Over the next couple of weeks, as the Patriots offseason gets underway, we’ll present a snapshot of the team by position. Last week, we featured the offense. This week, it’s the defense. We started with the defensive backs on Wednesday, and had the linebackers on Thursday. Today, the defensive line is in the spotlight:

On the roster: Ron Brace, Jarvis Green, Myron Pryor, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, Mike Wright. (Adrian Grady and Darryl Richard are on the practice squad.)

Stat standouts: Leading tackler (according to coaches film review): Wilfork, 65; Wright 48. Sacks: Wright, 5. Best single game: It wasn’t his best game of the season statistically, but Wilfork’s move from nose to defensive end against Miami to go head-to-head with the Dolphins Jake Long on Nov. 8 was a terrific display of versatility from someone who had already made his bones as a Pro Bowl nose tackle.

2009, in three sentences: Transition year. The preseason trade of Richard Seymour to Oakland will prove to be a long-term benefit — it likely garnered a Top 5 pick in 2011 in return — but his presence along the line was sorely missed. In 2009, Wilfork and Warren remained cornerstones of the defense and Wright provided excellent value, but after that, there was a sizable dropoff.

Ty Warren. (AP)

By the numbers (tie, both courtesy of Gary from Chapel Hill): 11: After New England defensive linemen batted down 70 passes from 2000 through 2006 (an average of 10 per season, ranked 26th), they’ve only knocked down 11 over the last three seasons combined (last in the league). 6.5: The Patriots stuffed only 6.5 percent of opponent rushing plays in 2009, the second-lowest mark by a Patriots team since they began tracking the stat in 1994. The 2006 Patriots stuffed 6.4 percent. (A stuff is defined as a running play that is stopped for a loss.)

Money quote: “Inconsistent. Very inconsistent, it’s all of the above. The lack of pass rush, being confused at times, not tackling well, stopping the run when you need to stop the run, not getting off the field on third down when you need to. All those things played a part and we had problems in all those areas this year. When you are inconsistent, you are going to have an up and down season, which we had. We were very inconsistent and it showed. We played up and down. Some games we looked good, some games we looked terrible. You have to be a consistent football team — you have to be more consistent every day, every week, day in and day out. You have to be consistent to win, and we just didn’t have enough of it this year.” —Wilfork, speaking on his assessment of the defensive performance in 2009 earlier this week on WEEI.

The skinny: One by one, it appears the great defensive linemen of the last 5-10 years are all leaving New England. This offseason could mark the departure of Wilfork, as well as Green (both of whom are free agents). The Wilfork contact situation will dominate the New England offseason, and the nose tackle, who talked about his situation at great length earlier this week with WEEI, will almost certainly be franchised. Warren and Wright are in the fold with long-term deals, and when you weight salary against production, the two represent excellent value in the New England system. Barring a trade, those who were rookies in 2009 — Brace, Pryor and Richard — will be counted on to contribute more in 2010, particularly Brace. The second-rounder struggled through his rookie season, and barely saw the field, while Pryor played relatively well when called upon.