Thoughts and Predictions: Patriots Draft Needs

By: Lily Zhao

As the NFL Draft nears, the New England Patriots have been given six picks all before the fifth round. What are the team's needs? Will they even use all six picks or will Bill Belichick trade up or trade down? Here are my thoughts and predictions for the Patriots for this year's NFL Draft.

1. This year's draft is all about defense. Last year, the Patriots were all about the offense and this year Belichick needs to focus on the defensive side of the ball. New England needs to address their secondary issues, specifically at cornerback and safety, especially since the team was ranked 31st in pass defense. I expect the Pats to focus their #27 and #31 draft picks on getting defensive players.

(nfldraftmonsters.com)

2. Another thing to keep an eye out for is what the Patriots do if they choose to elect a player on the offensive side of the ball. Out of all the positions, a receiver who has the talent and ability to develop into Belichick's offense will be someone to look out for. I think Greg Childs out of Arkansas has the height, speed and hands to be a potential pick on offense. However, I think he goes late in the fourth or fifth round, so if Belichick trades down, this pick could work.


3. There really are no immediate team needs. During the free agency period, Belichick signed 14 players, which was the most in the league. However, looking down the road, Belichick needs to build the team, not so much collect the most talented players out there. He took a chance at drafting Brandon Spikes and Aaron Hernandez later in the draft and that paid off. So, with no picks between the fifth and seventh round this year, I expect Belichick to trade down to get some picks late. By doing so, he can get some players with talent, value and can create a sustainable culture.

Top 5 Weekly Countdown

By: Lily Zhao

Here are the top sports stories this week on my "Top 5 Weekly Countdown":

(sports.yahoo.com)

1. Pat Summit has stepped aside as the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. The 59-year-old has guided the Lady Vols to eight national titles and has kept the Tennessee program in the top echelon of women's basketball. This move comes less than a year after her diagnosis of early onset dementia and Alzheimers. Summit coached at Tennessee for 38 years.

Story: http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7828864/pat-summitt-steps-aside-coach-lady-vols

2. It's "The Decision-Kentucky Wildcats Edition". The starting five who helped Kentucky win 2012 men's basketball championship will now disband. Kentucky's entire starting lineup of freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis, and sophomore Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb have declared for the NBA draft. The group dominated the Southeastern Conference, going unbeaten during the regular season and was the first number one overall since Florida in 2007 to win the NCAA men's basketball title. The five youngsters will join seniors Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas in the draft.

Story: http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2012/story/_/id/7825727/kentucky-wildcats-starting-five-declares-nba-draft

(digtriad.com)

3. It seems to be a southern tradition. The defending BCS national champions Alabama Crimson Tide's $30,000 crystal BCS trophy was shattered earlier this week. The Coaches' Trophy shattered when a player's father got his foot caught on a rug that sat beneath the trophy display. Alabama joins Florida (2008) and Florida State (2004) who have also had their glass trophies shattered following a national title.

Story: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7821303/alabama-crimson-tide-crystal-bcs-trophy-shattered-mishap

4. You can find more "Linsanity" and "Tebowing" in Time magazine's "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World." New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow were both selected to be part of the prestigious list Time Magazine has every year.

Story: http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7828015/new-york-knicks-jeremy-lin-new-york-jets-tim-tebow-make-time-most-influential-list

(bleacherreport.com)

5. It's getting pretty "Goonish" in the NHL. Pittsburgh Penguins' James Neal has been suspended for one game after knocking down an unsuspecting Sean Couturier with a hard check, while Craig Adams and Arron Asham are also suspended. Phoenix Coyotes' Raffi Torres was also in hot water following his hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa, who had to later be carried off on a stretcher. Torres has been suspended indefinitely.


Story: http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/16426/mayhem-has-become-story-of-playoffs

Patriots Off-Season Position Battles

By: Lily Zhao

As the NFL Draft draws near, Bill Belichick and his staff will be evaluating which positions which will need the most help. What this means is players are not guaranteed anything until the start of the season.

Guys like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez pretty much have their positions set in stone. But what about the rest of the team? These position battles will be changed even more as more players get drafted in late April, but as now, here are some key position battles to pay attention to heading into the summer.

