The real differences for this year's Patriots are on defense. All-Pro Asante Samuel is gone. Defensive guru Dom Capers, top-pick LB Jerod Mayo and a slew of cornerbacks looking to compete for playing time are in. While New England maintains one of the best defensive lines in football, turnover and aging in the back end of the defense could be the team's biggest weakness as it looks to defend its AFC crown and return to Super Bowl glory that has been oh so close but still eluded the team for the last three years.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Tom Brady. Backups -- Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O'Connell.

As long as Brady -- the NFL MVP a year ago with a record 50 touchdown passes -- stays healthy everything will be fine in New England. Along with Indy's Peyton Manning, Brady is clearly one of the best in the game today and one of the all-time greats. If Brady goes down to serious injury, something that has yet to come up as Brady has never missed a game as a starter since taking over in 2001, the Patriots have problems. Cassel's time as a developmental backup is just about done, Gutierrez is unproven with only one year of college football and the surprise third-round pick O'Connell is raw and not close to being ready for NFL action. But worrying about the backup to one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history is a problem about 30 other NFL teams would love to have at this point.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Laurence Maroney. Backups -- RB Sammy Morris, RB Kevin Faulk, FB Heath Evans, FB Kyle Eckel, RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Based on the end of 2007, Maroney might just be ready for a breakout season in 2008. While durability remains a concern -- he's missed significant time over his first two seasons in the NFL after sharing the load in college -- but Maroney continues to show flashes of the powerful, explosive running style that made him a first-round pick in 2006. He closed out last season with four 100-yard efforts and seven touchdowns in his final six games including postseason action. If he can pick up where he left off and turn flashes of brilliance into healthy consistency, Maroney could be another potent productive option for the New England attack. Morris is returning from a freak chest injury that cut his first New England season short, but expects to be at full health. He was a pleasant surprise last September and could help lessen Maroney's load. Faulk is a proven third down playmaker and change of pace guy, but may be slowing down in his 10th season.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Benjamin Watson. Backups -- David Thomas, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Jonathan Stupar.

Watson has never taken the next step toward becoming an elite tight end, in part because of injuries. He enters camp recovering from offseason ankle surgery. He's a decent option for the occasional big play, but his pass-catching skills have never caught up to his freakish physique and athletic ability.

Thomas is also coming back from injury, a broken foot that ended his sophomore season. He has soft hands and if healthy could be a decent possession receiver from the spot. Pollard is near the end of the line, but he's showed impressive route running out of the slot this spring in workouts and could be an intriguing weapon if he can rekindle his playmaking ways once enjoyed with Peyton Manning now that he's paired with Tom Brady. Spach might be able to earn a blocking role with Kyle Brady's offseason release.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Chad Jackson. Backups -- Jabar Gaffney, Kelley Washington, Sam Aiken, C.J. Jones, Matthew Slater, Robert Ortiz.

Moss, thanks to his renaissance season, had one of the great seasons ever for a receiver last fall. He showed that even if he doesn't quite have the straight-line speed of his early years, the rest of his skills keep him at an elite level. Despite slowing down the stretch, if he can stay healthy he should be up for another highly productive run in 2008. Playing off of Moss and working very well with Tom Brady, Welker should continue to be an almost unstoppable reception machine working out of the slot thanks to his great quickness and route running. Jackson is the wild card in the group. The former second-round pick is finally healthy and will have a chance to fill the void left by Donte' Stallworth's free agent exit. He has all the physical tools to be a playmaker, he just has to pull it all together and prove his mental aptitude for the playbook.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Matt Light, LG Logan Mankins, C Dan Koppen, RG Stephen Neal, RT Nick Kaczur. Backups -- T Ryan O'Callaghan, G/C Russ Hochstein, T Wesley Britt, T Oliver Ross, G Billy Yates, G/C Gene Mruczkowski, G Dan Connolly, OL Jimmy Martin, C Ryan Wendell.

New England's developing young offensive line had a great 2007 season right up until it got its collective tail whipped in front of the world by the loaded defensive line of the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. All-Pro Matt Light and fellow Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen looked like overmatched extras that day. They may have been a bit overrated heading into that game, but they're not as bad as that single performance. Light is serviceable left tackle, Mankins is a future All-Pro and Koppen is the undersized glue that holds it together. Neal continues to battle injuries that will limit the former wrestler's overall development and could cut his career short while Kaczur has had offseason off-field issues. Assuming those legal issues don't limit his availability he'll start at either RT or RG as a potential fill-in for Neal. O'Callaghan, Hochstein, Britt and Yates all return with starting experience as solid backups, while Ross is a veteran addition with plenty of starting experience as well if he has anything left in the tank.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LE Ty Warren, NT Vince Wilfork, RE Richard Seymour. Backups -- DE Jarvis Green, DL Mike Wright, DL Le Kevin Smith, DL Santonio Thomas, DE Kenny Smith, NT Steve Fifita, DE Chris Norwell.

