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New England Patriots’ cornerback room is a serious liability

By Lou Scataglia

HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Terrance Mitchell #39 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field during introductions against the Indianapolis Colts prior to an NFL game at NRG Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Terrance Mitchell #39 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field during introductions against the Indianapolis Colts prior to an NFL game at NRG Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots cornerback room is becoming more and more of a serious liability for the team. How should they try and fix this?

The New England Patriots’ cornerback room, which was already one of the worst groups in the league unfortunately, took a hit today, as Joejuan Williams was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, ending his 2022 season.

To make matters worst, a potential key player in this group, Malcolm Butler, was also placed on injured reserve.  While neither players were expected to start for the team, both would and could have served as quality depth.

Many teams are top heavy at certain positions across the league.  Some teams, like the Patriots, don’t have top-tier talent at a few positions, so having depth in those positions is extremely important.

Their depth is wearing thin, and their top players at the position are good, but not quite good enough.

The AFC is filled with an insane amount of offenses that can put up 30+ points a game like it’s nothing.  As we know, the Patriots may have to rely on their defense more in the 2022 season because of the apparent regression of the offense.

Their cornerbacks likely weren’t good enough to begin with, and again, while Butler and Williams weren’t starting, their injuries bring attention to the group.

This is a alarming situation that New England must try and fix, or at least stop some of the bleeding.

There are still some free agents who could, at the very least, round out the room and provide necessary depth.

Joe Haden, Chris Harris, Xavier Rhodes, Josh Norman, and Richard Sherman are all names who could help the team out.  If it was 2016, the Patriots would been able to strike gold here, but while all of these players are firmly past their prime. they’ve all been in the league forever and can provide necessary help when called upon.

A unit is only as strong as its weakest link, and the Patriots’ weakness link is very, very weak.

Note: Malcom Butler is now set to miss the 2022 season after being put on IR

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