I’m intrigued by Speed and Bolden and think both have a good chance to make the 53.
Over the last couple of seasons, the Pats have evolved into a primarily zone team on early downs. I don’t think that’s so much an indictment of their corners as they still are a man team on 3rd down. Instead, I see it as their best strategy to adequately play the run by allowing bigger personnel to be on the field at LB and also have more eyeballs looking in the offensive backfield without making them too vulnerable to big pass plays on those downs.
Players as fast, long and physical as Speed and Bolden might be very useful players in their zone schemes. Maybe, more useful than their smaller CBs in those roles and rest some of their better man cover corners for obvious passing downs.
Last year the Pats kept 6 CBs on the 53- Jon Jones, Mills, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, Bryant and Wade. Gonzalez replaces Mills who’s competing for a safety spot. From what little video i could find of Speed and Bolden, both are better man corners than Shaun Wade (not saying much), and Myles Bryant can’t cover anyone bigger or faster than he is which is a problem because every receiver is either bigger or faster than Bryant.
To improve, the Patriots defense needed to get faster, longer and more physical. The Patriots add a CB in the 6th and 7th rounds who have elite size, speed and ST physicality traits, and still people complain. Let see how it plays out, but I like those picks and am intrigued by how the coaches might use their physical traits to improve an already good defense to be even better.
