Learning from losses. It’s something the Patriots have done each season since Bill Belichick has been in charge down in Foxboro. For a championship-driven franchise, falling short of a Super Bowl title is a bitter pill. But over the last few offseasons, the Patriots have used the losses as a teaching tool. At the start of the offseason, New England has targeted an area of weakness and moved to address the need. Not all the personnel moves have worked out, but there’s been no denying the fact that New England has been proactive in addressing problem areas. Consider some examples:

•After New England was one of the worst teams in the league against the run in 2002, the Patriots swung a deal to acquire massive nose tackle Ted Washington shortly before the start of the 2003 season. The deal helped make them one of the toughest teams in the league to run against, and New England won its second Super Bowl title in three seasons as a result.

•Following the 2006 season — after a painful loss in the AFC Championship Game — Belichick and the New England front office immediately targeted weak spots. They traded for Wes Welker and Randy Moss to shore up a sagging receiving corps, and added Adalius Thomas to provide versatility and depth at linebacker. The moves helped get them to the cusp of a perfect season and another Super Bowl crown.

•After the 2009 season — and a bitter defeat to the Ravens in the wild card round — the Patriots cleaned out much of the toxic atmosphere that permeated the locker room and added veterans like Alge Crumpler. They addressed a weakened cornerback spot with the addition of first-round pick Devin McCourty. In addition, they performed a radical makeover at the tight end spot, getting rid of every tight end they had on the roster and adding dynamic rookies Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. The result was a 14-2 regular-season record and the top seed in the playoffs.

So where does New England go this offseason? Presuming there’s no work stoppage and the CBA remains relatively similar to the old framework, here are five priorities/questions for the Patriots:

What to do with Logan Mankins? The Pro Bowl left guard sat out the offseason workouts, the minicamps, training camp and roughly the first half of the regular season because he was upset with his contract. Things got messy between Mankins and the team this past season, but effort or attitude was never a question with the lineman, who was named an All-Pro for his efforts. Because of the ill will in the past, a positive tone is crucial in these negotiations. However, if things are going well between the two sides but they are still not able to reach a deal, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots use the franchise tag on Mankins the same way it was applied to Vince Wilfork last offseason — as a way to keep Mankins from becoming a free agent while both sides pledge to continue bargaining in good faith.

Is this the year the Patriots find a pass rusher, either in the draft or free agency? New England has passed on pass rushers over the last few drafts and in free agency, deeming the college prospects not a good fit for their system or finding the free agents too expensive. The Patriots have struggled to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks since the start of the 2009 season — Tully Banta-Cain is the team leader over the last two seasons with a combined 15, while this year’s league leader in sacks (DeMarcus Ware) surpassed that total this season alone with 15.5. Pittsburgh’s LaMarr Woodley is a name that has already been bandied about as a possible target for New England in free agency.

Speaking of the draft, what are the Patriots going to do? Never shy when it comes to swinging draft deals, this year, with six picks in the first three rounds — and three in the first 33 overall — New England will almost certainly be one of the power players in this year’s draft.

Are the Patriots satisfied with a combination of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead as their primary running backs? The duo exceeded all expectations in 2010, but are they a sustainable combination for the long term? New England will likely do a lot of shuffling at the position, with at least Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor leaving. That being the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise for them to try and build depth through the draft, but I wouldn’t look for them to go after a blue chip back in the draft. Other than Laurence Maroney, it has rarely been Bill Belichick’s style to build at running back with a high pick in the draft.