4%) when Tom Brady starts the game at QB during the regular season plus he has won them three Super Bowls.  Expect another Pro Bowl out of Tom Brady in 2010.

24-year old Brian Hoyer was undrafted last season but he won the backup job for the Patriots in training camp and he did a solid job when called upon as a rookie.  Hoyer played in 5 games for the Patriots last season and he completed 19 of 27 passes (70.4%) for 142 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (82.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 10 times for 25 yards (2.5 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  Despite Hoyer looking good last season the Patriots would be in big trouble if he were forced to start some games for them in 2010.

26-year old Jeff Rowe will battle rookie 7th round pick Zac Robinson out of Oklahoma State for the right to hold a clipboard as the #3 QB in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE PATRIOTS’ QBs in 2010:  A+

The Patriots had an amazing 2008 season when you consider the fact that they started Matt Cassel most of the season.  But with Cassel off to Kansas City the Patriots will need Tom Brady to remain healthy all season long if they want to make the playoffs.  Brady is quite simply the best QB in all of football.  He can make all of the throws and he even did that when he didn’t have good receivers.  The Patriots have a deep stable of running backs to keep teams from dropping too many DBs in coverage which means that Brady and the passing game will be lethal again in 2009.  2nd year QB Kevin O’Connell will likely be Brady’s backup as he made the Patriots feel confident enough to deal Cassel.  Still, he doesn’t have much experience when the bullets are flying live on Sundays in the NFL.  Untested veteran Matt Gutierrez will try to hold off undrafted rookie QB Brian Hoyer for the #3 job in training camp.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON:  With a healthy Tom Brady:  A+   If he goes down to injury:  D

In his rookie season, Stephen Gostkowski often appeared nervous but that wasn’t the case in 2007.  He played in all 16 games last season for the Patriots and he was 21 of 24 (87.5%) on field goal attempts and he nailed all 74 of his extra points.  Look for Gostkowski to have more field goal attempts this season as it will be nearly impossible for the Patriots to score as many TDs as they did last year.  Gostkowski has now played in 32 games in his NFL career and he has made 41 of 50 (82%) of his field goal attempts and he has made 117 of 118 extra points (he had one blocked as a rookie).  Gostkowski will do a good job in 2008….mark my words.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-

The Patriots appear deep at tight end for the 2008 season and that has to make Tom Brady very happy.  It all starts with 6’3″, 255 pound Ben Watson who is a good receiver that makes a lot of big catches near and in the end zone.  He played in 12 games (8 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 36 passes for 389 yards (10.8 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  Watson also carried the ball 1 time for 11 yards.  Brady loves to throw to Watson when he has time to look around for him so look for him to catch more passes in 2008.  Watson has now played in 41 games (31 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 116 passes for 1,489 yards (12.8 avg) with 13 TD grabs.  He has also carried the football 1 time for 11 yards.

The Patriots still have high hopes for David Thomas who has had injury problems his first two seasons in the NFL.  He only played in 2 games (0 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards.  Look for him to be more involved in the offense this season if he can just stay healthy.  Thomas has now played in 17 games (3 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 12 passes for 168 yards (14.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.

26-year old Stephen Spach will have a hard time making the team this season.  He played in 3 games (0 starts) for the Patriots last season and he didn’t even catch a pass.  He appears to have too many players in front of him to be anything more than a special teams player unless the Patriots suffer injuries at this position.  Spach has now played in 16 games (1 start) in his NFL career and he has caught 7 passes for 42 yards (6.0 avg).

