CB Brandon Flowers in talks with Patriots

Player in decline
Player with significant concussion issues

However

Player who had some success after moving into the slot CB role
Player who could be protected, to some degree, by limiting him to the real "passing situation" situations


Interesting balancing to be done by interested teams, here, IMO

Ice_Ice_Brady said:

How many teams have a better 3rd CB than Rowe? I don't think many. Plus Harmon often plays the CB3 role.

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Harmon isn't cb3. He us s3.
He does not play the responsibilities of a corner.

robertweathers said:

I think his role on the team allows DMC to slide out of CF and cover receivers which masks some of the cover issues in the secondary.

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I don't think it masks anything. It just creates versatility.

Elijah said:

I don't see him as a strength. With this roster, it's hard to find real problems.

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Gotta disagree here. As a #3 cb, I absolutely see him as a strength.
If he had to fill Butler or Gilmore shoes, then I'd agree with you. He had some good games last year along with a few boneheaded moments. His coverage vs. Julio was superb. But he's a young dude with all kinds of athletic talent. I'd expect improvement this year. Jonathan Jones is a nice complement to him,with a different skill set but both are very athletic. And this is the prove it year for Cyrus.
Not saying Rowe is vintage Revis, but he's definitely more a strength than a weakness.

From what I saw of Rowe last year, I was pretty impressed. Thought he was good. Not sure Flowers is an upgrade but added depth certainly won't hurt.

long distance said:

Nate Washington kind of signing.
Competition w ARI might demand more than vet min . and he has better chance to make the team there.
He can take his last chance on champions though..

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I think Flowers is better now then Washington was when we signed him. I could be wrong but if Flowers signed I think he would make the team.

AndyJohnson said:

I don't think it masks anything. It just creates versatility.

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Ryan has great ball skills but was average in coverage and Rowe was inconsistent. Versatility for sure but CB2 and the slot were never locked down by one person.

Rowe played well last year but he really is a match up based CB. If the Pats play a team with a bunch of small and quick guys Rowe really has no place on the field. I like him but I wouldn't be against signing another guy like Flowers who plays a very different game. It would allow the Pats to go Rowe/Gilmore with Butler the slot vs bigger teams and Gilmore/Butler with Flowers in the slot vs smaller teams.

Elijah said:

I don't see him as a strength. With this roster, it's hard to find real problems.

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Belichick once again ruining the fun for many fans.

BobDigital said:

Rowe played well last year but he really is a match up based CB. If the Pats play a team with a bunch of small and quick guys Rowe really has no place on the field. I like him but I wouldn't be against signing another guy like Flowers who plays a very different game. It would allow the Pats to go Rowe/Gilmore with Butler the slot vs bigger teams and Gilmore/Butler with Flowers in the slot vs smaller teams.

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I don't think there is a team like you describe

You wanna make Flowers today!

As if my Pats boner could get anymore excited.

TommyBrady12 said:

what does he have left in the tank? i remember he was highly touted comig out of VTech.

edit: solid player but concussion-prone. san diego cut him as a salary dump.

Time to say goodbye to Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers | FOX Sports

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We might have taken him back in 08 with the 1st rounder Clownface
stole from us. He went 35th. And, CB was a need with Asante leaving.

Brandon flowers appears to have strong tackling skills, something I know BB appreciates.

Flowers was nearly unbeatable when he was with the Chiefs, but he didn't do much with the Chargers and has had injury problems, including concussion problems. A big uh-oh. That said, he wasn't playing too poorly last year before his season was derailed.

Maybe a change of scenery would help, and maybe he'll be okay if he's only being counted on as a third corner. He's bad in man coverage and much better in zone, which makes him an uneasy fit in New England.

I'm more concerned about what this says about Cyrus Jones.

I'd rather let the pups fight it out for a spot.
But if BB feels Flowers is a sure thing and gives us even the slightest advantage I'll trust BB on this.

We are just covering all bases after losing Logan Ryan. Hate or love him, he gave us a lot of flexibility in our secondary. Yes Rowe and Gilmore can replace his production on the outside, but can either one of them play the slot at a moments notice in a game. So far I only trust that dual responsibility to Butler until others step up. Last year's secondary was one of the best we have ever had and they did a great job slowing down an Atlanta offense that was on a record pace. I'm all for signing as many corners we can and letting them battle it out.

If healthy, Flowers could have a legitimate chance at making the team.

long distance said:

Nate Washington kind of signing.
Competition w ARI might demand more than vet min . and he has better chance to make the team there.
He can take his last chance on champions though..

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I wonder if there is a dynamic in the league now that you have a better chance making one of the other 31 teams playing pre-season with the Patriots than spending the summer on one other specific team. Maybe that's pure homerism, but I would assume the Patriots, given the perception of their stacked team, get a lot more attention from scouts anticipating their cuts. Plus the perceived benefits of playing in their system - especially for a team playing the Patriots this year.

This dynamic would really only affect players picked up very late in the process. If you are a free agent in play in Feb, that's not a thing. But if you are still a street free agent heading into August, you're not in any team's plans. You are at the bottom of the roster. By definition your chances are slim on the team that signs you. Your best chance is probably an injury replacement for some team that needs you - and that's impossible to predict. How to improve your chances of being that best-available-injury-replacement? Get on a team that is highly scouted.

long distance said:

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Dude doesn't make ESPN Highlight reels every game, so he sucks!

/sarcasm

We're lucky to have the ELITE play of Devin McCourty

TommyBrady12 said:

Brandon flowers appears to have strong tackling skills, something I know BB appreciates.

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Must be fun for DB playing against Bortles..
____