New England Patriots: Secondary Developing Into One of League's Best

One of the most underplayed and unknown defensive stats is "coverage sacks." They're nearly impossible to keep track of and determine, but they're definitely there. 

What is a coverage sack?

A coverage sack is when an offense's receivers are so well-covered by the defensive backs that it allows for a lot more time for the defensive front to get to the quarterback and bring him down.  

The New England Patriots may not have drafted any first-year impact pass rushers in this year's draft, but their secondary is set up to improve the team's ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks—believe it or not.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots' draft team determined that Ras-I Dowling was the best available cornerback at the 33rd spot in the draft. He'll jump right into New England's secondary and make an immediate impact.

As Dowling joins the Patriots' young secondary, veteran cornerback Leigh Bodden will also be returning to New England after having suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2010. The secondary will develop into the team's strength.

New England's top cornerback, Devin McCourty, had a standout rookie campaign in 2010—the sky's the limit for the second-year pro as he'll only get better.

All things considered, New England's starting cornerbacks should shape up with McCourty as the team's No. 1 corner, while Dowling and Bodden will battle it out in training camp for the remaining spot.

New England spent 57 percent of their defensive snaps in a sub-dime package—which consists of at least five defensive backs. This means that players like Kyle Arrington and Darius Butler will see the field fairly frequently in 2011—a good sign for two players who have the potential to be a team's No. 2 cornerback. 

Since it appears that New England has a very deep cornerback corps with McCourty, Bodden, Dowling, Arrington and Butler, it's safe to say that their safety corps isn't a major concern, either.

Belichick will likely rotate players like Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders and Patrick Chung in and out of the strong and free safety positions—all players are solid, reliable defenders. 

New England may not have an elite pass rush, but their secondary will shape up to be one of the league's deepest and perhaps best. 

Belichick has been infusing youth into the team's defense, but none more than the defensive backfield, where the oldest player expected to suit up in 2011 is Bodden, who sits at just 29-years old. 

New England's defense was inconsistent and average at best in 2010, but as their secondary consists of such young and promising youth, the one thing they need is experience to help develop into one of the league's best defensive backfields.

This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @TonySantorsa.