Patriots Training Camp Reveals Belichick’s Cornerback Strategy

Patriots training camp has been going strong for the past two weeks. We’ve learned a little bit about everyone – this could be the year receiver Aaron Dobson finally lives up to being drafted in the second round, Julian Edelman is still harder to cover than Sonic the Hedgehog, Tom Brady can still throw a frozen rope at will, and Gronk is, well, doing Gronk things.

I guess the defense is doing OK too.

Training camp has given Pats fans another valuable insight into this year’s squad, though – and it helps explain something that everyone from Sports Illustrated to your local bartender had written off as a clusterf…er, let’s go with “disaster” waiting to happen as soon as the season started.

That “something” is the way Bill Belichick approached the Patriots defensive backs in free agency, and the logical companion to free agency – the NFL draft. Namely, the fan perception of “Why in the name of Jack Daniels didn’t the Pats resign Darrelle Revis or sign any GOOD cornerbacks???”

Now that camp is in full swing, we know. Bill Belichick, who, as most people know, is also the Patriots general manager as well as the head coach, thought he had the talent he needed on the roster already this whole time.

Cornerback Logan Ryan’s potential is something we’ve dipped into at Chowder and Champions before, and if you missed it, the kid was a Pro Football Focus All-Rookie with 5 picks in 2013 (which tied the AFC record that year) while only starting 7 games. Meanwhile, Super Bowl goat-turned-savior Malcolm Butler is leading all defensive backs in pass defenses in training camp, with one pick and three passes batted away. That distinction, obviously, includes corners and safeties. ESPN’s Mike Reiss has described Malcolm Butler’s coverage of Julian Edelman in camp as “suffocating”. Reiss also noted that, earlier this week, 30-year-old corner Tarell Brown was getting some time at right cornerback and “has the look of a potential starter, making plays on the ball and displaying fluid movement skills that reflect how his previously injured foot is no longer hampering him”. Kewl.

Meanwhile, here’s the most telling detail that implies Belichick wasn’t super concerned about going out and signing the most BAMF corner on the market as soon as free agency opened:

With the exceptions of Robert McClain and Bradley Fletcher, almost every other DB that the Patriots signed in the offseason has already been released.

Chimdi Chekwa? Signed in March, released in May.

Justin Green? Signed to a futures contract, released in August.

Derek Cox, who Grantland’s Bill Barnwell describes as “a competant cornerback before leaving Jacksonville and suddenly losing all of his ability to play football”? Released last week.

Alfonzo Dennard and Kyle Arrington? Both released in May.

So what?

Belichick was basically kicking the tires on these guys, seeing if they could measure up to the talent he already had on the roster the day after the Super Bowl.  Turns out, he thought most of them couldn’t.

Finally, as SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit writer Rich Hill pointed out, Bradley Fletcher, while mostly well-known last season for getting barbecued by Dez Bryant, was still considered an “above average” #2 cornerback by Football Outsiders.

By the way, isn’t it funny how we point to one game as proof that a cornerback sucks, but if a cornerback shuts down a receiver, most people are quick to credit the defense? Darrelle Revis absolutely blanked Indianapolis’s T.Y. Hilton twice last year, holding Hilton to 24 and 36 yards, and I don’t remember anyone saying “Gee, that T.Y. Hilton guy sure is washed up. God, I hope we don’t sign him”

Sorry, back on topic: going into this offseason, Belichick and the Pats went shopping to see if they could find a better set of corners than what Bill & Co already knew they had.

Turns out, they had most of the right golf clubs in their bag to begin with.