New England Patriots: Re-Evaluating Position Battles

Aug 13, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Green Bay Packers during the first half in a preseason NFL football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Preseason game number one is in the books for the New England Patriots, and as is customary, there were ups, and there were downs. The team has a lot to work on as they begin joint practices with the New Orleans Saints, and plenty to fix before their regular season opener against Pittsburgh.

With that said, there were a good amount of areas that impressed me last Thursday, specifically along the defensive line. Jabaal Sheard was phenomenal off the edge, and Malcom Brown and Dominique Easley were each dominant at times in the middle. Guys like Trey Flowers and Rufus Johnson were also impressive, which makes me very excited to see what this front seven will be able to do at full strength in the regular season.

So with that, let’s re-evaluate some key positional battles after week one of the preseason.

Up first, the cornerbacks.

Next: Cornerback