Patriots gridiron news: A reason to love the Danny Shelton trade
The New England Patriots will beef up their defensive line with the addition of defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
Add Danny Shelton to the list of former Cleveland Browns players to make the migration to the New England Patriots.
While Bill Belichick didn’t make a huge splash over the weekend by signing the likes of star cornerback Richard Sherman, he did fulfill a need by acquiring Shelton to clog up the middle of the defensive line.
The 12th pick overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, Shelton has the size and athleticism that will quickly make both Alan Branch and Ricky Jean Francois afterthoughts. At 335 pounds, he should give the Patriots a nice run stopper in the middle and open up some lanes for the linebackers.
Danny Shelton (6-2, 335) has played under three different defensive coordinators in 3 years -- Jim O'Neil (3-4 scheme), Ray Horton (3-4), Gregg Williams (4-3). Big, strong presence at nose. Projects as better scheme fit in Patriots' multiple D.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 10, 2018
Along with his youth, Danny Shelton does have an ability to drop back in coverage, which is something former Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork did at times. In that respect, his versatility alone is a reason to love the addition. But, also add the fact that he will paired alongside Malcom Brown in a Patriots defensive scheme better suited for his skill set and he should flourish.
Overall, the move made by the Patriots show that they aren’t sitting on their hands and are making smaller, cheaper moves that will improve the team in specific areas. Adding Danny Shelton could be an underrated move that pays huge dividends in 2018.
Patriots never reached out to Richard Sherman
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Well, that Richard Sherman to the New England Patriots dream only lasted about 24 hours.
A day after the star cornerback was released from the Seattle Seahawks, he signed with their NFC rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.
While Sherman and the Patriots expressed mutual interest, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported that the team never reached out to Sherman, who expressed a desire to be a teammate of Tom Brady.
Now, while the three-year, $39 million contract he signed with the 49ers was a clear indication the Patriots probably wouldn’t have had much of a shot financially anyway, it still sucks the team couldn’t bolster their secondary with the tandem of Richard Sherman and Stephon Gilmore.
Other options at cornerback
As disappointing as it was that the New England Patriots missed out on the Sherman sweepstakes, there are cheaper options to upgrade the second cornerback position. They could go after a player like E.J. Gaines or address the issue in the draft.
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There is also the possibility they like the upside of cornerbacks already on the team like Jonathan Jones and Ryan Lewis.