New England Patriots projected defensive starters
Nov 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns outside linebacker
Jabaal Sheard(97) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
While the New England Patriots offense has stayed mostly the same, the defense is in for a drastic change. Last year, the Patriots relied on strong secondary play, which allowed them to give the opposing teams creative looks upfront. After Darrelle Revis departing after one season, Brandon Browner was also pushed out and the Patriots began a radical change of their secondary, releasing Alfonzo Dennard, Kyle Arrington and Chimdi Chekwa. This will put a lot more pressure on the front seven, as now they are the ones that must produce to take the pressure of the secondary.
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While the secondary has clearly changed the most, the front seven has also lost and added players to their team. After 11 seasons with the Patriots Vince Wilfork has left New England. Akeem Ayers has also left the Patriots, after being a solid contributor for the team last season. The Patriots biggest new signing in free agency was Jabaal Sheard, the defensive lineman that played his first four years in the league with the Browns. The Patriots also drafted Malcom Brown in the first round, and hope that he can fill the void that Vince Wilfork left. So lets look at the projected starters.
Next: Defensive Line