The Patriots brought in 36-year old veteran Marcus Pollard to compete for playing time.  He will definately be a factor in the passing game for the Patriots as catching the football is his main strength.  Pollard played in 14 games (10 starts) with the Seahawks last season and he caught 28 passes for 273 yards (9.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Look for Pollard to eclipse those numbers this season for the pass happy Patriots.  Pollard has now played in 191 games (135 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 349 passes for 4,280 yards (12.3 avg) with 40 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

So what if Donte’ Stallworth decided to leave in free agency as the only way the Patriots will miss him is if they have a couple of injuries in the WR corps.  31-year old Randy Moss is back and he has shown no signs of slowing down yet.  Moss played in 16 games for the Patriots last season and he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards (15.2 avg) with 23 TD grabs (which is a new NFL record).  Don’t look for Moss to slow down at all as long as he can stay healthy.  Moss has now played in 154 games (148 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 774 passes for 12,193 yards (15.8 avg) with 124 TD grabs.  Moss has also carried the football 23 times for 159 yards (6.9 ypc).  Look for Moss to remain the best receiver in the NFL in 2008.

Wes Welker does all of the dirty work for the Patriots as he has no fear of going over the middle despite being only 5’9″, 185 pounds.  Welker also seems to find the yard sticks and he has great hands.  Welker played in 16 games (13 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 112 passes for 1,175 yards (10.5 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  He also carried the ball 4 times for 34 yards (8.5 ypc).  Look for Welker to be really effective again as he is often working against single coverage due to Moss being on the other side of the field.  Welker has now played in 63 games (16 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 208 passes for 2,296 yards (11.0 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 5 times for 39 yards (7.8 ypc) in his career.

Jabar Gaffney will replace Donte’ Stallworth as the #3 WR for the Patriots this season.  He is nothing special but he catches anything his fingers touch.  Gaffney played in 16 games (7 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 36 passes for 449 yards (12.5 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Look for him to eclipse those numbers this season as he will likely be very busy in the passing game.  Gaffney has now played in 91 games (63 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 218 passes for 2,600 yards (11.9 avg) with 13 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 9 times for 56 yards (6.2 ypc) in his career.

The #4 WR job will be up for grabs between Chad Jackson and Kelley Washington.  The Patriots would probably like Jackson to win the job as he has been a disappointment since being drafted 2 years ago.  The 23-year old had injury problems last season which limited him to 2 games last season (0 starts) in which he didn’t catch any passes.  Jackson’s NFL career has consisted of 14 games (1 start) in which he has caught 13 passes for 152 yards (11.7 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 4 times for 22 yards (5.5 ypc) in his career.

Kelley Washington is a big guy at 6’3″, 215 pounds but he has never lived up to his potential.  Washington played in 14 games (0 starts) last season and he didn’t catch a pass while playing mostly on special teams.  The fact that Washington didn’t catch a pass at all last season means that he will likely be buried on the depth chart again this season.  Washington has now played in 58 games (6 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 72 passes for 893 yards (12.4 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 2 times for 4 yards (2.0 ypc) in his NFL career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A

The Patriots don’t use a fullback much in their offense but they like the ones they have.  29-year old Heath Evans is an effective power runner, receiver and blocker.  He is 6’0″, 250 pounds but he often runs like an even bigger man lowering his shoulder and delivering the blow often.  Evans played in 16 games (1 start) last season for the Patriots and he carried the ball 34 times for 121 yards (3.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 4 passes for 43 yards (10.8 avg) last season.  Don’t look for Evans to post better numbers than last season unless the Patriots suffer a lot of injuries at tailback.  Evans has now played in 105 games (8 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 146 times for 538 yards (3.7 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He has also caught 37 passes for 269 yards (7.3 avg) with 1 TD grab in his career.

26-year old Kyle Eckel in the backup fullback but he was only really used in garbage time last season for the Patriots.  He is a little on the small side at 5’11″, 237 pounds but he runs with conviction.  Eckel played in 12 games (0 starts) for the Patriots last season and he carried the ball 33 times for 90 yards (2.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

The New England Patriots are going into battle in 2008 with the same three running backs that helped them go 16-0 in the regular season last year.  The Patriots are hoping that this is the season that Laurence Maroney breaks out.  He has all of the tools you look for in a feature back as he is fast, strong and he has good hands.  But, Maroney has been a little bit injury prone in his career so the Patriots will be sure to let Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk give him more of a rest than most feature backs get.  Maroney played in 13 games (6 starts) for the Patriots last season and he carried the ball 185 times for 835 yards (4.5 ypc) with 6 TD runs.  He also caught 4 passes for 116 yards (29.0 avg).  Look for Maroney to go over 1,000 yards rushing this season and for the Patriots to get him the ball more in the passing game.  Maroney has now played in 27 games (6 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 360 times for 1,580 yards (4.4 ypc) with 12 TD runs.  He also has caught 26 passes for 310 yards (11.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.