Boasting three former first-round picks with Pro Bowl talent, the front of Warren, Wilfork and Seymour is one of the best in the game. Wilfork has evolved into the best nose tackle in the league. The former All-Pro Seymour says he's healthy and looks to bounce back after two disappointing, injury-slowed seasons. Warren is quietly evolving into an upper-echelon player in his own right. Green and Wright are experienced, trusted backups.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB Mike Vrabel, OLB Adalius Thomas, ILB Tedy Bruschi, ILB Victor Hobson. Backups -- ILB Jerod Mayo, OLB Pierre Woods, OLB Eric Alexander, ILB Larry Izzo, OLB Shawn Crable, OLB Vince Redd, ILB Gary Guyton, ILB Bo Ruud.

Vrabel earned All-Pro honors with his best season, including a career high 12.5 sacks. Thomas was stifled a bit playing inside linebacker most of the season a year ago, but showed his explosive presence in the Super Bowl from his more intriguing spot on the outside. The two could be bookend disruptive forces that put opposing offensive lines to a real test out of the sometimes confusing 3-4 front. Bruschi isn't the playmaker he once was, but despite slowing last fall he still led the team with 99 tackles. He's the brains of the defense if no longer the brawn. The real question here is the second starter on the inside. Hobson has experience in the system from his time under Eric Mangini in New York. Mayo is an impressive draft pick with great physical tools and a solid football mind. The two may battle for the job, although free agent Junior Seau remains an outside possibility if he chooses to return for a 19th season. The backup spots are undetermined. Woods saw action in the Super Bowl after playing little all season. He didn't exactly shine. Rookies Crable and Redd are intriguing on the outside, but probably will take a while to learn the complex system. Without Seau, and thanks in part to the release of Rosevelt Colvin, there isn't a lot of depth here behind an impressive group atop the depth chart.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- CB Ellis Hobbs, CB Fernando Bryant, SS Rodney Harrison, FS James Sanders. Backups -- DB Brandon Meriweather, CB Jason Webster, CB Terrence Wheatley, S Tank Williams, CB Mike Richardson, CB Lewis Sanders, CB Jonathan Wilhite, CB Antwain Spann, DB Ray Ventrone, S Mark Dillard.

Asante Samuel left a hole in the New England secondary as big as the contract he signed with the Eagles. A much-maligned Hobbs, an aging Harrison and an underrated Sanders return to starting roles, although the Super Bowl goat Hobbs could be slowed early on as he recovers from offseason groin and shoulder surgeries. Bryant is a consistent if unspectacular veteran addition with the inside shot at Samuel's starting job. Meriweather is the top backup with the ability to play both safety and corner, although questionable hands cost him seemingly a half dozen interceptions as a rookie last season. The second-round pick Wheatley should also compete for immediate playing time, either as a nickel back or maybe even the dark horse for the starting job. His impressive speed and quickness have already turned heads in New England during spring workouts. The veteran safety Williams is one of the more interesting guys to watch in camp as Belichick has used him primarily at linebacker throughout the spring and he could carve out a role as a hybrid safety/linebacker.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Stephen Gostkowski, P Chris Hanson, LS Lonie Paxton, PR Wes Welker, KR Chad Jackson.

The Patriots bring just the three specialists to training camp meaning the three returning veterans can pretty much count on roster spots. Hanson would be the least secure of the three as his best days may be behind him, although his strengths as a situational punter continue to impress Belichick and special teams coach Brad Seely. Gostkowski has a strong leg but still needs to earn Belichick's complete confidence. The coach's questionable decision to pass up a potential 48-yard field goal with a 7-3 lead in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLII and instead go for an ill-fated fourth-and-13 attempt is evidence of the shaky endorsement. The punt return job will likely be held by sure-handed, smart returning vets Welker and Faulk but the kick return role is wide open. Hobbs was solid a year ago but wore down and will likely be asked to concentrate on corner. Jackson could be in the mix in a competition that will also include the rookie Wheatley.

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