With Roosevelt Colvin being put on IR, the Patriots have lost their second significant player this season (Sammy Morris being the other). Since we're 3/4 of the way through the season, and typically by now guys have started dropping off NFL rosters like Persian mercenaries in "300," you can make the case that the Pats have been relatively unscathed so far this year.

So it's fair to ask: How big a deal is losing Colvin? Personally I like Colvin. He's a hard guy not to like. He came here for less money than he could've made elsewhere. He's fit into the Patriot schemes. He does his job. Still, I'd have to rank losing him somewhere above "No big deal", well below "Everybody panic!!!" and probably put it in the range of "A drag, but not the end of the world."

Colvin is an above average outside pass rusher. Against the run he's good, not great. Last week Bryan Westbrook was killing the Pats by bouncing plays outside, where it was Colvin's job to set the edge and contain, something he was struggling with. Like I said, he's a good role player but in 11 games of significant playing time, he has 28 tackles, 17 of them solo. With all due respect, they haven't lost Andre Tippett here. In fact, I wouldn't put Colvin in the top ten of guys the Pats could least afford to lose. In order the list would be:

1. Brady- Ya think?
2. Moss- Even though WR is the deepest unit on the team
3. Vince Wilfork- The key to the 3-4. And his backups are Mike Wright and LeKevin Smith
4. Mike Vrabel- Pass rushing, run stopping, coverage, inside, outside... he is what they hope Adalius Thomas will be
5. Matt Light- The interior of the line has depth, but if Light goes down you'd have to move Nick Kaczur over and put Ryan O'Callaghan at RT, and Brady's insurance premiums would bust the salary cap
6. Asante Samuel- Randall Gay is good, but Zant is playing as well as Ty Law ever did
7. Seau/Bruschi- With Thomas probably moving to Colvin's spot, you're now Olsen twin thin at MLB
8. Laurence Maroney- Doubt him all you want, he's averaging 4.4 YPC, and the Pats went 20 years without anyone averaging 4.
9. James Sanders- He took over for Rodney Harrison, then moved over and took Eugene Wilson's job away
10. Stephen Gostkowski- Believe me, you don't want whosever sitting at the end of their driveway right now with a "Free Kicker" sign pinned on their shirt