Karen Guregian says Kyle Arrington is ready to see what this young defense can accomplish in 2012, with a full offseason program.

"We’re a relatively young team," Arrington said. "We’re looking forward to improving individually as players and collectively as a team. We should be right back where we want to be this time next year."

"We’ll start from scratch. That’s what we’ll work on from Day 1," he said. "We just need to be around each other more. I think that will benefit us a lot. With the offseason program, we’ll be working out together, watching film together, hanging out together, just being together more. It’ll be beneficial for everyone."

What would Arrington like to do better? "There’s always areas of improvement. Basically you’re just trying to turn your weaknesses into strengths," he said. "Build on what you do well. You always work to try to be the complete player. A lot of the self-scouting, which I did last season, I think I made some improvement in areas of my game I needed from last season. It’s still not good enough. I’ll continue to work on those."

Mike Reiss posts some key NFL dates ahead for 2012.

Feb. 20 -- First day for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.

Feb. 22-28 -- NFL Combine (media access Feb. 23-Feb. 26).

March 1 -- Clubs no longer required to grant permission to another club to discuss position of head coach with an assistant coach.

March 5 -- Deadline to designate franchise or transition tag players (prior to 4 p.m. ET).

March 13 -- Free agency begins at 4 p.m. ET, marking start of 2012 league year (trading begins).

March 26-28 -- NFL annual meeting (Palm Beach, Fla) -- compensatory draft picks awarded etc.

April 2 -- Clubs that hired a new head coach at end of '11 regular season may begin offseason programs.

April 16 -- Clubs with a returning head coach may begin offseason workout programs.

April 20 -- Deadline for signing of offer sheets by restricted free agents.

April 26-28 -- NFL Draft.

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Superman had it right. Sometimes you just need a Fortress of Solitude.

There is a fairly large group of people that hasn't heard a word from me since I turned my phone off before the game last Sunday. While a fair number of them are probably rejoicing in this welcome break from any and all contact with me, I'm sure there are a few others who are wondering whether or not I'm still alive. Well to all those who haven't heard from me - I'm fine. I won't be speaking to any of you anytime soon, but you can rest assured that I'm going to be OK.

I've experienced all five stages of grief over the past few weeks. Denial was definitely the hardest step to get over, as I just kept replaying scenarios in my head where Wes Welker makes that catch or Rob Gronkowski comes down with that Hail Mary. I actually allowed myself to get excited for a split second before realizing it was all in my head and I just ended up mad. Luckily for me, Stage 2 in the grieving process is anger. I wasn't so much angry at the Patriots as I was angry at myself; mad for caring so much, mad for investing myself emotionally in this team, and mad for not doing enough touchdown dances or wearing enough pairs of lucky drawers or any other anti-jinx activity that may have made things turn out differently. Stages 3 and 4, Bargaining and Depression, are stages that I realized some time ago that we as sports fans can never truly move past, so the best we can hope for is come to grips with them. I know that I'm NEVER going to stop saying "if only Welker had caught that pass" or "if only Asante had come up with that pick," and so there is no point trying to move on from that. While I will get less and less depressed over it with time, it will never be gone completely, so all I can really do is acknowledge my mania and move on.

Which brings me to the final stage: acceptance. I've accepted the 2011 season. It didn't go the way I wanted it to, but it didn't go the way 30 other teams wanted it to either. As of today, the Patriots have still gone a whopping 7 whole years without a title (which the Boston media seems to have forgotten isn't really a very long time), and that's just the way it is. The doubters will continue to doubt, the haters will continue to hate, lips will continue to flap in the New York/New Jersey area, and the Patriot Way will march on, undeterred.

And you know what? I can live with that.

Sure, there were some moments over the past few weeks I'm not overly proud of. There may have been a lot of sitting at home in the dark. I may have taken more than a few long, hot showers while fully clothed and rocking back and forth with my knees drawn up to my chest. I might have dug my old teddy bear out of the attic and slept with it for a few nights. But that's neither here nor there. The bottom line is that while I'm never going to be over this loss, I'm not about to dwell on it. I'm proud as hell of the 2011 Patriots and am once again blown away by Bill Belichick's ability to get the absolute best out of everyone and Tom Brady's ability to make those around him look like superstars. I'm ready and excited to ride with Tommy B on this last stretch of his career, a career that is NOT tainted in any way by this loss, no matter what anyone else says. I know that New England is going to be right back after it in September, and between now and then we have the combine, free agency, the draft, mini-camps, trading, and pre-season to keep us sane. Once again, the Pats are well-positioned for all facets of the NFL league year, and I for one am very excited to see what this offense will be able to do with a full offseason to gel and Josh McDaniels back at the helm.

