Starting with defense

The Pats have just about finished their free agent shopping. The draft is now over. Except for a few undrafted free agents and training camp veteran signings the 2012 version of the New England Patriots is pretty much set. When you have gone 27-5 in the last two seasons there's not too many battles in camp.

The offense is loaded again and will threaten the records the team set in '07. The defense was where reinforcements were needed. Reinforcements have arrived.

I'm guessing the Pats will return to playing a 3-4 more this year since they now have four potentially very good linebackers. Here's what the starters in the 3-4 could look like if everyone stays healthy and the new guys reach their potential quickly:

DEFENSIVE LINE

          LEFT END                          NOSE TACKLE                              RIGHT END

     Jonathan Fanene                     Vince Wilfork                              Chandler Jones

LINEBACKERS

    LEFT OUTSIDE              MIDDLE                  MIDDLE                RIGHT OUTSIDE

   Dont'a Hightower         Brandon Spikes         Jerod Mayo              Rob Ninkovich

DEFENSIVE BACKS

  CORNERBACK              SAFETY                   SAFETY                   CORNERBACK
   Ras-I Dowling             Patrick Chung         Devin McCourty             Kyle Arrington          

I'm counting on a few things. Jonathan Fanene is this year's Andre Carter. Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower earn starting jobs and make impacts like McCourty and Mayo did in their rookie years. Ras-I-Dowling gets healthy and lives up to his draft position.

If those things happen then the transition from the Bruschi-Willie-Rodney-Vrabel-Law-Seymour years to the next championship-caliber defense is in the final stage. Big Vince is one of the dominant forces in the game. Brandon Spikes and Mayo came together at the end of last year to show just how good they can be as a duo in the middle of the field. Chung and a relocated McCourty could be one of the best young safety tandems in the game by mid-season.

It's a very athletic, young, and skilled group of starters with some serious playoff experience and confidence.  And as good as the starters look (on paper), the depth of the defense is just as good and experienced. I don't think this defense will be near the bottom in yards allowed next year. No way.