James Walker (ESPN) AFC East Combine primer.

Pass-rushers at a premium: Every AFC East team, to some degree, needs more help rushing the passer. Keep an eye on athletic defensive ends and/or outside linebackers who really stand out at the combine. The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, in particular, are two teams looking for a dynamic pass-rusher. Both teams could be aiming to find one in the first round.

Double trouble: The Patriots are one of three teams with two picks in the first round. Traditionally, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick likes to trade back for additional picks. But I have a feeling New England will do the unexpected this year. That could mean either trading up or simply using their two first-round picks in the slots provided. New England has a bevy of needs, particularly on defense. The Patriots could use help at all three levels defensively.

Safety first: The New York Jets need a safety (or two) more than any team in this draft. New York's defense was beat over the middle often last season by pass-catching tight ends. Jim Leonhard is a free agent coming off a season-ending knee injury and isn't expected to sign with a team until he's 100 percent. Starter Eric Smith struggled mightily and the Jets could use an upgrade there. Alabama's Mark Barron is the top safety prospect in the draft and often linked to New York with the No. 16 overall pick. The Dolphins and Patriots also are in the market for a safety.

Watch the interviews: Teams have a chance to interview a certain number of prospects at the combine. Watch for who the Bills, Jets, Patriots and Dolphins decide to spend personal time with next week.

Report (ESPN) Tom Martinez, longtime mentor of Tom Brady, dies at 66.

The Patriots offered their condolences to Martinez's family on Twitter on Tuesday night.

"Our sincere condolences go out to the Martinez family & all those he mentored throughout his incredible career."

Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr., called Tom Martinez's passing "a big loss," and called his son and Martinez "soul brothers."

"Tom was just a terrific guy," Brady Sr. told ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss. "It's just a real sad day because he has coached and mentored and parented so many kids for so many years. He was a tough coach who was extraordinarily well respected. He just loved his kids, loved to get the best out of them. When kids got out of his programs, they all came back to visit him. He was a real wonderful, wonderful guy."

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brandon spikes @BrandonSpikes55

Surgery this am!!!! Y'all pray 4 me please ..... #PoWwWwW!

6:17 AM - 21 Feb 12 via Echofon

Paul Perillo takes a look at the list of Patriots' free agents and analyzes which ones are best-suited to return to Foxborough. Here are just the first few:

Mark Anderson 7th year, UFA : Anderson arrived during training camp and joined a crowded group of defensive linemen. He was considered a pass rush specialist who had a 50-50 shot of even making the roster. By year's end he was the team's most consistent defensive end. He proved to be solid getting after the passer, finishing with 10 sacks and adding two in the playoffs. But he also held up reasonably well against the run. If he's looking to ink a big-money deal he'll have to look elsewhere, but a short-term deal with little to no guaranteed money could have him back.

Deion Branch 11th year, UFA: Branch had his moments in 2011 and at other times he seemed to disappear. That's not all that unusual for a 32-year-old wide receiver. But given his age that inconsistency is likely to continue and the Patriots may be looking for more at this point. His rapport with Tom Brady makes him more attractive to New England than any other team, and his presence in the locker room is a plus. Despite those admirable traits, Branch will have to take far less money to return, and even that is an uncertainty.

Andre Carter 12th year, UFA: Carter was one of the Patriots best free agent additions in 2011 before being lost for the season to a torn quad in December. Before that he was the team's best defensive lineman, playing the run and pass with equal effectiveness. He tied with Anderson for the team lead with 10 sacks and was a constant presence in the opponent's backfield all season. He also added a dose of professionalism with his calm demeanor. But he thought his football career was over last summer and now he's a year older coming off surgery. Maybe a one-year deal for the veteran minimum (or slightly above) will be in the offing but chances are his stay will be a short one.

and more...

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Ian Rapoport wonders if the Patriots will use the franchise tag on Wes Welker or let him test the open market.

"According to the collective bargaining agreement, today is the first day teams can designate their franchise player. The Patriots could attempt to lock up Welker with a one-year contract worth an estimated $9.6 million. The window closes March 5 at 4 p.m. ...

The talks do not appear to have gone smoothly. Discussions between his representatives and the Patriots have not yet included a breakthrough, a source said. ...

It doesn’t seem likely Welker will join the ranks of Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald (eight years/$120 million) or Texans receiver Andre Johnson (seven years/$73.5 million). A slot receiver who has taken plenty of hits — and will be 31 by next season — will command less.

His value isn’t obvious, and there is a line of thinking that the Patriots may allow him to test the market to find that out himself. That’s a risk, as another team could step in with a huge offer and swipe him.

Ian Rapoport notes free agent Dan Koppen is keeping his options open, but the 32-year old center believes he can thrive in 2012 and beyond.

"Hats off to those guys that have done it," Koppen said yesterday. "But I don’t really look at them and say, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’ I just go by how I’m feeling right now. And I feel great. The leg’s better, the ankle’s better. I feel like I got a few more years left in this body, that’s for sure."

"It’s been a great nine years that I’ve had playing for the Patriots and playing in front of the New England fans," Koppen said. "I’ve accomplished a lot in those nine years and now it’s just a part of the career where things are not as concrete as they have been in years past. We’re open to whatever opportunities come our way."

"Do I want to stay here and play?" Koppen said. "Yeah, absolutely, I’d love to come back here and play. But I’m not shut off to the idea of going other places or seeing the opportunities that may present itself when the free agency period comes. It’s an uneasy time, but it’s an exciting time."

