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New England Patriots: Who Shines at Cornerback?

By Dan Salem

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Despite winning the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots find themselves with a completely decimated group of cornerbacks. How do the Patriots overcome the losses, and who shines at cornerback? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

An argument could be made that the most decimated unit in all of football from last season to this season is the secondary of the New England Patriots. Of the team’s top five cornerbacks from 2014, only one remains on the roster for 2015.

The exodus starts with All-Pro Darrelle Revis. He will obviously be the biggest loss and hardest player to replace, but he isn’t alone. Fellow starting corner Brandon Browner, former starter Alfonzo Dennard and slot corner Kyle Arrington all have new homes as well.

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The only man who remains from the main rotation is Logan Ryan, who seems assured of being thrown right to the wolves as the cornerback tasked with covering an opponent’s best receiver week one.

Outside of Ryan, the rotation is a blur, let alone who will even start for this team. The options are numerous and include Super Bowl heroes, journeymen, busts and rookies.

The biggest name to fans will be Malcolm Butler, the man who broke up the pass to win last season’s Super Bowl. But Butler played very sparingly last year and may not be ready for a full-time gig just yet. Already 25 years old, Butler has one career NFL start.

Of course, the veteran options may not be much better. Between Derek Cox, Bradley Fletcher and Robert McClain, the Patriots’ vets have been burned more often than toast. (Sorry everyone, I apologize for that.) But they do have big-game experience, whatever that’s worth.

Then there are the young guys who manage to have even less experience than Ryan and Butler. Justin Green, Darryl Roberts and others have shown flashes that intrigue the coaching staff similar to what Butler delivered last year prior to the final game.

Where does that leave the rotation at and the New England defense as a whole? It’s hard to say. If I had to guess, I’d say Ryan will start opposite one of the veterans, probably Fletcher. But that still is a worrisome combination for a team that ranked as a top-10 scoring defense a season ago. Fans may be in store for a bunch more big plays by the opponents.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots strong safety Malcolm Butler (21) intercepts a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver

Ricardo Lockette

(83) in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

DAN:

Bill Belichick is the master of patching holes on his football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But considering the large cornerback gap on the 2015 Patriots, as compared to last season’s Super Bowl winning squad, there are sure to be some major speed bumps.

The Patriots’ defensive backfield must start the season against Big Ben Roethlisberger and the incredibly potent passing attack of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Talk about walking right into the fire. ESPN has labeled Malcolm Butler and Bradley Fletcher as the current starters at cornerback, but I’m with you. Neither player has earned starting duties, and I see Logan Ryan ultimately getting one of the starting spots.

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Interceptions, or a lack thereof, are the primary reason here. Ryan has seven picks over his two seasons in the league. That sounds bad, with only two picks last year, until you compare it to Butler, Fletcher, and Robert McClain. Butler gets a pass for his inexperience, but Fletcher has a mere eight interceptions over six seasons in the league. McClain has three picks over four seasons. Not good at all, considering the teams on New England’s schedule.

New England is hoping that both Butler and Ryan can seize the starting jobs from the aforementioned veterans. Weeks 2 and 3 vs. Buffalo and Jacksonville, respectively, should provide an opportunity for both players to assert themselves. The Pats are off in Week 4 and then Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys will welcome New England in Week 5. This is the make-or break-contest for New England’s cornerbacks.

We can excuse a poor performance in Week 1 Pittsburgh. But failing to get things right by the time the team travels to Dallas spells big trouble. The Patriots are at Indianapolis the week following, and Andrew Luck is likely to have his way with them no matter what.

Ultimately I think Ryan and Butler do in fact seize control and step up at cornerback. That’s what has made New England so great over the last decade, new and inexperienced players continue to step up and shine.

Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.

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