With training camp set to open for real on Thursday morning, the Patriots face the same amount of questions as any one of the other 31 teams in the league. We asked you for your top concerns, and in a modified mailbag, here are some of the readers’ most important questions — solicited via Twitter — facing the 2011 Patriots as the season gets underway:

@pfitz7: Who is going to rush the passer for the Pats this year?
Even before full free agency begins, I can tell you that the pass rush will be better in 2011 than it was in 2010. (That’s not saying much, I know, but stick with me here.) New England gets back some quality defenders who should significantly improve things. The return of Ty Warren should beef up the line, while Mike Wright’s skills as a pass rusher remain underrated. Leigh Bodden, who missed all of last season with a shoulder problem, will be an upgrade at the cornerback position, which will lead to a boost in coverage sacks this season. In addition, I think the coaching staff will put more on the shoulders of second-year linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, who showed flashes of real skill at times last season. (His college coach Urban Meyer believes he can be the answer this season for New England’s pass-rushing problems.) Then, there are back-of-the-roster guys like Eric Moore who also showed some promise last season. And that doesn’t even begin to account for the bodies that are all still out there in free agency, guys like Manny Lawson and Matt Roth, both of whom are familiar with the skills needed to succeed as an outside linebacker in the 3-4. So there’s hope.

@DamoJarrett: How is the return of Ty Warren going to effect our pass rush and do we need another big 3-4 end to compliment the other side?
I think Warren is a great presence at defensive end, and while he’s not a pure pass rusher, he should allow the Patriots to generate more pressure on the quarterback. Additionally, I think the return of the Texas A&M product — as well as Wright, who missed a sizable chunk of the year last year with a concussion — should provide a boost for the pass rush. While they return of the two of them won’t automatically make New England one of the best pass-rushing teams in the league, it should improve things. When it comes to the other side of the line, I’m thinking that you give the opportunity to some of the younger players — Brandon Deaderick, Myron Pryor and the rest — in  camp and let them win the position. If all else fails, you could still bring veteran Gerard Warren back, although its questionable how much he has left in the tank.

@jerrythornton1: Post-lockout, can we reasonably expect anything from rookies?
I think you have to head into the 2011 season with diminished expectations for the rookie class, at least to start. That’s not to say they couldn’t surprise by the end of the season, but with no time in the program this offseason because of the work stoppage, the rookies lost valuable time that would have been used to get them acclimated to NFL life. Five or six weeks into the season might be a different story, but right now, look for them to struggle as they get up to speed alongside the rest of their veteran teammates.

@NEPatriotsDraft: What will the left side of the offensive line look like on opening day?
If this were a usual offseason, the Patriots would have a pretty good idea at this point as to whether or not Nate Solder could step in on Day One and start at left tackle. However, with the lockout, Solder is still a bit of an unknown quantity. There’s still the possibility the first rounder can do what Matt Light did as a rookie back in 2001 and start right away, but right now, I’m thinking that Light is still the smart play, at least to start the season. (That is, if the Patriots and Light can come together on a contract for relatively short money. But that’s another matter.) And with Logan Mankins’ apparent willingness to sigh his franchise tender, you’re likely looking at a Light-Mankins combination along the left side. But considering the Patriots ability to develop offensive linemen and Solder’s pedigree, expect New England to end the season with Solder and Sebastian Vollmer as the two starting offensive tackles.

@PatsPropaganda: Can the second- and third-year guys take big steps forward (Chung, Brace, Deaderick, Tate)?
This is a key year for a lot of those guys. While I think that Chung will be able to emerge as a true presence, the other three — Brace, Deaderick and Tate — have all struggled at times, both on and off the field over the last two years. Even if the Patriots do not make moves in free agency, the numbers suggest those three need a big camp.

@GR365patriot: Player on D to make the biggest improvement? Player on offense?
On defense, I think this is the season Pat Chung really starts to assert himself, but on and off the field. We saw glimpses of what he’s capable of the last two seasons, and last year’s botched punt call in the playoffs aside, he’s done very well and continued to improve. (I believe Chung will also be named special teams captain this year, an honor he probably should have received last season if not for being a year into the league at the time.) It’ll be interesting to see how playing time at the safety spot shakes down — especially between Chung and James Sanders, who remains a steady and consistent influence at safety — but I think Chung is really poised for a breakout season. (I’m also going to make Brandon Spikes a close second, with Jermaine Cunningham third.) We’re not sure if the Patriots are done adding pieces at wide receiver in free agency, but on offense, I think Julian Edelman will get every opportunity to erase a lost 2010 season and get the chance to match his 2009 numbers.

@ErikFrenz: What do you see as the primary role of Ras-I Dowling in his rookie year? Going forward?
Dowling has a real chance to make a significant impact as a rookie. He’s not going to unseat the starting combination of Leigh Bodden and Devin McCourty, but he will most certainly push some of the corners who have been around the last few seasons, namely guys like Jonathan Wilhite and Darius Butler. (This is going to be a big camp for the two of them — in that same context, Kyle Arrington should be OK because of his special teams skills.) Dowling is a unique corner — at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he’s bigger than most of the current Patriots’ corners, and if he can use that to his advantage at the NFL level, he could end up seeing significant snaps sooner rather than later. (He’s so big, I think he’s really going to stand out at camp when grouped with the other New England defensive backs. A guy to watch.)