One thing you aren't going to see much from me going forward is a whole lot of draft coverage. Unlike Mel Kiper, I'm willing to admit that I have no idea what I'm talking about in regards to the NFL Draft. I don't follow college football as closely as I should, there are people on Pats Pulpit way more knowledgeable about the matter than me, and at the end of the day we all know that Bill Belichick is going to be trading up and down the board like a madman on draft day and will likely select players I have never even heard of anyway. The only thing I can say for sure is that the odds are good the Patriots will come away from this draft with a fair number of "value" picks and a bunch of selections for the following year. I'd love to sit here and speculate on whether this will FINALLY be the year the Patriots move up in the draft, are aggressive in free agency, and surround Tommy B with some serious talent as he gears up for one last push for a ring - but doing that will only get my hopes up and will may cause that first trade down for a cornerback I've never heard of to send me right back to Stage 1.

What I am excited about, however, is this 2012 Free Agent class. There are several big names on the market this year, many of whom would be a great fit for the Patriots, and I can see coach Belichick going after players on both sides of the ball to supplement his draft strategy. I'm currently compiling a wish list of sorts of free agents that I would love to see the Patriots pursue, which I will be sharing with you all over the coming weeks. We are almost exactly a month away from the start of free agency, so there is a lot to cover. And I'm excited to start covering it.

I know it was bad, but it could definitely be worse. It's time for us all to move on.

The Pats are going to be fine. And so are we.

With the 2012 NFL Draft just over two months away, my first attempt at projecting the Patriots' selections:

Round 1, Pick 27: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

At this point, Sanu could be seen as a slight reach, but I think he will rise up the draft boards fast in the coming weeks. Sanu is the type of receiver that the Patriots desperately needs. He has good speed - not elite - but at 6'2" and 218 lbs, he has plenty of size and strength. He can beat any corner who presses him - something the Patriots need in a wide receiver. He's also a solid route runner and seems to be one of the most NFL ready receivers in the draft (which is something else the Patriots could use with quarterback Tom Brady's career clock ticking). Sanu would come in, and depending on whether or not the Patriots added any veterans via free agency or the draft, could get the chance to start immediately.

Round 1, Pick 31: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

I sort of struggled to make this pick. A lot of the players that I liked for the Patriots likely will go early on (Michael Brockers, Courtney Upshaw). Mark Barron is a guy the Patriots could use at a position of need - he's a big, physical, instinctive, and smart safety with a lot of talent. There's no question that Barron could make the Patriots' secondary better. The real question is, since he projects as more of a "strong" safety, whether or not he would compliment incumbent strong safety Pat Chung. My feeling is that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could make it work, with Chung playing the deep half of the field more often than not. Barron is just too good to pass up here.

Round 2, Pick 48: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

The Boykin pick is one that I'm really excited to make at this spot. Although he stands at just over 5'9", Boykin has great athleticism, closing burst, and is very experienced playing the slot. At the Senior Bowl, he proved he can play press coverage - in addition to his usual effectiveness in the zone. He also has versatility, playing some offense and also returning kicks. Overall, he seems like a perfect fit for New England's scheme, and he could instantly be plugged in as the team's "star" cornerback.

Final three picks after the jump!

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Former Patriots and Vikings receiver Randy Moss is seeking a return to professional football. Earlier this morning, Moss announced via his UStream channel that he would be returning to the NFL in 2012. Now, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Patriots could be interested, and that they've been told that the Patriots "still like him." Florio also states that the Patriots are the "most obvious destination" and that we wouldn't be surprised if "teams lined up quickly" to kick the tires of Moss.

Obviously, this isn't anything concrete, but it is something to speculate about. Ever since the Patriots shipped Moss away during the 2010 season and he was waived by the Vikings just a month later, fans have been enamored with the idea of getting him back.

As you probably know, Moss retired from football prior to this season, but continued to be open about his desire to return to the Patriots. If the Patriots have a mutual interest in Moss, as their article somewhat suggests they've heard, the move would make some sense.

Regardless of your personal opinion of Moss, he showed at the beginning of the 2010 season that he can still command attention deep (which in turn can open up things underneath). Of course, Moss turned 35 today, so it's easy to question how much he still has in the tank. However, if he still is in good shape and is willing to take a significant pay reduction, he could be that deep threat that the Patriots have been missing since he was traded away in 2010.

Jeff Howe reviews the safeties on the roster, noting the need for Belichick to add a boost to this position for next season.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made some curious decisions with his safeties early in the 2011 season, and it caught up to them over the course of the year. Belichick released James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather, but the Patriots also couldn't come to terms with Dashon Goldson, who met with the team before returning to San Francisco to have a Pro Bowl year.

From there, Patrick Chung missed eight games due to injuries, and Josh Barrett landed on injured reserve. James Ihedigbo took on more responsibility than he's ever had in his career, and wide receiver Matthew Slater and cornerbacks Nate Jones, Sterling Moore and Devin McCourty took on added roles at safety to handle the depth issue.

Belichick must address this position going forward, either by shifting McCourty there full-time or adding another player or two.

