With the 2016 New England Patriots training camp set to kick off this week, it is time to assess the club’s roster heading into the preseason. As always, the Patriots will boast an impressive offense … however, this team’s ceiling is as high as the record-breaking 2007 squad.

Other than Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots do not have quite the same front-end talent as some other teams, but quality depth, coaching and experience will surely lead this team to another impressive season … even without Brady for its first four games.

Running Backs

In 2015, the Patriots were 30th in rushing yards (1404), 14th in rushing touchdowns (14), and 29th in yards per attempt (3.7). With much of the same roster returning, it is unlikely that the Pats will dominate on the ground, however there is enough depth to see improvement in 2016.

Both Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount return from injuries, along with place-fillers James White and Brandon Bolden. New England also added journeyman Donald Brown to the mix.

The key will be the use and preservation of Lewis. Considering the fact that Lewis is the team’s most explosive running back, we saw New England use him heavily as the season progressed, resulting in overuse and a season-ending ACL tear. With both Blount and Brown in the mix, the Patriots should use Lewis exclusively in passing situations, and hope he remains healthy throughout the season and into the playoffs.

The Patriots’ rushing attack does not have the assets to carry the team, but should at least play an effective role on a weekly basis.

Pass Catchers

Rob Gronkowski has solidified his position as the top tight end in the game, as well as the league’s most dominant red zone threat. Adding Pro Bowler Martellus Bennett will certainly help considering his own ability to use his large frame to beat smaller defenders as well as find space in the red zone. Scott Chandler was a bust in 2016, so Bennett is no guarantee … but his impressive ability and pedigree should be enough for him to make his mark in 2016.

Injuries to the team’s wideouts dramatically limited the offense in 2015. While Julian Edelman missed most of the regular with a foot injury, the Patriots struggled at times to move the chains against tough, physical secondaries, as we saw in the AFC Championship.

New England made sure to address this blaring issue by signing former Bills wideout Chris Hogan, as well veteran Nate Washington. They also resigned Keyshawn Martin and drafted Georgia’s Malcolm Mitchell in the fourth round of the draft.

With Gronkowski, Bennett, Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Hogan leading the charge, the Patriots will have one of the deepest groups of pass catchers the league has seen in recent years. Jimmy Garoppolo will need these playmakers in the first four weeks.

Offensive Line

The offensive line may be the most overlooked position group on the team heading into the 2016 season. After the season-ending injury to Nate Solder, the Pats’ line struggled to regain its footing. Between the various injuries to players, as well as inconsistent line combinations, this squad was a disappointment in 2015.

Heading into 2016, this line now looks to be deep and talented. The Patriots have both Solder and Sebastian Vollmer returning at the tackle position, along with Bryan Stork, David Andrews, Tre Jackson, Shaq Mason, Marcus Cannon and Josh Kline. They also added guard Jonathan Cooper from the Chandler Jones deal with Arizona, and also drafted Joe Thuney in the third round.

Perhaps the biggest addition is coach Dante Scarnecchia, who came out of retirement to join his former team. Scarnecchia established himself as one of the league’s premiere line coaches, and his presence should not only expedite the development of the young players, but it should also help set a consistent system for the season.

Like the rest of the offense, this group is not the most talented … but with the high number of bodies, along with the return of Scarnecchia, this group will almost certainly shape up to be a steady line.

Overall

Overall, this group will once again be atop the league in most stats. Despite Brady missing the first quarter of the season, this Patriots offense will be efficient, smart, and will be able to put up points against any and all defenses. This team may not be as explosive as 2007, but the depth and new additions should help it be just as, if not more dynamic than the group that went 16-0.

NOTE: Look for the Patriots defensive outlook in Thursday’s Journal Tribune.

— Sports Staff Writer Alex Sponseller can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @ JournalTsports.