Needs By Position - Part 3/2

Ok, so I quickly wanted add special teams.

Special Teams:

Place Kicker:

Players Under Contract:

Stephen Gostkowski

Need - None

Gostkowski is an accurate kicker who was able to consistently get touchbacks even before the NFL moved the kickoff spot.

Punter:

Players Under Contract:
Zoltan Mesko

Need - None
Mesko is a young left-footed punter who may not be Andy Lee, but he is able to get consistently good hangtime.

Long Snapper:

Players Under Contract:

Danny Aiken

Need - None

After losing Lonie Paxton to the Broncos a few years ago, it took a while for the Pats to find a decent long snapper, but they found one in 2010 in Danny Aiken.

Punt Returner:

Players Under Contract:

Julian Edelman, Wes Welker

Need - Minor

Edelman returned most of the punts and did an adequate job. He returned one for a touchdown against the Chiefs and averaged about 10 yards a return, which is just about league average. An improvement is possible, but not necessary.

Kick Returner:

Players Under Contract:

Danny Woodhead, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater, Stevan Ridley

Need - Starter

The large number of players tried at this position is an indication to how poorly the Pats returned last year. They ranked 29th in average yards returned and lacked an explosive player that was elusive enough to make tacklers miss. I mentioned this position in combination with several other positions (RB, WR, CB), but I felt it warranted its own section because I think it is a significant need.

Special Teams Overall:

With the exception of kick returner, the Pats are fine. But I hope they are able to address that position in the draft.