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Position Battle to Watch: With the potential cutoff at five cornerbacks, the battle between Arrington and Wheatley could possibly determine the shape of one player's career. Bodden, Butler, McCourty and Wilhite are all safe. Arrington leaped past Wheatley last season because of his dominance on special teams, and Wheatley, a 2008 second-round draft pick, was inactive 12 times (10 times after not appearing on the injury report), including the playoffs.
During spring practices, Arrington and Wheatley rotated with one another between the defensive starters and the scout team, which indicated that they were in direct competition. The Patriots kept six cornerbacks last season and could very well do so again in 2010, but if the line drops to five, it promises to be a good competition for that final spot.
Hot Topic: Butler, who was a second-round pick in 2009, had a great string of spring practices and stood out as much as any defensive player on the field. He has clearly emerged as the starting left cornerback opposite of Bodden, and Butler adds some speed and jump to the cornerback position. He's solid at reading routes and closing on the ball, but he's got to prove he is strong enough to compete with bigger, more physical wide receivers. Butler was often pulled in favor of Wilhite against such receivers last season, and with Brandon Marshall now in Miami, there will continue to be an emphasis for Butler to improve in that area.
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At cornerback, I feel confident with Leigh Bodden on one side. Out of Darius Butler and Devin McCourty, they should be able to find someone they feel comfortable starting opposite of Bodden. You need three good corners to play good defense in this league. With Bodden, you have one. If Butler makes positive strides, you possibly have two. You're also hoping a rookie can contribute. That's a lot to hope for, but you still have a chance to have three good corners.
Why it’s a top issue: The Patriots have veteran Leigh Bodden returning at right cornerback, but the left side will primarily be a competition between Darius Butler (2009 second-round pick) and Devin McCourty (2010 first-round pick).
Historical perspective: The last time Bill Belichick was relying on such youth at left cornerback was 2005, when Asante Samuel stepped in as a full-time starter in his third season.
Xs and Os thought: With Bodden, Butler and McCourty the projected top players at the outside cornerback spots, it should allow Jonathan Wilhite -- a 2008 fourth-round draft choice -- to focus primarily on slot duties. That's a better fit for Wilhite.
At this point the biggest battle to just make the team is between
Jonathan Wilhite - has had the most extensive playing time but really what were the options. Some good some bad here. Has to make a jump this year and really not much on ST's.
Terrence Wheatley - is third in the race right now. Gotta stay on the field. I still think with his speed he could be an effective returner
Kyle Arrington - love this guy hard nose physical, huge on ST's. Can he play CB consistenly in this league?
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“We'll do the injury report on Wednesday.”
So, the top four corners are our starting corners, our nickel back and our dime back. Given the increasing importance of the passing game in the league, all of these positions are important. IMHO, we are well-set with the four that we have.
Presumbaly, we will carry four safeties, although three has been mentioned.
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The OPEN question is how to use the addition roster spots. How good a defensive back do we need as the #5 and/or #6 corner.
With one injury at corner, who is the dime back? How important is that?
With two injuries at corner, who is our nickel and dime?
Should we have 10 defensive backs? Should the other two be special team specialists like Arrington and Lockett and Slater.
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This is the kind of planning that goes into the selection of the last few players on the roster.
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MY CHOICE would be to have 10 defensive backs, one being a REAL corner who could be a dime or nickel if their were injuries, and a special teamer for the last spot (instead of a 7th DL).
Past Role: Easy target for opposing QBs. Wilhite is an average #3 CB or excellent #4 CB who was thrust into a #2 spot in 2009 because either lack of ability or lack of skill with his fellow cornerbacks. As a rookie in 2008, Wilhite wasn't superb, but he emerged as the "#2" by default ...
Predicted Role: Hopefully, Wilhite will be pushed down on the depth chart, where he belongs ...
Summary: Wilhite makes the team due to his experience and his value as a depth player. He actually showed signs of regression from his rookie to sophomore year, but that can be attributed to his greater role on the defense. He's not fit to be a starter, but can help out on defense. This should be the first season where Wilhite plays from a spot on the depth chart where it fits his actually ability.
"He picked things up so quickly, said (McCourty's high school football coach) Karcich. "If he wasn’t playing, he’d be coaching. He’s extremely football smart. He’s like a coach on the field. That’s probably the first time I’ve ever trusted a sophomore to check coverages for us. But he could handle that.”
"When I think about Devin, the first thing that comes to mind is not his athleticism," he insisted. "He was just an awesome, awesome kid. A team player. It was never about him, it was always about the team."
"I think it's critical to get someone you can trust, on and off the field. They're part of the chemistry of the team, and you can't underestimate what that means to the success of the team," said Karcich.
"With young guys, it's hard to measure, but I think Devin will make a huge impact year after year after year in New England. He's a company man, does everything that's asked of him, and always says and does the right thing. He won't get up on a bench and start yelling and screaming to motivate his teammates, but his actions will show his leadership."
First the bad news: The secondary rotation was a work in progress all year. First, it was Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs at the corners with Brandon McGowan and Brandon Meriweather at the safeties. Then it was Bodden and Wilhite. Then it was Bodden and rookie Darius Butler. Then it was Springs and Bodden again. ...
No matter how much it got shaken up, the secondary was constitutionally incapable of making big plays at moments of import. The team finished with 18 picks – pretty good, right? Not when you look at who and when they came. Butler’s three picks came against Tennessee, Tampa Bay and Houston. Two of Meriweather’s five came against Tampa. Bodden had five and three of them came against the Jets when Mark Sanchez took a special liking to Leigh for some strange reason. One of the picks was hauled in by Randy Moss on a Hail Mary ...
But Curran does see hope for this unit: Additionally, there is legitimate talent back there. The Patriots were smart in getting Bodden re-signed in the offseason because he was the most capable player in a below average group last season. Butler, a second-rounder in 2009, has terrific ball skills and quickness; and the addition of Devin McCourty, the rookie first-rounder from Rutgers, should eventually give the Pats the kind of long cover guy they’re going to need against Brandon Marshall, Braylon Edwards, etc. I’ve been a Jonathan Wilhite believer – he seems to have very good technique – but he needs to make a jump in terms of breaking up passes instead of just being on the scene. Terrence Wheatley, a second-rounder in 2008, remains unproven.
In summary Curran states that (b)ut all that stuff is projection. The evidence submitted last season is what we have to go on, and until we see otherwise, the Patriots secondary is a serious tender spot to this team’s hopes of returning to the elite.
Cornerbacks
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