Behind enemy lines: New England Patriots Q&A

Over the weekend I exchanged questions with Connor Fulton of MusketFire.com. He asked me some Q’s about the Miami Dolphins and asked him about the New England Patriots. In typical Patriot fan fashion, Connor was nice enough to explain why Tom Brady should be exonerated and finding Brady basically free and clear of “Deflate-gate” involvement. I expected nothing less and frankly, if I were in his shoes, after I killed myself for rooting for the Patriots, I would probably say the same thing as I turned over in my grave.

More from Dolphins News

• 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
• Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
• 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
• Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
• The Miami Dolphins should not take a running back in the draft

You can view my answers to his questions by going to MusketFire.

Here are the questions I asked him about this years Patriots.

Tom Brady is in the news all the time as he waits for a ruling on his suspension. How can he not be guilty of knowing the balls were deflated given the fact he touches the balls every game and no one in the right mind would deliberately do that without getting an o.k. from the QB of all people?

"CF: Ah, a Deflategate question, of course! For starters, Brady isn’t being suspended for deflating balls “every game”. He’s being suspended because he is the easiest guy to point a finger at in this whole Deflategate saga (“at least generally aware” was how the league described it). As much as the act of deflation itself, the league suspended Brady because they thought he wasn’t being fully cooperative in the investigation. So to answer your question Brian, Brady could find himself playing in Week 1 because the league has successfully made a complete and utter mess of this, and the evidence that does indicate he’s guilty is just as questionable as the media circus that has followed."

If Brady’s suspension holds, how confident are you in Jimmy Garoppolo to fill the void?

"CF: I’m confident that Garoppolo will win three of the four games he will start in the event that Brady’s suspension doesn’t get reduced. In limited action last season, Garoppolo completed 19 of 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, and while he made a few questionable decisions, he looked like a capable NFL quarterback. The Patriots play the Steelers, Bills, Jaguars and Cowboys in their first four games. The Pats always beat the Bills in games that matter, and the Jaguars game shouldn’t be an issue, so that leaves Pittsburgh and Dallas. I expect the Pats to lose one of those games, as the Steelers and Cowboys are two of the best teams in the league. So all in all, Jimmy G ought to emerge out of his first four starts with three victories under his belt."

The Patriots have found ways to win with less than talented receivers have they addressed the issue this year?

"CF: Well, they signed former Dolphins receiver Brandon Gibson during free agency. I’m sure you weren’t too heartbroken to see Gibson leave Miami, Brian, but he cannot be underestimated in New England. Like you said, the Patriots get the best out of their underwhelming receiving talent, and I expect that to be the case with Gibson; 40 receptions, 500 yards and four touchdowns would be a nice stat line for the veteran. In addition, the signing of tight end Scott Chandler, who stands above Rob Gronkowski at 6-foot-7, will bolster passing game and mask the shallow talent at wideout after Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola. And then there’s the signing of running back Travaris Cadet, who was a favorite target of Drew Brees last season."

Last year the Patriots defense kept the team in a lot of games late and in the post-season, will this be their strength again in 2015?

"CF: It was the secondary that carried the Patriots to the Super Bowl, but that won’t be their strength this season. However, the front seven is coming along real well (maybe not quite at the Dolphins’ level yet, but getting there). The addition of Jabaal Sheard to the defensive end rotation of Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones will bolster the pass rush, and you can’t forget about the outstanding linebacker trio of Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins. The Pats also signed former Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny in free agency–he will provide nice depth. The Patriots will field a good, but not great, defense in 2015; it won’t be their strength, but it also won’t be a glaring weakness either."

Running back has been a bit of question mark what have they done to address the position?

"CF: Well, they let Super Bowl XLIX ring bearers Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen depart in free agency. That means LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray will provide a powerful one-two punch… personally, I don’t see that as being much of a downgrade, as Ridley won’t be the same player after that ACL tear and Vereen was more of a receiving back anyway. Plus, Blount and Gray are the type of backs that always gain an extra yard when being tackled. Filling Vereen’s spot in the passing game will be Travaris Cadet, who is an intriguing player at 6-foot-1 with excellent receiving ability."

Despite a Super Bowl win last year are the Patriots good enough now to defend that championship?

"CF: Without a doubt, yes. The Patriots suffer losses every year, yet they gather enough new talent in the offseason to remain contenders. It would be a mistake to cast-off the Patriots because of the personnel turnover they’ve experienced and Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. They have the most dynamic offensive weapon in the game in Gronk, an upward-tracking front seven and an immense amount of confidence after winning the Super Bowl. Oh, and TB12 is pretty ticked off, and that fact alone will certainly make it difficult for another team to dethrone the Patriots in 2015."

Who poses the biggest threat in the AFC East to the Patriots string of division titles?

"CF: It’s tough to bet against your Dolphins, Brian, but I have the Bills coming in second behind the Pats in the AFC East this year. If it weren’t for the addition of LeSean McCoy to the Bills, I would pencil-in the Dolphins as the biggest threat to the Patriots, but the Bills’ offense is so dynamic now with McCoy, Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin all playing together. Plus, that Buffalo defense has a bunch of returners, so they’ll pick up right where they left off last season (they were the fourth-best overall defense in 2014). Keep in mind that the Bills actually posted a winning record last year, so winning is becoming a bit more familiar over there in western New York."