Patriots to Release Alfonzo Dennard

Wasn't Joseph "available" during free agency, too? I do remember reading Jets fans findin rumors about a potential trade for him back in March, but they may have just read incarcerated Bob or some nonsense.

In February, many (perhaps most) of us thought Dennard was unlikely to make the team. For whatever reason, the team seemed finished with him.

Some of us discussed injury and thought that he surely had a future.
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NOTHING that has happened since should have changed our minds. Apparently, there were no corners available to the patriots that Belichick thought to be better than what we have.
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The situation hasn't changed since yesterday.
1) FLETCHER, BUTLER, ARRINGTON are our current starters.

2) We hope for a trade for a #1 corner.

3) We have several backups at corner and nickel.
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We didn't know where Dennard stood. Now, we do. To me, this event changes nothing at all.

He was pretty good 2 years ago when he started alongside Talib - not bad in man-to-man coverage and showed some swagger. What happened to him?

VectorPrime said:

We need to trade for a corner. This can't possibly be the group we take into camp let alone the season. And I don't want to get one during the season, I want him to have a lot of time getting to know the system during the offseason and preseason.

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Posters think that we NEEDED to draft a top corner. Posters think that we NEED to trade for a top corner. As is the case at other positions, if Belichick sees an opportunity yo upgrade the long-term prospects of the team, he will enact a trade. Belichick might even go for a one-year rental.

I don't think the chances changed any with Dennard leaving. Belichick thinks that he has more in Ryan and McCain, and perhaps a better prospect in Roberts or Chekwa or Green.

I didn't think for one second that we needed to draft a top corner. In fact I was openly against it. Because we need someone established, not some unknown.

Just for curiosity, who did a better job, the average of Revis playing time or Talib's average until week 6 of 2013 season?

I think Revis overall did shutdown half of the field as expected, but he took some time to get into the system, but then after a certain point of the season until the playoffs he just played lights out.

Talib in 2013 started the season on fire. That game against the Falcons in week 4 was probably his best performance. That stop against Roddy White for the win was amazing

varjao said:

Just for curiosity, who did a better job, the average of Revis playing time or Talib's average until week 6 of 2013 season?

I think Revis overall did shutdown half of the field as expected, but he took some time to get into the system, but then after a certain point of the season until the playoffs he just played lights out.

Talib in 2013 started the season on fire. That game against the Falcons in week 4 was probably his best performance. That stop against Roddy White for the win was amazing

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I think if you don't make your mark in the playoffs, you aren't in competition with Revis.

Tunescribe said:

There can be only one explanation for this: the fortuitous rise of Chimdi Chekwa.

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I hope you're right. That's the best name I've seen in many years.

TBR said:

He wasn't even that bad last year. He just had Revis and Browner ahead of him and seemed to be dealing with an injury.

Logan Ryan was more noticeably bad last year

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...not according to the coverage stats.

Logan Ryan gave up a 56% completion rate and 80 QB rating.
Dennard gave up a 70% completion rate and 111 QB rating.

Others:
Revis: 47% completion, 68 QB rating, 2 TD's
Arrington: 52% completion, 80 QB rating, 1 TD
Browner: 53% completion, 83 QB rating, 2 TD's
Butler: 59% completion, 125 QB rating, 3 TD's

Bradley Fletcher: 53% completion, 108 QB rating, 9 TD's

Oswlek said:

The fact that the team put Logan on the field over Dennard suggests otherwise, barring injury.

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???

The fact that Ryan was on the field suggests that he was the best option at the time. And, yes, the team still thinks of him as a better option than Dennard.

How is this in any way a plus for Ryan?

Being better than a player cut in May is no big deal.

If the Patriots go back to a zone defense there's no chance they'll repeat. Bill's zone schemes are borderline horrible, that's why he scrapped them in the first place.

Marqui said:

If the Patriots go back to a zone defense there's no chance they'll repeat. Our zone schemes are borderline horrible.

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In today's NFL, running a heavily zone based scheme is definitely not a good thing unless you have the horses in the secondary. Seattle can get away with it. New England, with Malcolm Butler being the #1 option and Toast Fletcher being the #2, probably won't be able to. If we're going to back to primarily playing the zone, this defense will once again resemble those defenses from 2010, 2011, and early 2012.. except with HOPEFULLY a better pass rush.

I was thinking this guy could be good. Didn't he have two picks in the 2013 playoffs?

I was thinking he could start this year. Aaaaaaaaaaand he's gone.

Well, that clinches it...

Less thinking...



more drinking.

Browner worked because Revis was on the other side and they could go man coverage. Once Revis was gone there was no way they were going to keep Browner.

While I agree with posters saying it might indeed be "Butler and a corner on someone else's roster", I am not ruling out the McC to CB sentiment. With Harmon-Chung-Richards at S, McC and Butler at CB, NE at least has the most talented of its' DBs in the game.

Stats can maybe be found to tell me Logan Ryan was better than Dennard last year - but my eyes tell me "be afraid when you see Ryan on the field". If nothing major changes to this roster and DMac stays at FS, one of the FAs better have a huge bounce back year.

primetime said:

Butler and Fletcher are going to be the starting corners on opening day. I am terrified.

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I don't know about Fletcher, but Butler doesn't terrify me at all.

Ross12 said:

I think the team will add another CB at some point, but I'm not horrified with the current group. McCourty can play CB if necessary but I doubt that is the plan since he is an excellent safety... A starting secondary of Fletcher on one side and Butler or Ryan on the other side, won't be awesome but it could be solid. Then run McCourty at FS and either Richards/Chung or Harmon at the other safety spot depending on the type of offense you're facing, and Arrington in the slot... Plus, you never know what unexpected contributions you get from McClain, Chekwa, Roberts, etc. Could be a solid unit even without any other additions.

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Of course they can be solid, and maybe even better than that. I don't get some of the skeptics, I really don't.

Now, are we going to be as great as last year? Probably not. But I wouldn't be surprised if they became great. No matter who plays back there they always seem to get better as the season goes along.

mgteich said:

???

The fact that Ryan was on the field suggests that he was the best option at the time. And, yes, the team still thinks of him as a better option than Dennard.

How is this in any way a plus for Ryan?

Being better than a player cut in May is no big deal.

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Did you quote my comment by accident? I'm not seeing the relation.

A 5th rounder for Jonathan Joseph would be nice

I'm not looking forward to seeing a zone scheme either. Like some have said, it will be 2010-2012 all over again. I wish they'd play man, and tell the CBs to beat the hell out of the WRs within 5 yards. The refs can't call penalties every single time.

Keep in mind, Seattle has led the league 2 years in a row in penalties. Reached the SuperBowl both years. Pats were #2 in penalties last year and of course won the SuperBowl.

Haley said:

I think if you don't make your mark in the playoffs, you aren't in competition with Revis.

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IMHO, there aren't many CB's in the history of the game that compare favorably to Revis.

Talib isn't one of those.

I'm not that much into player salaries, but there's probably a reason that the Pats, a team that some mediots call cheap, was willing to spend twice as much on Revis as Talib.