Cornerbacks

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Patriots cornerback Darius Butler works on his hands with a little help from a friend by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald


Darius Butler isn’t taking anything for granted. While he may be the favorite to capture the starting corner spot opposite Leigh Bodden, that hasn’t stopped him from going the extra mile, doing whatever it takes to give himself an edge.

After practice sessions, Butler can often be found using theJUGS machine, where footballs are automatically delivered his way at a certain speed for him to catch in rapid-fire fashion. Butler stands close, as the machine fires the balls at him.

”It’s like taking batting practice. I just go out and catch some extra balls. It helps to work on your hands, just like running sprints helps to get you in better condition. The more reps you do, the better you’re going to get at it.”

 

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Reserve may be something special; Arrington finding a way for Patriots by Robert Mays for the Boston Globe:


When Arrington signed with the Patriots in November 2009, it was his third team in two seasons. But in just 10 games for New England, Arrington was able to find a place to call his own: special teams. He recorded at least one special teams tackle in all but one of his appearances and became a standout on kick coverage.

“He came in and fit right in and physically kind of matched up in the positions that we needed him in, and like you said, was very successful for us,’’ said special teams coach Scott O’Brien. “Hopefully we can continue that with him and this year even be able to adjust even more.’’


While many teams experience a lot of variation in the performance of their special teams units from season to season, the Patriots’ kicking game has stayed relatively consistent in the Bill Belichick era. The front office and coaching staff put a priority on finding players who will perform well in smaller roles. Arrington hopes that the dedication that he’s displayed so far shows that he is the type of player that this regime covets.


“I hope it says that I’m one of the hardest workers that ever comes to the table,’’ Arrington said. “I hope it says I work hard and take pride in what I do, whatever I do. It says that I’m going to put my brand on it and represent it.’’


Asked whether he thought a good special teams player was made by instinct or technique, Arrington hedged.


“It’s nature versus nurture,’’ he said. “It’s a want-to,’’ Arrington said. “It’s a want thing.’’

Izzo’s name has become emblematic in football for what kind of a career a player can have through special teams. When it is brought up to Arrington, he says his approach makes him the type of player that can thrive in the same situation.

“I’m one of those guys who will embrace whatever role is bestowed upon him,’’ Arrington said.


“Whatever play I’m on the field, I’m getting to the ball, or I’m trying to get a hand on the ball.’’


While he has embraced his role on special teams, Arrington acknowledged that any player would want more time and more opportunities to be an every-down player. That ambition is what makes the dog days of training camp invaluable for a player like him.


Earlier in the week, during a pass-rush drill for defensive backs and running backs, Arrington was doing everything he could to get to the quarterback, including spin moves and other tricks. Following practice, veteran running back Fred Taylor mentioned Arrington’s name when talking about some of the younger players on the roster.

 

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Bodden Injury Not A Concern by Albert Breer for the Boston Globe


Leigh Bodden, who missed a couple of practices due to a knee issue, was back on the field this morning during the Patriots' walkthrough.
Wearing a sleeve over his left knee, Bodden was asked after the session if his injury is a concern.

"No, no, it's not a concern. No concern at all," he said.

Now in his second year with New England, Bodden was asked if anything is different for him during this training camp as opposed to last year's.

"You know what, I’m getting better and better every day," he said. "I’m focused on the playbook, the plays that I need to learn, and just the things that I need to work on every year. Nobody’s perfect so I just work on the little things that I saw in myself last year that could be better…that’s what training camp’s all about so that’s what I’m doing."



McCourty has a list ... for himself by Albert Breer for the Boston Globe


With Leigh Bodden sidelined for the time being, McCourty is out there as the starter at left corner, with Darius Butler flipping to the right. You guys have to feel good that the rookie is earning that kind time this early. But McCourty isn't thinking about it. Or so he says.

"Right now, it’s just practice and I’m just trying to get better," McCourty said. "I’m not paying attention to when I’m in or who else is in, I’m just trying to get better."

But that doesn't mean he doesn't have goals. Over the weekend, Emmitt Smith mentioned during his stirring Hall of Fame speech that he had a list that he put together during his rookie year with objectives on it, one of which was "all-time leading rusher."

So I asked McCourty if he had a similar list, this being his rookie year and all. He said he put together one going into college, and updated it during his time at Rutgers.

But as for the details, "I’d like to keep that personal," he said.

 

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WEEI's Christopher Price has Wheatley as one of five players on the bubble looking for a roster spot.

It Is What It Is Five Patriots who might be feeling bubblicious

Cornerback Terrence Wheatley: He’s seen a lot of time this summer with the special teamers, and could nose his way onto the roster if he continues in that direction. But there’s no denying the fact that Wheatley is starting to run out of time. There have been some positive moments for him, but they’ve been few and far between.

