Kyle Arrington on rookies
New England Patriots slot cornerback Kyle Arrington had a remarkable rookie season, and he followed that up with a sophomore season that was a tale of two positions. At the beginning of the season, Arrington was one of the worst cornerbacks in the league due to playing out of position on the outside, and he quickly turned things around once he was back in the slot following the Aqib Talib trade. Arrington knows quite a bit about making an impact as a rookie, and he also knows the importance of studying the playbook and work ethic when making a successful transition to the NFL.
New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington (24) during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Broncos 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
On an appearance with Mut & Merloni, Arrington stated, “I can’t give enough credit to their determination as far as work ethic as far as on the field and off the field. It’s not an easy playbook. I can tell you that firsthand. … So, for them to be able to pick that up so fast and be on the same page with Tom is tremendous.”
Logan Ryan was taken out of Rutgers by the Patriots in the third-round of this year’s draft, and he could end up being the dime corner at spots for the Patriots. Ryan plays exactly like Kyle Arrington: Ryan is physical, an excellent run defender, quicker than fast, burn prone, and has great intangibles. He made one big play with a pick six on Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he also gave up a long pass (41 or 42 yards, depending on where you get your stats from) to Tiquan Underwood. That said, Ryan is a hard worker who has made strides and also received kind words on the work ethic front from Arrington.
“He’s definitely one of those guys that I mentioned as far as being a quick study. It was a play similar like that that happened in practice, he got a pick-six on. Lo and behold, same thing happens in the game. One thing Bill [Belichick] does say is practice execution equals game reality. It’s one of Bill’s one-liners right there. It happens. Hey, they don’t call him a genius for no reason.”
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