New England Patriots' Defensive Breakdown: Cornerback Is the Only Concern

He is a solid defender, but he is not great. Hobbs has battled injuries throughout his career and has not had a full injury-free NFL season. His hands are questionable, but he was playing with a cast on his hand and wrist for most of the 2006 season. He will most likely stay in his No. 2 CB role on the depth chart.

Fernando Bryant is one of the more important offseason signings by the Patriots. He has good speed, experience, and has great instincts. However, he is small and doesn’t play physical football. He is not effective against the run and can be “manhandled” by receivers who use their arm-strength to get separation.

He will most likely serve as the No. 1 CB on the roster because of his ability to cover the deep, vertical routes. His success ultimately depends on the ability of the Patriots’ defensive line to generate a strong pass rush and an effective run-stop.

If he has to stay with his receiver for more than a couple seconds, he will be beaten.

The Pats drafted Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite this year to add some depth to the roster. Wheatley, a second-round pick, will most likely compete with Lewis Sanders for the nickelback spot. Expect Wheatley to win out and large-sized Sanders to serve as a hybrid fourth CB and safety.

One “sleeper” on this roster is Mike Richardson, who was drafted by the team before the 2007 season. Injuries forced him to the IR after the preseason, but he shown signs of greatness. After watching him in workouts and limited amounts of drills, he reminds me of Asante Samuel at the same point in his career.

I completely expect Richardson to have a good year, and will continue to work his way up the roster for several years to come.

Needs: More skill. The Pats drafted a couple CBs high in the draft, and signed several other aging CBs for their experience. If these signings work out, the Pats won’t need any help. However, none of these players will fill the void left by Asante Samuel. 

Expected Cuts: None. The Patriots will hold on to all of their CBs because the depth chart is still up in the air. The team doesn’t know how any of these players will perform and will keep them all around as insurance.

Safety 

Brandon Meriweather, Mark Dillard, James Sanders, Raymond Ventrone, Tank Williams, Rodney Harrison, Matthew Slater

Safety has been an area of concern for the Pats over the past few seasons. Injuries and general lack of skill have caused the Pats to seek extra safety help this season. The Pats lost Eugene Wilson in the offseason, but he had been underperforming for several years; it was as if he suddenly forgot how to play the position.

Rodney Harrison, one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the NFL, has gone down with injuries each of the last two seasons. His speed and skills are diminishing, and he is definitely nearing the end of his great career. He has some gas left in the tank, but his biggest question mark is his health. He plays at 110 percent on every down, and his overly-aggressive style of play is a red flag for injuries.

The emergence of James Sanders as a safety in 2007 was necessary for the Patriots to have a solid defense. Without him stepping up and earning a starting role, the Pats would have been in deep trouble. However, he was used as a free safety, when he is clearly built for the strong safety position—he is a hard hitter who doesn’t have great speed.

Look for him to split playing time with Harrison in order to keep both players healthy. If Harrison goes down, Sanders is a worthy replacement.

The team addressed their lack of speed at the FS position by drafting Brandon Meriweather before the 2007 season, and he looks to be fighting for a role as a starter this year. Meriweather is very fast and delivers sledgehammer hits. He was used at CB in the 2007 preseason, giving him some extra versatility (as well as slowing down his ability to learn the safety position).

He has also bulked up this year and looks ready to be a full-time player in the NFL. Look for him to be a starter by the end of the season.

Tank Williams also serves as extra depth at the position. He is similar to Cowboys’ safety Roy Williams in that he is a big, strong safety but is a liability in coverage. The Patriots have been practicing with him at linebacker, so expect him to be used in many exotic defensive schemes (e.g. the 2-5, or one-down-lineman defenses the Pats like to throw at opponents).

He will also be fighting for a starting spot, but his lack of coverage skills most likely limits him to a backup/role player.

Matthew Slater, who is also listed as a WR, will not play much safety and will most likely be the team’s primary special-teams return man.

Needs: None. Meriweather will step up this year, and the team added extra depth with Tank Williams. 

Expected Cuts: Mark Dillard, Raymond Ventrone. Ventrone has been with the squad for a couple years and has been spelling as a WR. He will most likely be re-signed to the practice squad.

Overall

After analyzing each defensive position, I have to admit that there is only one area of concern: cornerback. There are plenty of CBs on the roster, but none are a lock-in on the depth chart. Every other position is very well stocked and has been re-tooled this offseason.

Many critics have been claiming the Patriots defense is their weakest link (which is inevitable when you compare it to their NFL record-setting offense), but it is not a bad defense. Considering the Pats’ offense will be on the field for most of each game, this defense could deliver some of the best numbers in the NFL this year. Expect this defense to do great things, even if other NFL analysts think differently.

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