 

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Pats re-sign CB DeAngelo Willingham, who was on the practice squad last year.

Patriots sign 2; cut Farnham, Grady - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

This is his sixth time he has signed with a team since last spring.

Transactions/Injuries/Suspensions

June 18, 2010 Waived by the Cincinnati Bengals.
April 29, 2010 Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.
April 28, 2010 Waived by the Seattle Seahawks.
January 5, 2010 Signed by the Seattle Seahawks from the practice squad.
November 3, 2009 Signed by the Seattle Seahawks to the practice squad.
September 21, 2009 Released by the New England Patriots from the practice squad.
September 6, 2009 Signed by the New England Patriots to the practice squad.
September 5, 2009 Released by the Dallas Cowboys.
September 1, 2009 Claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
August 29, 2009 Released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
April 27, 2009 Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.


Trades

April 29, 2010 Claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.
November 3, 2009 Signed by the Seattle Seahawks to the practice squad.
September 6, 2009 Signed by the New England Patriots to the practice squad.
September 1, 2009 Claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
April 27, 2009 Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

DeAngelo Willingham Profile, Blog Posts, Stats, Photos - New England Patriots - NFL - SB Nation



Assets

• Has a good mix of size, speed, bulk, and athleticism for the NFL secondary. Plays a physical game and has some skills as a playmaker.

Flaws

• Lacks a lot of experience against top competition and is still somewhat raw in his approach. Needs to do a better job adjusting to changes in the action during man-to-man assignments.

Career Potential

• Situational defensive back

 

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PFW's Erik Scalavino on the cornerback position:

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive Quick Kicks: Another Q&A session

Q. … Based on the camp blog, it appears {Kyle} Arrington is ahead of both {Terrence} Wheatley and {Jonathan} Wilhite. Can you guys confirm or deny this based on what you have seen? Given Arrington’s special teams prowness, could he be the one taking the 4th or 5th CB spot from either one of these 2?

ES: I wouldn’t say he’s ahead of Wheatley because the latter has gotten a lot of reps with the regular defense. But Arrington is certainly in the mix for a roster spot, both as a defender and a special teamer. He’s had a great camp and has made marked improvements from last year. Wilhite is struggling in part because he’s been injured and hasn’t contributed on the field. He also got burnt several times in Monday afternoon’s full-pads session. If anything, Wheatley and Arrington may have the edge over Wilhite at the moment.

 

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From a pre-camp roster ranking & preview by WEEI's Christopher Price:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 4)


47. Defensive back Jonathan Wilhite: Like Terrence Wheatley, he had a strong rookie year in 2008 before dropping off. The difference is that Wilhite didn’t fall completely off the face of the earth like Wheatley did in 2009. After a serviceable rookie year, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Wheatley was part of a busy secondary last season. However, he was pushed by Darius Butler last season, and it’s a safe bet that Butler should continue to eat into Wilhite’s playing time in 2010. Like many of the rest of his teammates in this section, Wilhite appears to be a solid situational player, but probably not a full-timer.


44. Defensive back/kick returner Matthew Slater: You can say a lot of things about Slater, but you can never question his attitude. (Having grown up in the culture of football — his father was Hall of Famer Jackie Slater — it’s probably not a coincidence.) The Patriots have tried the 6-foot, 200-pound Slater at several different spots (defensive back, wide receiver, returner) in an attempt to try and utilize his terrific speed. With the kick return game at a crossroads (Brandon Tate and Devin McCourty got some opportunities there in the spring) and the defensive back and wide receiver spots very crowded this summer, time could be running out on Slater.

 

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Leigh Bodden Returns From Knee Injury by Jeff Howe for NESN:

Cornerback Leigh Boddenreturned to the field Monday morning during the Patriots' walkthrough. Bodden suffered a knee injury last week during practice, according to sources, but he clearly benefited from having the weekend off. Bodden missed two padded practices and one walkthrough with the injury, but he said there were "no concerns at all" with the knee.



Bodden On Saints: We Were Better Than That by Mike Petraglia for WEEI:

“I think we were [good] last year but we just didn’t show it that game,” Bodden said. “We didn’t come out the way we wanted to. This year we’re focused, and we’re ready for the challenge and we’re ready to practice hard against them and just compete, something we didn’t do a very good job of last year and we’re definitely focused on that this year.”

As for Bodden himself, it wouldn’t be a shock if he were held out of Thursday’s game as a precaution after getting medical clearance to play after tweaking a knee last week in camp.

