ESPN

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss looks ahead to the Patriots' rookie minicamp on tap for this weekend, catches up with veteran safety Adrian Wilson, considers the Patriots' roster needs following last week's NFL draft, and answers fans' questions on Twitter.

In the second in a series of video segments from our annual Patriots Draft Special, ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Tedy Bruschi and Trevor Matich discuss the impact Adrian Wilson will have on the Patriots’ defense and what Aqib Talib has added to the defensive backfield (embedded above):

* Reiss on Wilson’s impact: “One word: toughness. I don’t even know if he’ll be a starting safety in the base defense, but when you consider the spread passing game is so prevalent, the Patriots were in a sub defense with 5 or 6 defensive backs 57 percent of the time last season. If he’s your top sub defensive back he’s a 57 percent playtime player. He brings you toughness. In my opinion, that is a big ingredient that has held this team back in some of those big time playoff games. He brings attitude ... Not the same ability as Rodney Harrison from where Harrison came here in 2003, but I think that’s an ingredient the coaching staff did want to add this offseason.”

* Bruschi on the trickle-down effect of adding Wilson and re-signing Talib: “If Wilson does man that strong safety spot at times and with the signing of Talib, Devin McCourty gets to stay at safety. You’ve got to leave him one place. Do you know how hard it is to play safety one down and be asked to play cornerback the next down? That’s hard to do.

On Thursday, new Patriots safety Adrian Wilson joked that he was going to offer cornerback Kyle Arrington, who recently became a first-time father, a year's worth of diapers in exchange for the number 24.

Or so we thought it was a joke.

Wilson took to Twitter on Friday to formalize the offer to Arrington, seen below:



As profiled recently, the number carries significance to Arrington and the path of his NFL career (link HERE).

Wilson has donned No. 24 throughout his 12-year career, and now we'll find out if his offer is too good to refuse.

Arrington has joked on Twitter that his son has left him and his wife "worn out" from all the attention the newborn needs. If Wilson really wants to sweeten the deal, perhaps he could volunteer to babysit for a night so the Arringtons can catch up on some rest.

The argument can be made that the Patriots were able to retain their most important free agent of the offseason when they came to terms on a one-year deal with cornerback Aqib Talib.

Wes Welker's importance to the offense was undeniable, but so too was Talib's value to the Patriots' defense, which received an immediate boost when he took the field for the first time with the team in November against the Colts.

The performance was up-and-down as he worked his way back into football shape following a four-game suspension, but Talib's interception return for a touchdown was the first of several big plays he made for this defense.

He provided the Patriots with something they were otherwise lacking: a capable man-to-man cornerback with the size and reactive athleticism to challenge an opponent's top wideout. The Patriots assigned Talib to Andre Johnson of the Texans and later Anquan Boldin while Talib was healthy in the AFC Championship game (an injury forced him out early).

That ability to play man-to-man allowed the Patriots to alter the defense around Talib. As an example, safety Devin McCourty was allowed to umbrella Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith during the AFC Championship, as Smith had scorched the Broncos deep the week previous. The Ravens got rolling offensively when Talib went down and they were able to expose the matchup between Boldin and Marquice Cole and work the middle of the field with their tight ends.

Talib's presence allowed Kyle Arrington to kick inside into a slot cornerback role, something more tailored to his natural skill set, and the emergence of Alfonzo Dennard as another starter helped to boost the secondary.

And it's not just what Talib brings to the table that made retaining him so crucial, but also the Patriots' depth issues at cornerback. They opened free agency with just three on the roster, including Malcolm Williams (primarily a special-teamer) and Ras-I Dowling (who has had major durability concerns). Dennard also faces potential jail time stemming from an April 2012 incident, which would further hamstring the secondary.

With Talib and Arrington back under contract, the Patriots' cornerback position is rounding into form. Throw in the addition of Adrian Wilson at the safety spot, and the Patriots' secondary is coming together as a whole.

