What's up at nickel CB?

[patsinthesnow]

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...398/patriots-defensive-snaps-changes-with-dbs

Patriots CB snaps vs. Jets:


CORNERBACK
Darrelle Revis -- 86 of 87
Alfonzo Dennard -- 50 of 87
Logan Ryan -- 45 of 87
Brandon Browner -- 41 of 87
Kyle Arrington -- 1 of 87

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...021/pats-defensive-snaps-akeem-ayers-chips-in

CORNERBACK
Darrelle Revis -- 61 of 70
Brandon Browner -- 57 of 70
Logan Ryan -- 54 of 70
Malcolm Butler -- 15 of 70
Kyle Arrington -- 9 of 70



So, did Arrington lose his nickel CB job, or is he hurt? Has he joined Amendola as a player toast as soon as the 2015 offseason starts?

I thought he was playing well this year. So all of a sudden our 4 yr 16 million dollar CB is our CB5?

 

[JMC00]

Kyle Arrington hands down the best #5 CB in the league

 

[jsull87]

IMO we just happen to have some good talent at CB right now. It could be injury but i doubt it. Hopefully it's just Ryan and Butler playing well and being given reps.

 

[Joker]

Kyle plugs the slot at nickel back...

 

[JackBauer]

Isn't this what many of us have longed to see for a while now?

 

[Guts]

Dennard was our 1st CB when Talib went out in the AFCCG now he's a healthy scratch imagine that

 

[BobDigital]

Just too much talent there. Right now it looks like Revis/Browner/Ryan with Dennard/Arrington/Butler fighting for snap.

Next year we can unload Arrington and use some of that money to keep Revis. Butler is cheap and a keeper and Ryan is finding his stride again. Dennard is in a contract year next year i think so they will need to decide what they wanna do with him.

Arrington is a great slot when healthy but just too limited to that role. Dennard/Ryan get hot and cold.

 

[Ross12]

Just too much talent there. Right now it looks like Revis/Browner/Ryan with Dennard/Arrington/Butler fighting for snap.

Next year we can unload Arrington and use some of that money to keep Revis. Butler is cheap and a keeper and Ryan is finding his stride again. Dennard is in a contract year next year i think so they will need to decide what they wanna do with him.

Arrington is a great slot when healthy but just too limited to that role. Dennard/Ryan get hot and cold.

Yeah, Butler was really a great find. I think they want to build around Revis/Browner/Ryan as the top 3 with Butler being the top reserve guy. Dennard is obviously skilled but might be worth selling high on in the offseason for a mid round pick, while drafting a new CB or continuing to develop Daxton Swanson. Unloading Arrington makes the most sense after this year also with his contract.

 

[Bruins29]

Good problems to have....finally

 

[Joey007]

Dennard was a scratch and was replaced by Butler. I know Dennard hasn't been that great, but is he really at the point where he's lower than Butler or was it for a different reason?

 

[Archeryaddict12]

Dennard was a scratch and was replaced by Butler. I know Dennard hasn't been that great, but is he really at the point where he's lower than Butler or was it for a different reason?

Guessing his shoulder is a little nicked up, and he isn't the biggest guys, but so aren't the others, but he isn't the best against taller guys. My guess was game plan and some rest. But I think dennard is our best cover cb next to revis, but can't enforce his physicality like browner in bigger guys

 

[mgteich]

I do NOT believe that Butler has moved ahead of Arrington. Butler was being given some reps.

I do indeed think that Ryan has moved ahead of Arrington as a nickel. Obviously, Dennard is also ahead of Arrington. Personally, I don't understand why Belichick has chosen Ryan over Arrington, but apparently he has. Perhaps, preparing for 2015 is part of the calculations. Perhaps, Arrington is being eased out, which makes sense if Ryan and Arrington are performing equally well.

 

[chasa]

I think based on what the bears players were Arrington was just the odd man out based on what he can do.

Arrington is the Slot CB, and the bears don't really play a Slot heavy offense, the bears are a Big WR/TE group.

Arrington is also highly overpair for his skill set at the moment, so this is a good problem to have imo, not many people expect him back next year, with many calling for him to be moved during last offseason.

 

[Observer]

They need him to play DE.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Hard to imagine a healthy Arrington isn't getting more time. As others mentioned, this is a good problem to have.
We need the rush D making enough stops to force teams into throwing the ball. The pass D may not be perfect every time but with this secondary it's hard to see them not making a solid amount of stops (not to mention the coverage sacks it will cause).

 

[Joker]

what do you call a dime back that never plays?...a penny back?

 

[DarrylS]

Depth at CB is a good thing, no more Earthland Moreland's off of the street or Troy Brown playing two ways.

This is the biggest change in the philosophy of BB is to load up on "quality" CB's...

 

[Luxusdk]

If you play zone you can use a slot cb, but not if you play man man. Kyle is good inside but horibel outside. If Revis and Browner are one or one, then its easy to move them inside and have Kyle come out. If Dennard og Ryan plays the slot, you wont have the same problems if the offense moves around.

 

[RIpats88]

its a nice problem to have. we are stacked at talent in the secondary.

 

[50-yard-line]

Butler got smoked by Jeffries in that game for a TD. Not a big deal, and Jeffries will do that to lots of folks, but if it had been Arrington, half the people here would be screaming about how bad he sucks. Butlet got a lot of, if not all, of his snaps in the last couple of drives, I believe. Good time to get the promising rookie some experience. I wish BB would do that more often in blowouts, like giving Jimmy Grapes more reps. Wish he had given Mallett more, as well - might have helped his trade value.

I suspect Arrington is nicked up - the one snap against the Jets doesn't make a lot of sense because his skill set is perfect against a receiver like Kerley. Either way, this team is stacked on the back end. Still wish they had dumped a couple of mid-low picks for Barron!