After Week 1, the New England Patriots continue to make changes to their roster, with the current state of the cornerback position being shaky without their top player in Christian Gonzalez, who hasn’t been on the field since Jul. 28 with a hamstring injury he received in practice.
With having “fluid” roster construction, the Patriots released depth cornerback DJ James on Tuesday, who was a standout this summer and a player that head coach Mike Vrabel said he enjoyed working with, but the decision was made to give somebody else an opportunity.
“Giving somebody else an opportunity this week and we’ll see where that goes. I appreciated what DJ was able to do and compete and work hard, extremely hard. Some of these things are going to be fluid. We have to try to continue to churn the roster and see who can help us.”
James showcased himself to be a promising player in the summer and in the preseason, totaling four tackles, one interception, and one pass deflection over two games with New England. He also fits the model of a defensive back that Vrabel has shown he wants in his defensive secondary at 6-feet-tall and 184 lbs.
With Gonzalez not being on the field since the first padded practice upwards of seven weeks ago, it’s concerning that the defensive secondary is being designed around him, and he’s trending towards not being on the field for a second consecutive game week.
It’s worth noting that the team hasn’t placed him on IR yet, and they’re apparently fine parting ways with talented depth players. The fact that he isn’t on IR does provide some sliver of hope that he’s trending in the right direction towards returning to the field and making his season debut.
Alex Austin Steps Up for Patriots Without Christian Gonzalez
Playing in place of Gonzalez in Week 1 was Alex Austin, who made the third-most tackles (5) with one for a loss, and he also had one pass deflection while covering tight end Brock Bowers. Austin also fits perfectly in the mold of a Vrabel defensive back at 6’1” and 191 lbs.
It’s also worth mentioning that Charles Woods has returned to practice after missing Week 1 due to a groin injury. Woods was recently picked up through a waiver claim one day after the 53-man roster was finalized on Aug. 28. Woods spent the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Rams, with Patriots VP of Football Operations, John Streicher, who is known as Vrabel’s right-hand man. Woods is likely the next player that Vrabel wants to give an opportunity to after releasing James.
Carlton Davis is going to have his ups and downs, but he’s going to hold his own while out on corner island. He finished Week 1 with four tackles and led the team with two pass deflections, but struggled a bit in pass coverage, allowing three receptions for 22.7 yards each. Pro Football Focus graded Davis a 56.3 in coverage, which ranked 72nd out of 113 cornerbacks.
The Patriots need to have more of a contingency plan prepared just in case Gonzalez is to miss an additional and extended period of time.