Here's a snapshot look at each position:

Cornerback depth chart
1. Aqib Talib
2. Alfonzo Dennard
3. Kyle Arrington
4. Ras-I Dowling
5. Malcolm Williams

Safety depth chart
1. Devin McCourty
2. Adrian Wilson/Steve Gregory
3. Tavon Wilson
4. Nate Ebner

It's a good start for the team, although work is left to be done. Adding another capable cornerback to play on the perimeter would go a long way, as would another body to play in the slot to back up Arrington. The draft is an obvious avenue to potentially address the position, and the Patriots could continue to dip into the pool of free agents for other options.

As far as the safety spot goes, the feeling here is that with Wilson added, the team has a solid foundation in place. McCourty projects to play one starting role, while Gregory and the Wilsons figure to be in the mix for time alongside of him (the elder Wilson could also help quite a bit as a sub-defense player).

When news broke that the Patriots had signed free agent safety Adrian Wilson, the initial thought here was that he padded the safety depth and would immediately bring toughness to the defense.

From a role standpoint, we don't know exactly what Wilson will be asked to do. Given his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame, Wilson is a strong in-the-box safety who ably defends against the run. In that sense, he could compete for a starting job next to Devin McCourty (that would likely mean beating out Steve Gregory and Tavon Wilson for the spot).

But one area where Wilson also could add value to the Patriots is in their sub defense as a linebacker. The Patriots have a formidable trio of Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and Dont'a Hightower to serve as linebackers in their base defense, but both Hightower and Spikes showed coverage limitations last season.

Wilson has good ball skills and proactive athleticism, and because of his large frame could hold his own in a linebacker alignment. The Patriots have tried something similar with previous free agent signings (John Lynch and Tank Williams are names that come to mind), but the plan has never quite materialized.

That could change this season with Wilson, who has the physical skills to take on such a role. Given the increasing reliance by many teams on the passing game, the need for play-in-space linebackers has grown. Though Spikes and Hightower are critical pieces to the defense, they are better as run defenders than pass defenders. Inserting Wilson into a coverage linebacker role could allow the team to bring Spikes and Hightower off the field in nickel defense while not compromising its run defense.

We'll find out much more about Wilson and his role this offseason, and this is very much a projection based on what he has done in the past and where the team had some struggles last season. No matter how he is used, however, the feeling here is that Wilson and his toughness is an important addition to the roster.

The New England Patriots have reached an agreement with free agent safety Adrian Wilson, his agent confirmed Friday night via Twitter.

"Congrats to client @adrian_wilson24 on signing with the New England Patriots!" agent Tory Dandy tweeted.

Xtra Sports 910 in Phoenix first reported the agreement.

Wilson tweeted his excitement about coming to New England:



Wilson, 33, was released by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month after 12 seasons with the team. A four-time All-Pro pick, he is one of just six players in NFL history to record at least 25 sacks and 25 interceptions in his career.

Wilson played in 15 games for the Cardinals in 2012, finishing with 54 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.

At 6-foot-3, he brings a physical presence to the position.

The Patriots also have safeties Devin McCourty, Steve Gregory, Tavon Wilson and Nate Ebner under contract through at least 2013.

Free agent safety Adrian Wilson, recently released by the Cardinals, will take a visit to Gillette Stadium and meet with the Patriots, a source confirmed.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com first reported the news.

Wilson, 33, has played 12 seasons in the NFL, all with Arizona, totaling 894 tackles, 27 interceptions and 25.5 sacks. He is one of just six players in NFL history with 25 or more sacks and 25 or more interceptions.

A former third-round pick out of North Carolina State, Wilson is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro choice.

He was signed to a contract extension last July, but the franchise is in the midst of an overhaul and also recently released fellow safety starter Kerry Rhodes.

We recently profiled Wilson's game and what his addition could mean for the Patriots (link HERE).