Ras-I Dowling's Recovery Means Patriots Get Secondary Help from Within

New England Patriots cornerback Ras-I Dowling's absence in the 2011 season wasn't the reason the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, but it was a large part of the reason their secondary was a revolving door almost all season long.

He didn't have much of a chance to get his legs under him in the NFL...literally. He landed on injured reserve with a leg injury after Week 2, and ended up having surgery on his hip this offseason. 

But it looks like he'll get another chance in 2012, and won't have to wait long to get back to work. In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Sports Illustrated's Peter King made mention that Dowling's recovery is going well. 

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The hip rehab of New England cornerback Ras-I Dowling is going very well. He'll be ready for most if not all of his offseason work.

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ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss expounded on King's initial report with his own leg work...okay, done with the leg puns.

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A source familiar with Dowling's injury and progress said that he's remained in the area this offseason and is showing up at Gillette Stadium on a daily basis for rehab work. The source described Dowling as having made "great progress" after undergoing a surgical procedure.

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Thankfully, Dowling's injury won't inhibit his offseason work this year, and his presence at Gillette Stadium shows his commitment to getting healthy; after last year's lockout, a second consecutive shortened offseason could have been crippling to his development.

For the Patriots, it's important that doesn't happen. At 6'1", Dowling is tied for the tallest cornerback on the Patriots roster, and also is the best man corner they have at the moment. Given the Patriots' struggles in man coverage and defending taller receivers, having Dowling healthy is big news for New England's offseason plans.

Even if Dowling is back at full strength and comes on nicely in his second season, the Patriots could still use help in the secondary. After spending time at cornerback and safety in 2011, the expectation is that Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty will return to his original position at cornerback.

But after big-time struggles at cornerback in 2011, who knows what to expect from him next year.

For those reasons, the Patriots are still a possibility to target a top-end cornerback in this year's draft, but the news about Dowling brings a bit more clarity—and hope—to the position headed into the offseason. 

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