How stable and how deep is the New England Patriots’ defensive front?

In ranking the Patriots as the No. 7 roster in the National Football League, ESPN listed edge rusher as the biggest weakness on the team.

kAmx? a_ad[ }6H t?8=2?5 — 2=36:E A=2J:?8 282:?DE 2 D4965F=6 E92E @? A2A6C 2E =62DE 2AA62CD E@ 92G6 366? >F49 H62<6C E92? E96 @?6 E92E =:6D 5625 29625 — 7@F?5 H2JD E@ @G6C4@>6 D@>6 D6C:@FD :?;FC:6D FA 7C@?E]k^Am

kAm(:E9 ;@FC?6J>6? EJA6D =:<6 r9C:DE:2? t==:D 2?5 y24< v:336?D DE6AA:?8 😕 2?5 DE6AA:?8 FA[ E96 !2EC:@ED H@? E9C66 A=2J@77 82>6D H:E9@FE =625:?8 E24<=6C #@36CE $A:==2?6 2E :?D:56 =:?6324<6C]k^Am

kAm(96? 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 |:=E@? (:==:2>D H2D D:56=:?65[ z9J:C:D %@?82[ @? 9:D 7@FCE9 E62> 😕 7:G6 }u{ D62D@?D[ C2:D65 9:D 82>6[ 62C?:?8 6:89E C68F=2C\D62D@? DE2CED]k^Am

kAmtG6? 2E E96 6586[ z’{2G@? r92:DD@?[ t=:;29 !@?56C 2?5 p?76C?66 y6??:?8D >256 D:8?:7:42?E 4@?EC:3FE:@?D – 4@>3:?:?8 7@C `b]d D24

kAmr92:DD@?[ %@?82[ y6??:?8D 2?5 v:336?D 92G6 2== >@G65 @?[ =62G:?8 46CE2:? BF6DE:@? >2CA 2AAC@2496D @? yF=J ac]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D 2?5 r9C:DE:2? q2C>@C6 D9@F=5 36 E96 2?49@CD :?D:56] sC6’|@?E y@?6D H2D 3C@F89E 😕 @? 2 >:5\C2?86 EJA6 6586\CFD96C 4@?EC24E – E9C66 J62CD[ Sbe]d >:==:@? H:E9 Sab >:==:@? 8F2C2?E665]k^Am

kAm}6H t?8=2?5 ?665D E@ 5@ >@C6 😕 E96 A2DD CFD9 E92? ;FDE E96 be D246@?6 =:<6 a_ad 7:7E9\C@F?5 A:4< qC25J? $H:?D@? 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ 4@F=5 6=6G2E6 9:D 82>6]k^Am

kAm“r2>6 324< 😕 D92A6] r2>6 324< C625J E@ 8@] w6 C62=:K65 H92E AC@76DD:@?2= 7@@E32== 😀 27E6C 42>A 2?5 H96C6 96 H2D[ H92E 9:D C@=6 H2D] w6 C62=:K65 96 H2?ED 2 5:776C6?E C@=6[” D2:5 ‘C236=]k^Am

kAm“w6 :>AC@G65 W@? DA64:2= E62>DX @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 =2DE D62D@?] %92E’D 2 4C:E:42= 6=6>6?E] w6 46CE2:?=J 92D E2<6? E@ E92E 62C=J @? 😕 E96 DAC:?8] x’> 6I4:E65 23@FE H92E 96’== 36 23=6 E@ 5@ 2?5 6I4:E65 E@ D66 9:> 😕 EC2:?:?8 42>A]”k^Am

kAmpDDF>:?8 E96 D64@?52CJ 😀 D6E[ >62?:?8 4@C?6C324< r9C:DE:2? v@?K2=6K 😀 92AAJ 2?5 24EF2==J 86ED A2:5[ E96 7C@?E 4@F=5 F?=@4< E9:D 5676?D6 2?5 2==@H :E E@ 2AAC@249 6=:E6 DE2EFD]k^Am

kAmq2C>@C6[ 7@C @?6[ H2D @FEDA@<6? 23@FE E96 8C@FA 2C@F?5 9:> 2?5 9@H 8@@5 E96 !2EC:@ED 4@F=5 36 😕 E96 3@I 5676?D:G6=J]k^Am

kAm“$A64:2= 8C@FA @7 8FJD] (6’G6 8@E D@>6 ?6H 42ED 96C6[ D@>6 ?6H 8FJD] %96J’G6 2=C625J 42F89E FA[” E96 G6E6C2? 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 D2:5 2E E96 C646?E yF?6 >:?:\42>A] “(6’G6 8@E D@>6 ‘52H8D’ @FE 96C6[ x 766= =:<6 E96J C6DA@?5 E@ @FC 6?6C8J] p== @7 FD[ 6G6? E96 G6ED[ H6 2== 92G6 E96 D2>6 8@2=]k^Am

kAm“$E2J 4@>A@D65] $E2J 4@>>:EE65] (6 2== 4@>6 96C6 E@ 8@ E@ H2C E@86E96C] x 766= =:<6 6G6CJ J62C[ H6 ;FDE 92G6 E@ <66A H@C<:?8 92C5 E@ 36 E96 36DE H6 42? 36 D@ H6 42? 5@ E96 E9:?8D H6 5:5 =2DE J62C[ 6G6? 36EE6C]”k^Am

kAm#6>6>36C[ 😕 E9C66 pur A=2J@77 H:?D =2DE H:?E6C[ E96 !2EC:@ED 2==@H65 ;FDE g]f A@:?ED 2 82>6 H9:=6 7@C4:?8 6:89E EFC?@G6CD]k^Am

kAm}6H t?8=2?5’D 8@2= :D[ 6G6? H:E9 >2?J ?6H 7246D[ E@ 4@?E:?F6 E92E CF? E96 5676?D6 H2D @? 😕 E96 A=2J@77D 2?5 C2E496E FA E96 962E]k^Am