Gotta love Tedy Bruschi.

Even if you despised him as a New England Patriots linebacker because you rooted for another team, you can't resent his work as an ESPN analyst. The guy doesn't shy away from delivering a sharp opinion -- even if it means criticizing his former club.

"Bruschi's Breakdown," one of my favorite features out there, is back. ESPNBoston.com reporter Mike Reiss poses the probing questions (and adds his own insight in the process) to induce compelling commentary.

In this week's installment, Bruschi gives his take on the Patriots' preseason, the 53-man roster and myriad uncertainties heading into the season.

A snippet from Bruschi:

"In my opinion, this preseason couldn't have gone any worse for the New England Patriots. It started off on the wrong foot with Logan Mankins not reporting to camp, and he is still AWOL. The Nick Kaczur experiment at left guard failed miserably with a severe back injury. You lose cornerback Leigh Bodden and defensive end Ty Warren [both put on injured reserve]. That's three legitimate starters and then you make it four with Mankins. One of the main goals in the preseason is to stay healthy and keep your team intact going into the season opener. The Patriots don't have that now."

Bruschi also was concerned with a toothless run game, inexperienced offensive linemen Dan Connolly and Sebastian Vollmer protecting Tom Brady and the "unproven youth" on defense.

That said, Bruschi still predicted the Patriots will find a way to have a successful season.