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          New England Patriots

          With Stroud, packed house on D-line

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterMar 8, 2011, 06:00 AM ET
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              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
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          When the Patriots put together their 53-man roster at the end of training camp last summer, they went with seven defensive linemen. If they do the same this year, who stays and who goes?

          That was one question that came to mind after the team signed veteran Marcus Stroud to a two-year deal.

          A look at the personnel:

          1. Vince Wilfork

          2. Ty Warren

          3. Marcus Stroud

          4. Mike Wright

          5. Ron Brace

          6. Myron Pryor

          7. Kyle Love

          8. Brandon Deaderick

          9. Darryl Richard

          10. Kade Weston

          11. Landon Cohen

          12. Marlon Favorite

          (Eric Moore not included as he started at outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment in the playoff loss to the Jets.)

          ANALYSIS: Vince Wilfork is the one lock and nothing would be a surprise after him. Brandon Deaderick (2010 seventh-round pick) started the playoff loss to the Jets, but he could face an uphill battle for a roster spot with all the bodies (especially if the team selects an end, as that is one of the deeper aspects of the draft). Given the breakdown, one wonders if Marcus Stroud's presence will close the door on Gerard Warren's potential return. If Warren does return, he'd likely be competing for one spot, with Stroud. Ron Brace, the 2009 second-round pick, could also feel some heat.