(Kelvin Ma)

Wide Receiver: Following the team's Super Bowl controversy, Belichick took a deep look at his receiving corps and signed Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez and re-signed Deion Branch to give Tom Brady some more targets to throw to this season. New England has nine receivers, with only two--Wes Welker and Lloyd--guaranteed to make the starting roster. Matthew Slater and Julian Edelman are coming into their own, but the rest of the receiving corps has been inconsistent. Chad Ochocinco has not lived up to the enormous expectations he had coming into New England, Donte Stallworth's production has declined to the point where he's only caught 41 passes since leaving the team in 2007, and Anthony Gonzalez is injury prone. Tiquan Underwood was released days before the Super Bowl and Britt Davis, the late-season practice squad pickup, faces even longer odds of making his presence on the field. This summer, can Stallworth prove he still has the speed and quickness he used to possess? Can Ochocinco learn the Patriots playbook by heart? Those are some of the key questions heading into the summer.

Running Back: BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the workhorse Belichick needed running the ball. Now that he's gone to Cincinnati, that leaves Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen at the position. It seems Ridley will be the best option to replace Green-Ellis. A star at LSU, Ridley played substantial minutes last season, averaging over 4 yards per carry. He has a similar physical running style as Green-Ellis; however, fumbles have been his issue. If Ridley can hold onto the ball, he could challenge Woodhead for the starting position.

(nfldotcom.com)

Cornerback: Having the second-worst pass defense in the league last season has forced Belichick to upgrade the secondary completely. Kyle Arrington, Devin McCourty and Ras-I Dowling are the top three favorites heading into training camp to be the starter. However, upstart Sterling Moore could dial up the competition at the cornerback position. The undrafted rookie will have to prove his Cinderella rookie season wasn't just a one and done deal. The Patriots also signed Will Allen from the Miami Dolphins. At 33, Allen still has the quickness and hands necessary to compete in the backfield. Rumors are also swirling in New England about the possibility of signing Northern Alabama's Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins was a sure first rounder when he was at Florida, but a slew of run-ins with the law make him a risky pick.

The Top Three: Florida Gators head into the season feeling more confident

By: Lily Zhao

Here are three points of emphasis for the Gators heading into its annual Orange and Blue spring game.

1. One year later, he's one year wiser. It was a tumultuous first year for first-time head coach Will Muschamp, but the head Gator still has faith the team will be back in full force this season.

(bleacherreport.com)

"The physicality of our football team is much better than it was a year ago," Muschamp told the Gainesville Sun. "I can assure you of that. It needs to carry over to game day."

That was one of the points Muschamp emphasized heading into the back part of the 2011 season. Following a disastrous October month where the Gators went 0-4 and then ended its regular season losing 24-17 to archrival Florida State, Muschamp called his players soft.

He said they were a bend and break team with no sense of toughness.

Since then the team has been in the weight room working under a new regiment from new strength and conditioning coordinator Jeff Dillman.

"The kids see themselves getting stronger. It's carried over to spring practice. It's fun to watch Jon Bostic hit a guy in a hole and knock him back," Muschamp said. "Those are things where guys are seeing improvements."

2. Saturday's spring game will feature a spring rejuvenation.

This Gators team will feature fresh new faces on both sides of the ball. Fans who attend will be looking to see which quarterback, Jacoby Brissett or Jeff Driskel, can take the reigns. However, don't expect to know who will start the opener until the week of the first game.

Looking at the defensive side of the ball, UF's depth is much better this spring than last year. However, starters Dominique Easley and Lerentee McCray will be out for the spring following injuries. Their absence means players like junior linebacker Ronald Powell will get another chance to shine. This defense will once again be anchored by Jon Bostic.

On the offensive side of the ball, freshman wide receiver Latroy Pittman has impressed the coaches. The offense has been the main source of problems in the past, especially in the wide receiver corps. Aside from Andre Debose, Quinton Dunbar, Frankie Hammond Jr. and Solomon Patton, this is another area to pay attention to during the Orange and Blue game. This particular offensive unit has been plagued by inconsistent play and youth, so the scrimmage will be the first time to see young wide receivers like Ja'Juan Story and Pittman play.

3. There's a new man wearing the iconic No. 15. Loucheiz Purifoy, the sophomore cornerback from Pensacola, FL is carrying high expectations while wearing Tim Tebow's number.

