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Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Even though they lost franchise quarterback Tom Brady to a knee injury in Week 1, the Patriots managed to finish with a rather impressive 11-5 record in 2008. Impressive because they did so with a quarterback (Matt Cassel) that hadn't started a game since he was a senior in high school.

In most years, an 11-5 record is a lock for the NFL's postseason, but the Patriots became the first team since the 1985 Denver Broncos to miss the playoffs with such a mark. They already started the offseason by placing the franchise tag on Cassel, and it remains to be seen if they intend to trade him off to the highest bidder, or keep him around is a rather expensive insurance policy.

When the Patriots signed John Lynch a few weeks ago, it wouldn't have been crazy to think that the Patriots found themselves a useful role player that could contribute something positive for ten-or-so snaps a game.

After all, it wouldn't have been the first time the Patriots picked up a once-great player off the scrap heap and found something they could use, much as they did with Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, and Junior Seau. Only natural to assume they would hit on another one with Lynch.

Turns out, that's not happening. At least not right now. The Patriots today released the former pro-bowler, according to the Patriots blog at the Boston Herald. However, Head Coach Bill Belichick isn't ruling out Lynch returning to the team at a later date.

Here's what Belichick offered on Lynch: "It goes without saying but John is an all-time great safety, one of the league's classiest professionals and his elite play speaks for itself. As has been the case in other situations, I would not rule anything out down the road.

Tank Williams is one of three news faces in the Patriots secondary, acquired this off-season along with Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders. That's hardly newsworthy; all three players were signed to add depth and not much else. What does merit a mention, however, is Williams' take on his former Titans teammate, Pacman Jones.

"He was a guy who loved to play the game of football," Williams said. "A lot of guys that come in, leaving college young, it takes them a while to get adjusted to the NFL game, the NFL lifestyle. For some it takes more time than others but one thing that's important, he loves to play the game, and if you love to play the game you'll find ways to get yourself straight no matter what, if it's on the football field or your personal life. You'll want to achieve your goal and that's being out there on Sunday."

Well, if the the idea is to, you know, actually play in the NFL for living, Jones has failed miserably. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones for all of 2007 and it looks like it could be more of the same in 2008.

Of course, Williams has nothing to gain by bad-mouthing Jones, so his comments aren't all that surprising. And unless Goodell starts calling character witnesses to testify on Jones' behalf, Williams can be as laudatory as he wants and not much will change: Jones will continue to petition the league for reinstatment and in the interim he'll have plenty of time for his more noble pursuits.