New England Patriots' Hazy CB Depth Chart Comes into Focus in Preseason Finale

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots' depth chart at cornerback was the focus of a lot of debate and consternation in the offseason. That trend continued throughout the preseason, all the way until the final whistle of the Patriots' 12-9 loss to the New York Giants.

But finally, with a week remaining until the regular-season home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we got a little bit of clarity as to who stands where on the depth chart.

That clarity came in the form of not just who played, but who didn't play.

There were three noteworthy players who were absent from action on Thursday night: Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown and Bradley Fletcher. Butler should come as no surprise; his status as the team's top cornerback has not been in question since the Patriots parted ways with Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard.

Brown came on strong in the summer and quickly earned his way into one of the top spots at cornerback. He was the primary cornerback lined up opposite Butler on defense in the preseason, and his absence from Thursday's game is an indication of his status as one of the top players in the unit. 

The surprise of those three absences was Fletcher, who was considered to be one of the players on the roster bubble. The Patriots signed Fletcher as a free agent, but after allowing 61 receptions on 115 passes thrown his way for 1,072 yards and nine touchdowns (via Pro Football Focus), there were pretty low expectations.

Apparently, the Patriots' coaches feel that Fletcher has exceeded those expectations given his preferential treatment Thursday night.

Now, as for who played: With Logan Ryan, Robert McClain and Daxton Swanson all getting the start at cornerback, the Patriots were clearly looking to sort out some things in the middle and bottom of their depth chart.

On the whole, the cornerbacks who played Thursday did a good job. They held quarterback Ryan Nassib to just 16 completions on 32 attempts for 193 yards. Nassib did not throw a touchdown. 

But this group will not be determined by the stat line. The Patriots will make their final roster decisions based on who performed the best and worst overall this preseason. 

In that sense, Logan Ryan may have to keep his phone on him at all times for the next 48 hours, because he could find himself answering an unwelcome phone call. That being said, he's not worried about the possibility of being cut.

"No, not really; it's out of my control," he said. "Whatever's going to happen is gonna happen, and that's it."

Ryan made some plays on Thursday night, but the fact that he was playing deep into the final preseason game is not a promising sign for his roster status.

So, we're finally getting some clarity on who is and isn't in line for a roster spot. The bigger question is how that group performs in the regular season. Of course, we won't get our answers in that respect until at least four months from now—if not longer, depending on how far the Patriots make it into the postseason.

By then, the Patriots will either look like geniuses for their roster decisions or like fools for not putting more resources into the cornerback position. 

Either way, the talking point that is the Patriots' depth chart at cornerback will probably be a talking point for the foreseeable future. 

Unless otherwise noted, all practice notes, game notes and quotes obtained firsthand.