The New England Patriots certainly suffered after losing inside linebacker and team captain Jerod Mayo to a season-ending injury in Week 6 last year, but it clearly didn't slow the team down all that much as they still fought and clawed their way to a last-gasp victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
While Mayo, the team's emotional leader, has been a fantastic player for the Pats since being selected out of the University of Tennessee with the eighth-overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, his injury marked the second season in a row he's appeared in just six games due to health issues.
With youngsters Don'ta Hightower and Jamie Collins in place, the Patriots may no longer require such hefty contributions from Mayo - add in the fact that he's slated to make $10.6 million for the 2015 season, and it's fair to wonder if his time in New England could be running short.
While Hightower and Collins represent a strong inside pairing for the Pats, head coach Bill Belichick may see the need to add another player at the position and is reportedly paying close attention to a number of inside linebacker prospects in the looming 2015 NFL Draft.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Patriots - who he refers to as "deep in the linebacker mix" - are holding a private workout for Miami product Denzel Perryman and that Belichick and the New England brass have already done the same with TCU's Paul Dawson.
"Viewed as a hard-hitting inside linebacker, Perryman has the strength to take on interior linemen in the running game, and he should be strong enough to hold his own with opposing tight ends in coverage," writes Phil Perry of CSN New England. "At 5-foot-11, 236 pounds, he doesn't have ideal size, but he has good instincts, and he plays with undeniable toughness."
Perryman falls a little short in the passing game, which is something that will probably drop his value. He also hurt his hamstring during the Miami Pro Day recently, potentially hurting his stock.
Dawson - 6-foot, 235-pounds - was an absolute terror for TCU this season, but has been crushed by poor measurable and a questionable work ethic during the pre-draft process.
"Outrageously productive linebacker with a nose for the ball. Dawson averages a tackle every 5.3 snaps and either caused or recovered a total of 8 turnovers during the 2014 season," writes NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "Evaluators understand that Dawson has been a handful while at TCU and that will turn some teams off to him completely. Dawson can play inside in a 2-gap scheme but is a natural fit at 4-3 WILL."
Despite the knocks against him, one NFC national scout told Zierlein that "I'll make sure he stays alive in our building because he's that good."
While the Patriots operate mostly out of a nickel alignment on defense, ostensibly lessening the need for another elite 'backer, Collins and Hightower play such versatile roles in the Pats 3-4/4-3 hybrid that the team may prefer to add another player in order to keep from pigeon-holing them.
Add in Mayo's advancing age, increased brittleness and contract and the fact that Hightower is recovering from shoulder surgery, and another body may be required at inside linebacker for New England.
The Patriots reportedly offered Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain a free agent contract recently, but he chose to return to Dallas instead.
Considering both Perryman and Dawson come with question marks, they may be available in the latter portion of the draft, which makes the possibility of their ending up Patriots more likely as it seems a fairly safe bet that Belichick won't spend a high pick on the position this year.
