Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
As you probably know by now, the New England Patriots have signed veteran cornerback Tarell Brown. ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini was the first to report the development.
Patriots reached agreement with CB Tarell Brown per source. #Patriots
— Dianna Russini 🏈 (@diannaESPN) July 23, 2015
The signing of Brown is yet another example of the quantity over quality approach the Patriots have taken since losing Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard over the offseason. He’s a solid veteran, but still a far cry from the shutdown-caliber type of cornerback Revis was for the Patriots last season.
Nonetheless, it’s good to see the Patriots continue to patch-up the secondary. A new face in town means that the cornerback depth chart has been shaken up a bit, so it’s time to re-order everything.
Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.
Next: Jean, Green, Cox and Roberts
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10. Jimmy Jean
9. Justin Green
8. Derek Cox
7. Darryl Roberts
The introduction of Brown into the cornerback competition only decreases the chances of these four players making the roster.
Although he’s an intriguing prospect at 6-foot-3, Jean has something working against him that most undrafted rookies don’t have to worry about: age. At 26, Jean is older than half of the players on the Patriots’ roster. Don’t completely rule him out, but view Jean as a very long shot to make the 53-man roster, and a toss-up to land on the practice squad.
Green is placed a notch above Jean because he has experience in the Patriots’ system, which is something that none of the players in this section of the depth chart can say. If Green is going to squeak on to the roster, it will be a result of his special teams ability, which is his bread and butter. But there will be plenty of other players from different positions vying for those precious few special teams spots, so the cards are stacked against Green right now.
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Although he’s above Jean and Green on this depth chart, Cox is perhaps the most affected by the signing of Brown. He’s actually two years younger than Brown, but Cox is broadly viewed as washed-up at this point in his career after quick stops in Baltimore and Minnesota last summer. Think of Cox as the least-desirable veteran the Patriots have signed this offseason.
Seventh-round pick Roberts has the best chance of clawing his way on to the roster out of this group. He’s long, sticky in coverage and offers good ball skills. However, it will come down to a numbers game as to whether or not Roberts will make the 53-man roster, as three returning Patriots corners (those are hard to come by these days) as well as three proven free agent additions stand ahead of him on the depth chart.
A redshirt year on the practice squad wouldn’t be a bad thing for Roberts.
Next: Swanson, McClain and Brown
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6. Daxton Swanson
5. Robert McClain
4. Tarell Brown
You may remember Swanson as a standout from training camp last summer. He displayed top-notch ball skills, intercepting and breaking-up passes left and right. Those efforts landed him on the practice squad, and you can bet that Swanson has his sights set on a roster spot this year. Earlier this summer, I compared him to former Patriot Asante Samuel.
Swanson has been one of the most overlooked members of the Patriots’ cornerback group this offseason. It seems like everyone is writing off the New England secondary because of the losses suffered in free agency, but it should be noted that there are several upward tracking, lesser known players eagerly awaiting training camp to prove their worth, and Swanson is certainly one of those guys.
McClain is penciled-in at No. 5 here, but he doesn’t have much to worry about. The Pats were content letting Arrington walk during free agency because they knew that McClain would be up to the task of starting slot corner. He’s feisty, physical and experienced in the slot, and will almost certainly make the 53-man roster barring some sort of meltdown.
When Bill Belichick calls you one of the hardest workers on the team, you’re doing something right.
Newly signed Brown sits at No. 4 for the time being. He had a rough year in Oakland last season, but that happens to a lot of players. Maybe leaving the Bay Area (he spent seven years in San Fran before his one-year stint with the Raiders) will rejuvenate Brown’s career, as he hasn’t recorded an interception since 2012.
Brown may not be viewed as a sure-fire starter right now, but if he is able to rekindle his 2011 and 2012 in training camp, he will get plenty of looks as the No. 2 or possibly even No. 1 corner for the Pats.
Next: Fletcher, Butler and Ryan
Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (26) breaks up a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Chris Matthews (13) in the second quarter in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
3. Bradley Fletcher
2. Malcolm Butler
1. Logan Ryan
After repeatedly getting burned by Dez Bryant last season, Fletcher isn’t exactly the most feared cornerback in the league. But he is ranked higher than Brown for the simple reason that he has made some plays in the past few years, totaling three interceptions and 38 passes defended over the course of his two-year stint in Philly.
In fact, Fletcher actually led the NFL in passes defended last season with 22 break-ups. Say what you want about his rough outings against Bryant, but there’s reason to believe that Fletcher could be a useful cog in pass defense this season.
Super Bowl hero Butler is slated to start in 2015 because… well, because he was the hero in Super Bowl XLIX. But that was just one of the accomplishments of Butler in his rookie season.
The West Alabama product managed to climb from undrafted anonymity to glory on the biggest stage because of his scrappy and fiery play, work ethic, and commitment to the Patriot Way. As a result, he will be a Week 1 starter as long as he continues to prove himself in a heated training camp environment next week.
Ryan appears to be the No. 1 guy right now, and it’s because he’s really stood out during OTAs and minicamp. Out of this group of ten corners, Ryan is the longest-tenured Patriot and thus the most familiar with the defensive system.
2015 will mark Ryan’s third year in the league, so it’s now or never for the Rutgers product to perform at the highest level. He’s gone from a clueless rookie (his words, not mine) who impressed in his first season to a sophomore in a crowded cornerback group; what will his third year hold?
It’s hard to be all-in on Ryan, but if you trust in the Patriots’ player development practices, you won’t complain too much when you see Ryan pegged as the No. 1 corner in Week 1.