New England Patriots: Closing The Book On Preseason Play

Aug 13, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive back Bradley Fletcher (24) defends against Green Bay Packers wide receiver Myles White (19) during the first half in a preseason NFL football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerback Depth Chart

One of the biggest debates Patriots fans were having coming into this preseason was how would the cornerback depth chart shake out. And after four games, I think it is now pretty obvious (in order): Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher, and then a toss-up between Robert McClain, and Logan Ryan. Both Ryan and McClain were the only two guys getting significant playing time last night against the Giants, which to me shows they are both battling for one roster spot.

Butler is easily the best cornerback on this roster, and he was treated like it throughout this preseason. He would generally leave with the other starters in the secondary, which is a sign that you are the top dog. Brown was injured for a good portion of the preseason, but when he was on the field, it was also fairly obvious that he would be the number two guy. Fletcher isn’t elite by any stretch of the imagination, but he out-played both Ryan and McClain for the third slot on the depth chart with some solid preseason play.

Look, this secondary is not going to be nearly as good as it was last year. It is impossible to replace Darrelle Revis (the best corner in the game), you can’t find another Brandon Browner, who is one of the most physical players of all-time, and Kyle Arrington was arguably the best slot corner in the league last year. However with that said, this current group is not that bad.

Yes, they will get burned, but overall, I like where they are headed.

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