(buckeyextra.com)

Purifoy is currently listed as a starter opposite Marcus Roberson, and is expected to shine in the secondary. Purifoy played in all 13 games last season, but an injury in training camp stunted his growth early on.

The 6-foot-1, 186-pound cornerback made an impact on kickoff coverage, recording a team-best 22 special teams tackles.

In the Gator Bowl against Ohio State, Purifoy had a career-best five tackles and caused his first career turnover. Expected to play in the Orange and Blue game, it'll be time for Purifoy to show he can handle the legendary number he wears.

Patriots Draft Analysis: Defensive Needs

By: Lily Zhao

It seems Bill Belichick is taking after the mantra: "Defense wins championships." Here are three areas of concern the Patriots need to fill for the 2012 season.

(boltbeat.com)

Defensive End/Outside Linebacker: Rob Ninkovich is holding down the fort for the Patriots on pass rush. His partners Mark Anderson and Andre Carter will be unreliable, as Anderson is gone to the Buffalo Bills while Carter is a free agent, recovering from a torn quad. Anderson and Carter combined for 10 sacks last year. Because the defense transitioned to a 4-3 defense, it will be crucial come draft day to get a disruptive pass rusher.  While the pass rush for the Patriots was not too effective last season, it did improve their sack total and it was important in limiting opponents on third-down. A defensive end like Alabama's Courtney Upshaw could one of the cures for this ailing part of the New England defense.

(espn.com)

Safety: While Sergio Brown stepped up at the safety position and Matthew Slater elevated his play late in the season, the Patriots need depth. While Patriots helped this position by signing former San Diego Charger Steve Gregory in free agency, they will need more help. Last season, New England was brought down by subpar safety play, as well as the early releases of James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather. Reliable safety Patrick Chung was also hampered by injuries the first half of the season. Looking toward the draft, another member of the Crimson Tide could help elevate this position. Mark Barron knows how to read a defense and has excellent wrap around tackling skills.

(yahoosports.com)

Defensive Line: For the past couple of years, the Patriots have been tested at this position. Guys like Brandon Deaderick, Kyle Love and Myron Pryor do not constitute a stout defensive line because they're essentially the B team. Looking at the current depth chart, New England should bring in a young, disruptive force that can be counted on to contribute big-time snaps. Vince Wilfork, Shaun Ellis and Gerard Warren are all in their thirties and their initial burst off the line isn't as good as it was a couple of years ago. Guys like Connecticut's Kendall Reyes and LSU's Michael Brockers could give the defensive trenches a boost.

Patriots Draft Analysis: Offensive Needs

By: Lily Zhao

There are still some offensive holes that need to be filled for the New England Patriots.

Last week, the Patriots re-signed wide receiver Deion Branch and signed free agent fullbacks Tony Fiammetta and Spencer Larsen.

(patriotsgab.com)

Branch caught five touchdowns and 51 catches for 702 yards last season. He will join the a deep wide receiver corps that added free agents Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez and Donte Stallworth.

Fiammetta spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys, while Larsen played two different positions for the Denver Broncos.

Despite what looks like a talented offensive corp, especially if you add them in with Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, it may seem that defense is what Bill Belichick should be focusing on for the upcoming NFL Draft.

However, it looks like the Patriots may still go wide for the draft.

The Patriots only have a hand-full of players capable of creating huge chunks of offensive plays in 2012. Wes Welker is carrying the franchise tag and considered the best hands player on the squad, his Super Bowl controversy aside. Lloyd, who was one of Sam Bradford's main targets last season at St. Louis, has the acceleration and ball awareness to become a reliable receiver for Tom Brady.

What the Patriots need to do this off-season is acquire players with talent and developmental depth.

They will also try to buck the notion that the team does not know how to develop wideouts following the draft. Taylor Price, Brandon Tate and Bethel Johnson were prime examples of either coaching, the New England system or a combination of something else gone wrong.

Coming into the draft, Belichick will have six draft picks, with two coming in the first two rounds. That means the Patriots could target a player like Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill or Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu.

The Art of the Stolen Base

By: Lily Zhao

What tools do some of the best baserunners use to steal bases? I went down to Major League Baseball's spring training to find out.