For the fourth time in franchise history, the New England Patriots will begin an NFL season as the reigning Super Bowl champions. Their incredible championship victory over the Seattle Seahawks last season has been met with a lot of obstacles and challenges since that February win.

Let's dive into the biggest question marks for the Pats this season.

1. Can Malcolm Butler Be "That Guy?"

Malcolm Butler made arguably the greatest play in Super Bowl history when he intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line to win it all. He jumped the route perfectly, made the catch, and held on to seal the deal. This offseason, the Patriots lost cornerbacks Darrelle Revis to the New York Jets and Brandon Browner to the New Orleans Saints. Fortunately, they did re-sign safety Devin McCourty. Butler is now the star cornerback on the Patriots secondary, and he'll have the responsibility of covering opposing teams' best wide receivers.

2. Is This FINALLY the Breakout Year for Aaron Dobson?

The Patriots invested a second round pick in wide receiver in Aaron Dobson in 2013. Dobson actually had a pretty good rookie season with 519 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, Dobson's NFL career has been highlighted with injuries, surgeries, drops and he only started one game last season. The Patriots recently worked out free agent wide receiver Reggie Wayne, which could be a bad sign for Dobson. If the Patriots aren't getting production out of Dobson, he could once again go on the IR or PUP (physically unable to perform) list, and even Josh Boyce could get more playing time over him.

3. Can Jimmy Garoppolo Fill in for Tom Brady?

Jimmy Garoppolo obviously won't play better than Tom Brady, but the way it stands now, he is scheduled to play the first four games of the season. The entire "Deflategate" process has everyone wishing it would just end soon. Garoppolo has never started an NFL regular season game, so Bill Belichick is making a good choice to give him extended minutes this preseason. Garoppolo has had an average preseason so far, nothing spectacular. If everything stays the same, Garoppolo will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys.

4. How Good Will the Running Game Be?

The Patriots offense has done just fine despite not having an elite running back on the roster over the years. You'd have to go back to Corey Dillon to find a time they signed a superstar back. This roster does have some ground potential though. LeGarrette Blount has his off the field issues (currently suspended), but he can be a bruiser up the middle between the tackles. Jonas Gray is a good all around back who did lead the Patriots in rushing yards last season, even if it was only 412 yards. With Brady out four games, the running game has to be stable for Garoppolo.

5. Is This The Year the AFC East Catches Up?

The Miami Dolphins have a great defense, and it got even better with the addition of Ndamukong Suh. The New York Jets added Revis and Antonio Cromartie to their secondary just like old times. The Buffalo Bills have an elite defense, but like the Jets, questions at quarterback remain. The Patriots have won the AFC East 10 of the last 11 years, but this year the difficulty level will be even higher. Could division dominance be coming to an end for the Patriots, or is another AFC East title looming in Foxborough?

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1