Your thoughts on Patriots cornerback strategy in the draft...

[Brady_to_Moss]

They like the CBs they have and we are sticking with Dennard...Ryan...Butler ect this year

RYan better step the **** up

 

[RobertWeathers]

Clearly Belichick also undervalued CB in 2004 when Troy Brown was playing CB for half a season

How? They entered the season with Law,Poole, Asante, and Gay?

When you lose your two starters, that'll test the depth like nothing else.

 

[RobertWeathers]

They like the CBs they have and we are sticking with Dennard...Ryan...Butler ect this year

RYan better step the **** up

Dennard is not a shoo-in to make this team at all.

 

[hwc]

Dennard is not a shoo-in to make this team at all.

I think the odds are slightly in favor Dennard not making the team. Unless he was injured, there's no other way to interpret his non-playing status last season.

 

[mrscruff]

Logan Ryan was highly rated as a zone cornerback coming out of the draft and last year's scheme probably did him no favors so we could see a uptick if the scheme is set up differently to suit him. He has good ball skills so errant throws will be punished and the secondary as a whole will have to be opportunistic and tighten down in the red zone.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think the odds are slightly in favor Dennard not making the team. Unless he was injured, there's no other way to interpret his non-playing status last season.

2014 was unkind to Dennard.

He had the prison time. He got hurt in camp. Fell behind. Came back. So did Browner. There was a rumor that they were trying him at slot DB but it wasn't working out. Got hurt in practice and the team shut him down.

I really liked him in 2013 but I think even healthy, that was his ceiling.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Logan Ryan was highly rated as a zone cornerback coming out of the draft and last year's scheme probably did him no favors so we could see a uptick if the scheme is set up differently to suit him. He has good ball skills so errant throws will be punished and the secondary as a whole will have to be opportunistic and tighten down in the red zone.

Depending on how the competition goes at CB (Projection: Butler, Fletcher, Arrington, and Roberts ) they may try him again at FS in TC.

 

[ATippett56]

2014 was unkind to Dennard.

He had the prison time. He got hurt in camp. Fell behind. Came back. So did Browner. There was a rumor that they were trying him at slot DB but it wasn't working out. Got hurt in practice and the team shut him down.

I really liked him in 2013 but I think even healthy, that was his ceiling.

You also forgot about Dennard's off season shoulder surgery.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...der-surgery/SJ2ZCmBPfZGpQyQQio6l9L/story.html

 

[ATippett56]

Dennard is not a shoo-in to make this team at all.

Neither is Bradley Fletcher.

 

[RobertWeathers]

You also forgot about Dennard's off season shoulder surgery.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...der-surgery/SJ2ZCmBPfZGpQyQQio6l9L/story.html

Yep. That really set him back. Then he re-injured it vs MIA.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Neither is Bradley Fletcher.

Possibly. IMO Fletcher is a better player.

 

[mgteich]

Depending on how the competition goes at CB (Projection: Butler, Fletcher, Arrington, and Roberts ) they may try him again at FS in TC.

Ryan seems likely to make the team because of his special team play. He also is good enough to be our dime back. I think that 5 corners is likely. And, yes, he could also be our emergency backup safety.

 

[mgteich]

Possibly. IMO Fletcher is a better player.

Especially in zone

 

[RobertWeathers]

Especially in zone

Curren's comments were interesting....He bascially said that Philly misused him big time. Not sure if that was a confidence boost for Fletch or the truth.

 

[Brady6]

Might I suggest that Belichick is fine with Fletcher/Butler/Arrington with Dennard, McClain, Ryan, Roberts, Chekwa and Green battling for the backup spots.

Yes, the from seven will need to play better. I would expect that it will.

I think it is interesting that you have Butler in the lock group. Yet players such as Dennard and Ryan who have started for this team and played at extremely high levels are fighting for a spot.

 

[mgteich]

I think it is interesting that you have Butler in the lock group. Yet players such as Dennard and Ryan who have started for this team and played at extremely high levels are fighting for a spot.

IMHO, Butler is a young prospect who will make the team, at very least, as a developmental player.

Ryan and Dennard have had lots of opportunities to show the staff what they can do.

Ryan is an inexpensive STer, who is able to start. I see him as the #5 corner.

Dennard is in his contract year, and is paying $1.5M for his 2015 services. I can see Belichick choosing McClain or someone else over him. Make no mistake, I agree that Dennard COULD be our starter.

 

[scott99]

Didn't Butler start the season as a starting corner in place of Browner during Browner's suspension ?

 

[rochrist]

People act like the secondary was so ridiculously good last year and it really wasn't the case at all. Doug Baldwin beat Revis for a TD in the SB, Aaron Rodgers shredded us, including Revis. I loved having Revis here but he wasn't the Revis from 2011 and frankly I don't think it is possible to be that type of CB anymore with all the rule changes. Realistically with all the rule changes and likely continued increasing of the enforcements of them using a zone coverage scheme probably makes a lot more sense.

If Belichick really felt Revis was worth the money he would have just picked up the option and worked things out in terms of cap space.

Doug Baldwin hardly 'beat' Revis for that touchdown. Revis was picked by the ref and didn't have a chance. And that's the only thing caught on him the entire game.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Didn't Butler start the season as a starting corner in place of Browner during Browner's suspension ?

No. His only start was vs MIA and he got burned on a couple of plays.

 

[rochrist]

I stand by what I said. How many top-tier QBs are there? 6-10 I would say. How many top-tier, shutdown CBs are there? Revis and maybe a couple of other guys. CBs are hard to find; most of the top athletes in that size range go for the glamor positions such as WR. It takes a unique talent and mindset to be a top CB.

The Patriots, alas, seems to undervalue them, letting Gay and Assante go and more recently Revis and Browner....but heck they are the professionals and I am but a wee amateur so I guess it works for them but the whole defense gets a lot easier when you have at least one good corner.

When did Browner become Revis Jr? I remember going through last year and a lot of the comments here were first that he wouldn't make the team, second his penalties would kill us and third he couldn't cover at all. Now suddenly he's Revis brother?