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Several storylines have characterized the New England Patriots’ offseason, but nothing can compare to the massive personnel turnover the cornerback position has experienced.
Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard are no longer members of the Patriots, and the departures have left gashes in the secondary. In their place, a mixed group of veterans and rookies have been acquired.
Today, we’re going to do a kind of power ranking of the nine cornerbacks currently listed on the roster. The factors taken into consideration for this ranking include past experience in the Patriots’ defense, proven NFL ability and potential to make the team and make significant contributions this season.
Another way to interpret this ranking is to view the top five or six players as the ones who will survive training camp, and to view to bottom three as outside shots to make the team.
Next: 9. Jimmy Jean
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Next: 8. Justin Green
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Next: 7. Derek Cox
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Next: 6. Darryl Roberts
Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 5. Daxton Swanson
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Next: 4. Robert McClain
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Next: 3. Bradley Fletcher
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Next: 2. Malcolm Butler
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Next: 1. Logan Ryan
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1
Logan Ryan
5-foot-11, 2 NFL seasons
Ryan takes the top spot in this ranking because he is the longest-tenured corner on the roster, the most familiar with the Patriots’ defensive system and has been the top performer during offseason workouts.
2015 will be Ryan’s third year in the league, so the expectations will be very high for him entering training camp. If he picks up where he left off in OTAs, when he was breaking up and intercepting passes left and right, Ryan will be lining up against Antonio Brown in Week 1.