Sammy Morris was very impressive last season before he suffered a serious season ending injury after six weeks.  Morris played in 6 games (2 starts) for the Patriots last season and he carried the ball 85 times for 384 yards (4.5 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 6 passes for 35 yards (5.8 avg).  Look for Morris to get a lot of tough yards between the tackles for the Patriots this season as he likes to run hard between the tackles.  Morris has now played in 100 games (25 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 459 times for 1,853 yards (4.0 ypc) with 17 TD runs.  He also has caught 118 passes for 827 yards (7.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.

Kevin Faulk is one of the better third down backs in the NFL despite his advancing age.  He always seems to make the big play when the Patriots really need it.  Faulk played in 16 games (8 starts) last season for the Patriots and he carried the ball 62 times for 265 yards (4.3 ypc).  He also caught 47 passes for 383 yards (8.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Look for the Patriots to limit his carries this season but for him to catch more passes in 2008.  Faulk has now played in 122 games (32 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 694 times for 2,663 yards (3.8 ypc) with 11 TD runs.  He has also caught 323 passes for 2,818 yards (8.7 avg) with 11 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

Tom Brady just confirmed what I felt all along last season, that he is the best QB EVER!  He might not have the strongest arm in the NFL and he’s not the swiftest runner….but he always seems to get the ball to his receivers on time.  Not only that, but he spreads the ball around to keep all of his receivers involved in the game and that puts tremendous pressure on the defense.  Brady played started all 16 games last season and he completed 398 of 578 passes (68.9%) for 4,806 yards with 50 TD passes and only 8 interceptions (117.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 37 times for 98 yards (2.6 ypc) with 2 TD runs but a lot of those were kneel downs at the end of games.  Brady showed what he was all about two years ago when he didn’t have any good receivers and he still led the Patriots to the playoffs and they almost upset the World Champion Colts on the road in the AFC Championship.  Brady has now played in 112 games (110 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 2,294 of 3,642 passes (63%) for 26,370 yards with 197 TD passes and 86 interceptions (92.9 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 276 times for 533 yards (1.9 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  Look for Brady to have another MVP type season in 2008.

Behind Brady the Patriots have a bunch of young QBs battling for the job.  Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and rookie Kevin O’Connell will duke it out in training camp and the pre season to see who will be the #2 QB.  Matt Cassel has the most experience in the NFL but it still isn’t enough to know if he could handle the job if something happened to Tom Brady.  In fact, Cassel wasn’t even a starter at USC.  Cassel played in 6 games (0 starts) last season for the Patriots and he completed 4 of 7 passes (57.1%) for 38 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 interception (32.7 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 4 times for 12 yards (3.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Cassel has to be the favorite to win the backup job but he’s only a slight one.  Cassel has now played in 14 games (0 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 22 of 39 passes (56.4%) for 253 yards with 2 TD passes and 2 interceptions (71.8 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 12 times for 28 yards (2.3 ypc) with 1 TD run.

Matt Gutierrez made the Patriots as an undrafted free agent last season.  He didn’t get to play much but the Patriots like him enough to give him a chance to battle for the backup job.  Gutierrez played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Patriots last season and he completed his only pass attempt for 15 yards.  He also carried the ball 5 times for -13 yards (-2.6 ypc) but they were all kneel downs.

Rookie Kevin O’Connell has the most potential of the backups.  He is a dropback passer just like Brady is and his arm is more than strong enough to make every throw needed to succeed in the NFL.  Look for him to be the #2 QB for the Patriots by mid-season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A+