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3 ripple effects of New England Patriots trading for Eric Rowe

By Connor Fulton

Dec 6, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell (19) attempts to catch the ball in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eric Rowe (32) during the last minutes of a game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell (19) attempts to catch the ball in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eric Rowe (32) during the last minutes of a game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eric Rowe Patriots
Aug 18, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Sammie Coates (14) drops a pass under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eric Rowe (32) during the first half of their game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Pats are deeper at safety.

What undoubtedly drew the interest of Bill Belichick about Rowe is his ability to play both cornerback and safety. Bill values versatility behind only dependability on his ranking of essential traits in his players, so that was certainly a reason to acquire the sophomore pro. You see, Rowe played safety during his college years at Utah, and in fact many NFL scouts projected him to play safety in the NFL as well. But Chip Kelly had other ideas when he drafted him in the second round back in 2015.

We’re especially glad these 8 players made the final roster

So if injuries hit the safety position, namely Devin McCourty, Rowe may be called on to fill-in. Duron Harmon is a capable backup for McCourty as well, but it never hurts to keep a guy like Rowe around who could substitute any defensive back on the field. Depth, depth, depth. You gotta like it.

However, the Patriots sacrificed depth at one position to gain it in the secondary…

Next: 1. Thinner at guard

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