Patriots Rumors: Bashaud Breeland hosted for workout
Recent New England Patriots rumors involve cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who visited the team this week for a workout.
New England Patriots rumors have picked up in recent days with injuries hitting the roster. A lot of attention has been paid to the wide receiver position, and rightfully so. The Patriots wide receiver spot has been in flux all offseason. However, the most recent Patriots rumors involve the cornerback position.
New England suffered a big blow in free agency at cornerback when Malcolm Butler decided to leave. After what happened in Super Bowl 52, it was not a surprise that Butler left in free agency, signing with the Tennessee Titans. His departure did leave a big hole to fill in the lineup.
Butler saw the most snaps of any Patriots defender prior to the Super Bowl. He was locked in as the starter opposite Stephon Gilmore. Now, the Patriots are evaluating who will play opposite of Gilmore.
Veteran Jason McCourty was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns to help fill the void. Eric Rowe is also on the roster and seen a lot of snaps on the outside opposite Gilmore.
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The Patriots have some depth at cornerback, as they used a second-round pick on Duke Dawson. However, they could be looking to shake things up.
According to Zack Cox of NESN, the Patriots hosted free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland for a workout. Breeland spent the first four seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins became a starter almost instantly.
Breeland started 58 of 60 games in four seasons with the Redskins. He recorded 211 tackles, 57 assists on tackles, eight interceptions, 59 passes defended, seven forced fumbles and one sack.
That production landed him a three-year, $24 million deal with the Carolina Panthers earlier in free agency. However, he failed his physical. It was reported that Breeland developed an infection to a cut on his foot during a trip to the Dominican Republic.
The recovery timeline was a long one, as Ian Rapoport reported it would take months to heal. As a result, Breeland is still available as we enter the first week of preseason games.
Landing Breeland at this point of the offseason would be a coup for the Patriots or any team that decides to sign him. He would have graded out right around the 50th cornerback in the league.
Coincidentally, Butler finished No. 50 last season. Breeland also finished with a better pass coverage grade than Butler did. Only Gilmore and McCourty finished with a higher coverage grade than Breeland of players currently on New England’s roster.
Next. 53-Man Roster Projection: Cornerback. dark
Breeland would be an excellent addition to the Patriots defensive backfield. They have some players who are unproven or underperforming. Breeland would give them more veteran insurance and someone who has produced previously in his career.