FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. There wasn't much to nitpick in the Patriots' 2016 season -- a 14-2 regular-season record, an unprecedented second-half comeback in Super Bowl LI from 25 points down, and a mentally tough team that overcame various obstacles in its path, including the NFL's four-game suspension of quarterback Tom Brady, a season-ending back injury to Rob Gronkowski and the trades of Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, among other things. But one of the trademarks of Bill Belichick is that he's always seeking improvements even in glorious victory, and here's one thing that had to stand out to him about 2016: The Patriots played some of the worst football in significant stretches of the three games that came after a bye week: a 31-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 13; the 34-16 divisional-round win over the Houston Texans (16-14 at the half); and the 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. If the Patriots didn't complete their remarkable Super Bowl comeback, this story line might have been a hot topic in recent weeks. Knowing Belichick, who annually seeks improvements and outside-the-box thoughts to the team's regular routine, this is something he's probably already considering for 2017.

2. Receiver Michael Floyd has stated his hope to return to the Patriots in 2017, and while that could still happen, it isn't the slam dunk that I previously envisioned. I now don't see the Patriots extending too far financially to retain Floyd, who at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds brought a different type of physical presence to the receiving corps after being claimed in mid-December but also wasn't always on the same page as quarterback Tom Brady as he learned the team's system on the fly. If another team ups the ante with Floyd in free agency, I'd be surprised if the Patriots get into a competitive situation to retain him.

3. The Patriots' restricted free-agent signing of receiver Chris Hogan last offseason was a good example of the team identifying an undervalued asset in the marketplace and capitalizing. Hogan had been on my list of Patriots targets last year, so let's see if there can be a hit for a second year in a row with four low-to-moderate priced free agents at positions who caught the eye when assessing the initial market:

Benny Cunningham -- The 26-year-old Rams running back took a visit to Foxboro as a restricted free agent last year -- he could be a factor as a returner and in other special-teams areas-- and that naturally puts him on the radar this year on the unrestricted market.

Datone Jones -- The Packers' defensive end/linebacker is the type of hybrid defender with high-end physical traits that Bill Belichick seems to like to collect. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Jones (26) is a 2013 first-round pick out of UCLA who hasn't panned out, but might benefit from a change of scenery.

Jarvis Jones -- Another 2013 first-round pick (Steelers) who hasn't met expectations, the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Jones (27) also falls into the hybrid category and had some pass-rushing skills coming out of Georgia that made him a top prospect. A fresh start elsewhere could bring out the best in him.

Robert Woods -- The 6-foot-0, 190-pound wide receiver (Bills) runs the type of precise routes that should catch the Patriots' eye, and teams that look beyond his mid-level production (more a result of middling quarterback play) and focus on his top physical traits could view him as a top value in free agency.

4. Two quotes from the past season that seem appropriate to revisit as the new league year approaches on March 9, and what to expect from the Patriots:

Jonathan Kraft (via 98.5 The Sports Hub, Feb. 5): "In Bill, we have a coach who is as good at the X's and O's as anybody who has ever coached the game, but then he has an intellect that allows him to understand how to manage value. Unlike most coaches, he doesn't get emotionally attached to either athleticism or just this need. At some point, there's just always somebody else. He might not be as good as this player, 'but if I can get him talent level to dollar value -- the equation that it's in my mind -- to a point where I've left enough cap room to go out and find another piece to make my roster deeper, I'll figure out how to coach it up.' It's an amazing skill."

Bill Belichick (via news conference, Sept. 30): "I don't think you can be afraid of free agency. It's not like if a guy gets to free agency you can't re-sign him. You're in a competitive market but, you know, you're in a competitive market anyway."

5. Did You Know: Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski's 160 career points in the postseason ranks third overall in NFL history, behind only Adam Vinatieri (234) and David Akers (175).

6. Get ready for NFL combine overload, as hundreds of media members head to Indianapolis this week and draft analysts take center stage. Something Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has often said, going back to his days as Patriots director of college scouting, is that it's important for clubs to understand the strength of a draft class before diving into free agency (which starts March 9). For example, if a draft is loaded at a certain position, it can lessen the urgency to pounce at that spot in free agency. Conversely, if a draft is thin at a position, it might be wise to be more aggressive in free agency. Here is how some evaluators view this year's draft crop:

Strong: Corner, running back, wide receiver

Weak: Offensive line, defensive tackle

Meanwhile, quarterback falls closer to the "weak" category, while defensive end/outside linebackers are closer to the "strong."

The combine isn't the only avenue for teams to evaluate talent as several impact players haven't been invited in the past (e.g. Patriots safety Duron Harmon) and one final combine-based public-service announcement: When hearing that a team met with a prospect, that doesn't necessarily indicate interest as much as the standard vetting process.

7. Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch, who is set for unrestricted free agency, told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Friday that his agent, Blake Baratz, is scheduled to meet with club officials at the combine to discuss a possible extension. That won't be the only meeting the Patriots have with an agent for their large free-agent class, which is standard operating procedure for the team at the combine. What is a fair deal for Branch? Somewhere around the two-year, $10 million deal signed by defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (Chicago) and two-year, $9 million pact for nose tackle Vince Wilfork (Houston) two years ago seems about right to me, although one could also make a case Branch outperformed both of them in 2016.

8. In a reminder of how time has passed, running back Danny Woodhead enters free agency after four seasons with the Chargers, which is one more year than he spent with the Patriots (2010-2012). Woodhead tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2016 season, and he turned 32 in late January, which are factors that could work against him in the open market. He also missed 13 games in 2014 with a broken fibula. Woodhead is determined to play in 2017, his recovery is going well, and any team looking for a combination of reliable pass-catching running back/high-intangibles locker-room guy could be wise to look in his direction.

9. The NFL released the full 2017 draft order on Friday after awarding compensatory draft choices and here is the Patriots' haul:

First round (32)

Second round (64)

Third round (96)

Third round (103, from Cleveland)

Fourth round (137)

Fifth round (163, from Denver)

Fifth round (183, compensatory)

Seventh round (239, from Detroit)

From 1994-2017, the Patriots have been awarded 34 compensatory draft picks, the fourth highest total in the NFL behind the Ravens (48), Packers (38) and Cowboys (37).

10. One item of Patriots football business that should yield more clarity before free agency starts March 9 is the future of veteran offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer. Despite being scheduled for unrestricted free agency this offseason, he is instead technically still under contract to New England for 2017 because his contracted tolled after he spent last year on the physically-unable-to-perform list (hip injury). That is similar to what unfolded with linebacker Dane Fletcher at this time last year. Vollmer, 32, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.25 million and the most likely scenarios are that he is either cut before the start of free agency as a courtesy of sorts (similar to Fletcher) or that he retires. Vollmer currently isn't registered with an official agent through the NFL Players Association, which could be a tip-off on his intentions to choose the latter option. The Patriots, who felt good about their right tackle depth in 2016 with Marcus Cannon backed up by Cameron Fleming and LaAdrian Waddle, would save $1.7 million on the cap either way.