“I have no indications but Thursday’s gameday and if you’re out there, you have to bang,” Bodden said. “That’s all you can do when you’re out there.”


There was also this, in conclusion, in regards to intra-squad scrimmages:

Perhaps the biggest advantage to these scrimmages in practice belong to the rookies and young players trying to make their best impression on coaches and other decision-makers evaluating talent. Instead of their debut against another team coming in a game, they get the chance to square off against another helmet in practice. For Bodden, there’s a much simpler reason he’s happy to see the Saints this week, two days before their first game.

“Because it’s not your teammates so that’s good, and it definitely gets guys prepared for the game, especially the young guys,” Bodden said. “You don’t have to throw them right in the fire.”



Howe of NESN also had this observation from Tuesday's practice:

Saints quarterback Drew Brees only threw one interception all day, and Terrence Wheatley was the guy who picked him off. The Patriots threw a bunch of man coverages at the Saints' wide receivers before switching to zone. Brees didn’t read it quick enough, and his intended pass for Courtney Roby landed in the hands of Wheatley.

 

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Secondary Can Learn vs. Saints by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald:


“Last year, they had a lot of success offensively in the passing game,” cornerback Leigh Bodden said, “and it’ll just be good for the secondary to get some work against those guys. We’ll see where we’re at.”

“You know what? I’m a cornerback, and honestly, I don’t even remember that,” said Bodden, laughing. “You got to have a short memory. You got to put things in the past, because if you worry about somebody catching a deep ball on you, you’re not going to be better the next play. Look to the future and (don’t) let things like that happen again.”

“This is something I’ve never done before, playing in a preseason game, let alone practicing against another team,” said McCourty, who has seen clips of last year’s Saints game. “I’m excited. Just as a college kid last year watching, they have a great offense, a great quarterback and they really like throwing the ball and stretching it out.”

“The young guys’ll (get) their feet wet before the preseason game,” Bodden said, “and that’s really beneficial for their progress and for everybody’s progress.”

 

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Richard Hill from Pats Pulpit was not impressed with Wilhite Monday:

Patriots Training Camp Day 10: Afternoon Highlights - Pats Pulpit

Jonathan Wilhite looked baaaaad apparently. He was abused by Julian Edelman, was out of position and, sadly, that seems to be the "same ol' Wilhite." This could be why the Patriots picked up DB DeAngello Willingham.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Glad to see Wheatley getting some productive reps. With Crable gone, he can be my Glass Half Full guy this TC. He'd be a nice upgrade over Wilhite if he can return to and build upon his pre-injury rookie-season form.

 

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WEEI's Christopher Price says Wheatley Getting Physical, Proving Worth


Yet as the chatter continues that Wheatley, like Jonathan Wilhite, could be destined to be a castoff, the now third-year man has played well in training camp and has certainly shown a side to him that hid from onlookers in years past. For starters, he’s looked good in coverage and made a nice reading of Drew Brees Tuesday and picking off a pass intended for receiver Courtney Roby.


“It was a coverage that allows me to read a quarterback and that’s just what I did,” Wheatley said. “I saw the ball being thrown, I just made the play, and ultimately that’s what I’m here to do, is make plays, so that’s what I did.”

Aside from reading plays and showing coverage skills, Wheatley has been far more aggressive this camp, which was rather blatant on Wednesday. In addition to getting into a scuffle with Saints defensive back Leigh Torrence on a punt return, Wheatley absolutely took out New Orleans receiver Montez Billings shortly thereafter.

Given his speed and new affinity for more physical play, Wheatley has seen plenty of time as a gunner on special teams, which could boost his worth in the eyes of the coaches.

“I think it’s important not just for me, but for everybody,” Wheatley said. “The more stuff you can do, the better chance you have of making the team, so whatever they want me to, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The way the stable of cornerbacks currently looks, one would have to think that Leigh Bodden and Darius Butler have secured the starting positions, with McCourty being at least the nickel early on. Things get interesting from there, however, as Wheatley’s camp thus far could earn him time in dime situations or as a guy who spells the starters.

 

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BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Marques Murrell Open Eyes in Patriots' Preseason Win Over Saints - New England Patriots - NESN.com


Cornerback Terrence Wheatley had a team-high six solo tackles, and he stopped quarterback Chase Daniel for a four-yard loss on a third-down bootleg by the goal line in the fourth quarter. Wheatley's job looks safe at this point, even if he's only the fifth or sixth cornerback on the roster, and Thursday's showing helped validate his good training camp.

