The offensive line may be a question mark, in part because of injury and off-field problems, in part because of the way the Giants seemed to expose it.

Neal, the oft-injured right guard, is coming back from a knee injury sustained in the Super Bowl. Right tackle Nick Kaczur was arrested in New York State on April 27 after police said a small amount of OxyContin was found in his truck following a traffic stop. He then helped federal authorities catch the man who was allegedly supplying him with the drug, authorities said.

The Patriots said he’ll stay with the team. But there also may be league discipline for Kaczur.

The team wasn’t as kind to defensive back Willie Andrews, who was released after his second offseason arrest. On June 30, he was charged with illegal possession of a large capacity firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly putting a gun to his girlfriend’s head.

The secondary seems to be the main area needing to be shored up.

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Star cornerback Asante Samuel signed with Philadelphia, key backup Randall Gay went to New Orleans and starting cornerback Ellis Hobbs is coming off surgery on his left shoulder and for a sports hernia. He might not be at full strength when camp opens. To replace them comes a group of veterans.

At linebacker, the Patriots let Rosevelt Colvin leave for Houston, and Junior Seau may retire. They did add linebacker Victor Hobson from the Jets and used a first-round pick on Jerod Mayo, another linebacker who is being groomed to help replace both Seau and Colvin, or eventually the aging Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi.

To the Patriots, Spygate is old news. Dead news.

But opposing fans are sure to bring it up again — as soon as Sept. 14, when New England plays its first road game. The opponent? The Jets in the stadium where the Patriots were caught breaking the NFL rules on taping.

“Our fans, I think, they will be in our corner,” owner Robert Kraft says, “For people who we either beat their teams or have some ax to grind, I don’t know.”