Safeties on Final Roster: Chung, Ihedigbo, Sergio Brown, Ross Ventrone (practice squad), Bret Lockett (injured reserve), Barrett (injured reserve) Key Statistic: Ihedigbo was fifth on the team with 72 total tackles, and he was fourth with 50 solo tackles.

Hot Topic: Chung couldn't take a big step forward this year due to a pair of injuries, including a foot ailment that sidelined him for seven games at the end of the regular season. Chung was expected to take on a major role with the defense after Sanders and Meriweather were cut, and it just never panned out. The three-year veteran has an obvious playmaking ability, which he showed in the Super Bowl with a major sideline hit to jar the ball free from Hakeem Nicks, and he'll be counted on to add a physical edge to the defense in 2012.

Offseason Question: How can the Patriots improve the position?

During the 2010 season, a source indicated the Patriots were going to head in a new direction with the position and, well, that obviously turned out to be the case early in 2011. However, the biggest names on that transaction wire were the departures, not the additions. If Belichick decides to pair up Chung with McCourty, the Patriots won't really need to make a big splash in the safety pool this offseason.

However, if they're looking for an upgrade over Ihedigbo and Barrett, there are a few intriguing free agents, including Goldson (again), Tyvon Branch, Jim Leonhard, Michael Griffin and LaRon Landry. Potential draft targets would be Alabama's Mark Barron, who could be off the board in the top 20, Notre Dame's Harrison Smith, Boise State's George Iloka, South Carolina's Antonio Allen and Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin to name a few.

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Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking at each Patriots free agent and projecting whether or not they will re-sign with the Patriots this offseason;

Kevin Faulk

Age: 35

Position: Running back

Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

2011 Stats: 7 games played; 3 starts; 17 carries, 57 yards; 7 receptions, 24 yards

Overview: After 13 incredible years with the Patriots, it looks like Kevin Faulk's career could be coming to an end. Faulk has been supplanted by Danny Woodhead as the team's primary 3rd down back. After coming off the PUP list earlier this year, Faulk initially played a big role in the Steelers game, before his playtime fell off completely. While part of the reason could have been due to a sore knee as Faulk recovered from a torn ACL, it was pretty apparent by the end of the year that the Patriots would be moving on from him. While I could see the Patriots offering Faulk an unguaranteed contract to compete for a spot in training camp, he appears a longshot to be on the 53 man roster this September. Nonetheless, Faulk has had a great career in New England, and is one of the smartest, hardworking players to ever play for the Patriots. I could definitely envision a scenario where he returns to the Patriots as a member of the coaching staff in 2012, since that's what his role has essentially been the past two years.

Prediction: Retires (and maybe returns an an assistant coach)

Paul Kenyon wonders if Belichick will give Matt Patricia the defensive coordinator title this year.

One item worth following between now and the beginning of next season will be whether Belichick gives Matt Patricia the title of defensive coordinator. It was not until late in the season when Belichick acknowledged that Patricia was calling the defensive signals. In theory, at least, Belichick has kept the title of defensive coordinator for himself. Patricia, who played his football at Rensselaer Poly Tech in New York, has been with the Patriots for eight years. He has worked his way up from offensive assistant, to assistant offensive line coach, the linebackers coach and this past season as safeties coach.

Even if he decides to give Patricia the title of defensive coordinator, there is no doubt that Belichick will remain heavily involved with the defense, as he is with the entire organization. The coach turns 60 in April, but has shown no indication of slowing down.

Glen Farley says with free agency a little more than a month away, the Patriots are in good shape to participate.

According to league-wide figures compiled by Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Patriots are currently at a salary cap figure of $101.887,741. That’s eighth lowest in the NFL, giving them $20 million or more of wiggle room under the projected 2012 limit of $121-$125 million.

It goes without saying that a portion of team owner Robert Kraft’s bank account will be needed to retain Wes Welker’s services. If the two sides are unable to come to terms, the franchise tag at wide receiver would cost the Patriots $9.4 million.

There is also a need to upgrade the supporting cast at a position where Deion Branch is also a free agent (and, if retained, would best serve as the third option). Also – news flash! – the team isn’t about to pay Chad Ochocinco $3 million in base salary to return in 2012.

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Okay, so this isn't really news. Heck, we don't even know if Chad Ochocinco will be back with the Patriots in 2012 (taking a pay cut will probably be the only way). But for those interested, Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco will be changing his name back to Chad Johnson... at least according to a TMZ report:

Say goodbye to Chad Ochocinco ... the Patriots star is telling friends, he plans to change his last name BACK to Johnson in time for his wedding this summer -- because he doesn't want his wife to have a made-up last name.

Ocho's wedding to his "Basketball Wives" fiancee Evelyn Lozada is set for July in Florida -- and sources tell TMZ, the wide receiver plans to legally change his last name back to the one he was born with before he ties the knot.

Umm... cool. I guess. Of course, now that I finally got used to calling him "Ocho" I'll have to go back to calling him by the last name "Johnson." Or maybe I'll just stick to Ocho. Okay, this article has run its course.