 

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A pre-camp (7/28) roster ranking & profile from WEEI's Christopher Price:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 6)


30. Cornerback Devin McCourty: The first-round pick will likely open his rookie season as an extra corner — he got the majority of snaps in spring practice with the second team — but his real contributions in his first season will almost certainly come on special teams, where he made his bones as a collegian. The 5-foot-10, 193-pound McCourty averaged 25.4 yards on kickoff returns at Rutgers, and had a 98-yard kickoff return, third-longest in his school’s history. He was working as a return man in the spring, and with the kick return spot something of an unknown quantity since the departure of Ellis Hobbs III before the 2009 season, McCourty should get every opportunity to see reps there as well in the preseason.

 

[RayClay]

Richard Hill from Pats Pulpit was not impressed with Wilhite Monday:

Patriots Training Camp Day 10: Afternoon Highlights - Pats Pulpit

Sorry, I'd have to call that a logical disconnect for Mr. Hill. The Pats picked up a 6' 205 DB with no career statistics, because their little scamp of a nickelback looked bad. fail. The pats simply try guys out all the time and these two are on the opposite end of the CB spectrum.

I agree he looked bad and did last year. He might work as a cheap nickle dime guy though.

 

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WEEI's Christopher Price looks at who will presumably be the Pats two starting corners in a pair of profiles from 7/28:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 7)



16. Cornerback Darius Butler: He’s ranked so highly in this system because there’s going to be a lot on Butler’s shoulders this season — after a rookie year where he sort of eased into the cornerback spot, he starts the 2010 campaign as the No. 1 left corner, opposite Leigh Bodden. Is he up to the challenge? We should know by the midway point of the season, as the Patriots will face some high-powered passing games (Cincinnati, San Diego and Minnesota) in September and October. He also gained special teams experience as a rookie, and could possibly be in the mix to work as a kick returner, something he was able to do quite well in college.



9. Cornerback Leigh Bodden: Bodden bet on himself, signing a one-year deal with the Patriots before the start of last season. Then, he was a relatively anonymous corner coming off an apocalyptically bad season with the 0-16 Detroit Lions. After a five-interception season, he became the best free agent corner on the market, eventually pulling down a four-year, $22.5 million deal, one made all the more impressive when you consider the looming labor uncertainty that surrounds the game. He will get the start at right corner this season, and barring injury, is the closest thing the Patriots have to a shutdown cornerback.

 

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Terrence Wheatley continues to impress


The one-minute video goes on to report that 'Wheatley has been one of the most impressive players in camp', and that 'Wheatley says that it's a huge change for him this year, and that he's no longer thinking about what he's supposed to be doing, he's reacting.'

 

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NESN's Jeff Howe ranks the corners for his current depth chart:

Cornerback
1. Leigh Bodden: Starter on the right side. Recent knee injury isn’t cause for much concern
2. Darius Butler: Starter on the left side but has also seen plenty of work in the slot. He moves to the right when Bodden is out
3. Devin McCourty: Has played the left side when Butler shifts over. A physical player who will earn some starts this season
4. Terrence Wheatley: Have to like the improvements made by Wheatley. Flying up depth chart
5. Jonathan Wilhite: It's been a slow camp so far
6. Kyle Arrington: Big value on kick and punt coverage
7. Terrence Johnson: He hasn’t practiced in two weeks

 

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The Boston Herald's Karen Guregian chimes in on Wheatley also:

In this corner: Terrance Wheatley - contender fights back


Whether set back by injury woes, or simply falling out of favor with the coaches, Wheatley slipped so far down the depth chart last season, it was hard to find him. Even he had a tough time figuring out his place on the team. Worse, he had started to lose confidence in being able to find his way back.

But with the dawn of a new year, and a renewed commitment, Wheatley has rediscovered what made him so attractive to the Patriots in the first place. The way he sees it, the game comes a lot easier if you just go out and play - and stop worrying about everything else.

“I probably think too much. That’s what I’ve been told. So I kinda just stopped thinking,” Wheatley said following yesterday’s indoor practice. “Obviously, I go through my presnap reads. But once the play is going on, I shut the brain off a little bit and just play."

 

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Zeroing in on target area - The Boston Globe



In Denver in Week 5, the Broncos put together a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime (Denver won, 20-17). In the past, a Bill Belichick defense may have allowed an opponent to move between the 20-yard lines, but once it crossed into the red area, things became much more difficult.

The need for improvement was clear.

“[Belichick] talked to us about it and said we weren’t very good in the red zone, that was something we had to work on,’’ cornerback Leigh Bodden said recently. “That’s true because that’s where you get the points . . . that’s where games are won and lost, in the red zone. If you can keep them out, keep them from scoring, you can win. We definitely have to be better in that area to win games.

“So, you know, it’s a point of emphasis that we’re making and it’s helping us along and hopefully it will help us during the season.’’