"It’s just one of those periods where we haven’t done this," Koppen said. "We’re just taking it as it comes and just waiting. Leaving our options open and excited for the next chapter."

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Mike Reiss reports draft analyst Todd McShay shared his insight as to some of the "value" areas that could be there for the Patriots in the late first round.

Receiver: "Michael Floyd [of Notre Dame] would be a good fit, a guy who can get down the field and has some size. Kendall Wright [of Baylor] I think also could be a good fit; he’s undersized like some of their other guys, but he has explosive, explosive speed. He can get down the field and provide that big play, vertically, that they’ve been missing. He also can help in the return game should they choose and he’s great after the catch."

Cornerback: "It will be interesting to see if any of these corners drop. By any of them, I mean Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama. Obviously Bill Belichick has a great relationship with Nick Saban and will have a great feel for Kirkpatrick and whether he fits what they want to do or not. He certainly looks like a corner who would fit what they like in terms of the versatility. He’s not an elite man-to-man cover corner, but very instinctive in zone. The knock on him, outside of the baggage, is that he gets there and bats down a lot of balls and is in position to make tackles after the catch, but doesn’t make a lot of big plays. Janoris Jenkins would be another guy, a Florida guy who was dismissed from the team and played at North Alabama this past season. I think he has very good man-to-man cover skills and certainly can play on the outside for them and I think would upgrade their corner situation."

Safety: "Mark Barron from Alabama could drop a little bit [hernia]. He won’t be working out at the combine." Pass rushers: "Chandler Jones, the Syracuse defensive end, I know I’m probably higher on him than most guys. But I do think he has a chance to be a really good player and I love his versatility. I think he would fit New England from that perspective. Andre Branch is another one, out of Clemson – 6-4, 260, could play defensive end but also could drop when they go back and forth in their four-man front and three-man front. There is some depth to this class. Ronnell Lewis is another one, from Oklahoma. They can find a pass rusher should they decide to draft one."

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Mike Reiss highlights what Mike Mayock had to say about the Patriots in his conference call yesterday.

What do you see as the Patriots No. 1 or 2 need, and did anything that happened in the Super Bowl -- as far as the game itself -- make you lean one way or another as far as what they need?

"I'm less of a snapshot guy than I am a composite guy. They have two picks in the first round, what a surprise (tongue in cheek). Bill is a master at letting the board come to him, so I don't even think Bill will know really until that last week prior to the draft what specific players he's interested in. But the way I look at it is it's got to be all about defense. You're sitting there with two picks, with the ability to move up, down, or stay at 27 and 31. In a league where it's a pass-first league; I was kind of happy to see the return of defense in the playoffs and the Super Bowl, but let's be honest about it, there are a lot of teams, including the Patriots, that want a track meet every week, which means you have to rush the quarterback and you have to defend on the back end. I think those are the two areas of need that kind of cry out for some help in the draft for the Patriots."

If the Patriots go offensively in the draft, what position could you envision them targeting?

"Probably at wide receiver," Mayock answered. "Welker has had career years and those two tight ends are exceptional, which has kind of changed the way a lot of people look at offense in this league, and I think you have to give Bill and his coaching staff a lot of credit for crafting what they've crafted with that offense; however, having said that, between Welker and the tight ends they're based in the middle of the field more than they are vertically. I think a vertical wide receiver could really help them."

Christopher Price reports Wes Welker returns to Twitter for the first time since the Super Bowl.

I would like to thank all of my fans for your love and support. I looked outside and the sun came out. #vacationtime

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Mike Reiss notes Greg Cosell, the executive producer of NFL Matchup and a senior producer at NFL Films for 31 years, calls the 2011 season some of Bill Belichick's finest work.

"It can easily be argued that Belichick did one of the best coaching jobs of his career this season," Cosell writes. "I broke down every game on tape, ending of course with the Super Bowl. It struck me as I finished reviewing all my notes that New England was not an overly talented team in 2011. What they achieved was remarkable given their overall deficiencies."

Cosell goes on to note one of the big deficiencies in the team's offensive attack -- the lack of a vertical threat.

"I understand that a more fortuitous bounce of the ball on 2 occasions could have given the Patriots another championship, but that only validates the point," Cosell writes. "This team won 15 games, and was in position to win the Super Bowl without a critical offensive component, one that every team covets and is necessary for a complete and multi-dimensional offense. The ability to overcome that deficiency was the result of outstanding coaching and elite quarterback play."

Then Cosell touches on the defense.

"Belichick made it clear just how poor his team was in the back end with his use of personnel. Matthew Slater? Julian Edelman? I know he’s utilized offensive players in the past (Troy Brown) with some success, but this year’s version was not genius, it was desperation," he writes. "My guess is Belichick felt the same way. ... The simple truth was the Patriots had a poor defense in 2011. We can blame personnel decisions but that’s a different conversation. They still had to line up and play with what they had, and the fact that Belichick was able to get this team to the Super Bowl was extraordinary."

Rob Gronkowski returns to the Twitter-sphere to thank his fans.

"Thanks for all the support too throughout my surgery! Grinding everyday to get back & already excited for what next season brings! Love ya!"

"Shout out to all #Patsnation and #Gronknation fans! Thanks for all the support throughout the year! All of you are amazing!"

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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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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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