New England Patriots

BOSTON (WBZ) ― The Patriots season is over and it's time to look ahead to 2009.

Here are some of the primary areas of concern heading into the off-season, according to the Boston Globe's Mike Reiss, a guest on WBZ's Sports Final. 

 Watch Reiss with WBZ's Dan Roche

SCOTT PIOLI - PATRIOTS VICE-PRESIDENT

"I think he's definitely going to receive some interest in terms of that Bill Parcells-type position, like Parcells is in Miami, he runs that operation down there. I think Pioli's going to get some looks."
 
"The Kansas City Chiefs is a team that I would look for with him, maybe hire him as a team president where Pioli could then hire a general manager."
 
 Browns Ask To Interview Pioli

"Will Pioli go? He's resisted the temptation in the past. I don't know I think he's going to feel it out."

JOSH MCDANIELS - OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
 
"McDaniels, that's a tough call. I don't think he would go with Pioli, but he'll also have interest as a potential head coaching candidate."
 
BRADY AND CASSEL

"The big question will be - Will Tom Brady's knee be recovered?"
 
"I don't have the answers to that. I don't think anyone does at this point."

"And will they franchise tag Matt Cassel? Matt Cassel's going to be an unrestricted free agent. How many 26-year-old quarterbacks that lead a team to an 11-and-5 season hit the open market?"

"This might be an unprecedented situation, so the Patriots might restrict him with the franchise tag, that's going to be a story line we're going to be following over the coming months."

"The thing for Matt Cassel he's proven this year he's a starting quarterback in the NFL and there's only 32 jobs in the NFL as starting quarterback and I think he really wants one of those."

"If he comes back here, you'll have to know what the situation is with Brady to know how he would accept that."

"If he's coming back as a $14 million backup, you just don't know how that situation would work out."

VETERANS RETURNING?

"Seau, Colvin, I think they'll be gone. Bruschi's under contract for another season. Of course he has that injured left knee so he'll be rehabbing that, but I would expect him to come back."
 
"Rodney Harrison is an interesting case. Will he retire? My hunch tells me he's leaning in that direction because he's rehabbing from his big injury."

"But, again, we saw Junior Seau come back this year, so maybe Harrison does something similar."

"I do think we'll see big turnover on this defense, because I think when we look back on this season, that was sort of one area where they really ran into some problems, specifically in the secondary."

OFFENSE
 
"(Laurence) Maroney, I think will be back. (He's) signed through 2010 and I think you bring him back, it's not going to cost you that much, but you don't rely on him. You have a pretty good stable of backs. You might want to bring LaMont Jordan back, he's a free agent after this season, so he's another name to consider."

"I think they need to get some help at the tight end spot, maybe a little more depth there, get some help for Benjamin Watson."

"The running back spot looks deep to me, the receiver spot looks deep to me coming back. Jabar Gaffney's a free agent. Will he come back? They could address maybe a third receiver there."

"But really the big questions on offense - quarterback. It's all about Brady and Cassel."

BILL BELICHICK

"You could argue this might be his best coaching job with the Patriots."
 
"You lose Tom Brady, I know I was questioning it leading into that second week of the season, (I) said this will be a great test of Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli's personnel evaluation."

"They obviously proved they're good evaluators and they're good coaches as well."

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