There's some question marks surrounding the Patriots this season as they defend their Super Bowl title.
The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe joined Early Edition to play a game of "optimist or pessimist," regarding the Patriots' makeover in the secondary, the new parts on the offensive line, the Patriots' third-down back and second-year defensive tackle Dominique Easley, plus more.
Easley, the team's first-round pick in last year's draft, could be poised for a breakout season after spending the end of his rookie campaign on injured reserve as he tried to improve the health of his knees.
"He is my candidate for the breakout Player of the Year for the Patriots this season," Howe said. "He is a kid who I talked to a lot of his teammates last season and they saw a lot of explosiveness in practice. They were wowed by the way he was able to go out and practice in a handful of reps at a time. He can really come in and contribute and be the disrupter that they truly believe he can be."