Beyond getting their war room in order and establishing a firm plan by the end of the month, the Patriots have a few personnel decisions that must be made before they maneuver the board on draft day.
They need to figure out what to do about the fifth-year contract options for their 2012 first-round draft picks, specifically Chandler Jones (21st overall) and Dont’a Hightower (25th overall).
On the surface, exercising the options on both would seem automatic. Not doing so means they’d become free agents after the season, which would set the Patriots up for the possibility of losing one or both.