Tag: Duke Dawson

Joey B. and Mattes Chop It Up About the Patriots’ Chopping Block

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Joey B: Ok Mattes, here we are.

To kick this off. Who do you see, Good performance or not, off the Pats roster after this game?

Mattes: Brian Hoyer. While a lot of people may be averse to placing so much confidence in the preseason play of a rookie QB, the fact is that Jarrett Stidham has looked pretty sharp. This is also a kid who was once viewed as a first- or second-round pick before a “down” season at Auburn last year. And above all, there are too many other depth questions at other positions throughout the roster to keep three QBs – something, by the way, that Belichick has done only TWICE in the past decade. It would just be straight foolish. I’d much rather keep an extra WR or DL than keep a mediocre-at-best backup QB who may never even need to see the field. I’d actually be pretty pissed if they do keep Hoyer. There’s no reason for him to be here anymore.

Joey B:  Agreed 100% on Hoyer. My only caveat would be I could see them keeping until after final cuts, which gives him less of a chance of getting snatched up right away and us a better chance of resigning him should something to Stidham or….I’m not saying his name.

I personally think it’s curtains for Duke Dawson. Despite his size and balls skills he just never has been able to actually cover anyone. Much like your stance on Hoyer, why keep an extra player here when we could use depth somewhere else.

You mentioned the WR group. Give me your 5 and 6 man versions of our corps after this week. Who stays and who goes?

Mattes: I agree; I don’t expect them to cut Hoyer tomorrow. In fact, I could see them trying to trade him to someone first. (Maybe the Colts?? I mean, they already have one former Pats backup QB, so why not another?) And I totally agree on Dawson, too. He was a real talented kid coming out of Florida, but injuries set him back pretty far, and there is just too much talent and depth at the corner position otherwise. Especially with guys like Jonathan Jones and Keion Crossen (one of my guys I said to watch in camp this year) playing so well – not to mention rookie JoeJuan Williams – I just don’t see how Dawson makes the final cut.

My prediction for the final group at wide receiver is as follows: Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, N’Keal Harry, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers, and Demaryius Thomas. Some may be surprised to see Thomas, who just got back onto the field this week, make the roster, but apparently the team loves him. He’s a great veteran influence in a very young/inexperienced group outside of Jules, and I think they want to see if the former perennial Pro Bowler still has something left in the tank before cutting bait. Also, people might be shocked to see Berrios not make the cut. To be honest, though, he really hasn’t done much to stand out this summer, and there are even reports that he’s struggled mightily in terms of getting past coverage and muscling through defenders in practice. He’s displayed some solid punt-return ability, but to this point he’s not really proven why he’s any more special than any other “slot guy with potential” throughout the league. Hopefully the Pats get lucky and can slide him to the practice squad, because there’s some potential there. But I don’t think he’s quite NFL ready yet.

Joey B: No arguments here, I don’t think Berrios makes it either. He just hasn’t panned out plain and simple. Also, am I wrong in remembering he has actually muffed a punt or two aside from his decent returning resume so far?

The only threat to Thomas might be Gunner Olszewski. the team seems high on the kid and he has that “scrappiness” they like. If they don’t keep him then definitely expect them to try and stash him on the practice squad.

The other overload of players I see us having is on the D-Line. Any surprising stayers or goers there?

Mattes: I just can’t see Olszewski making the cut. He’s a cool story, but he’s a flash in the pan. Maybe he’s another one who can sneak onto the P-squad or something.

And there aren’t really any big surprise cuts that I’m expecting. I would’ve said Duron Harmon, because while he has been a solid role player in the secondary for years, I think he’s hit his ceiling and perhaps the staff might’ve been willing to try and get some more young talent on the roster. Further, I think newcomer Terrence Brooks has already won the staff over, and he’s a special teams stud. However, with the whole Pat Chung situation, I think Harmon is pretty much a lock to make the team now.

One surprise roster “make,” though, is DT Byron Cowart. Cowart is a former five-star recruit who the team drafted in the fifth round out of Maryland this year. Due to being misused by the coaching staff and other “issues,” he slipped a bit in the draft, but he has been a monster this summer. He really broke out against the Titans in the second preseason game, and scouts around the league are saying the Pats might have nabbed one of the biggest steals of the draft with him. Especially after the team cut bait with Mike Pennel last week, I’m excited to see what this Cowart kid could do with this opportunity.

Joey B: Hmm Harmon would be a surprise. He’s just always been rock solid and I think between him and the snaps J.McCourty has seen at Safety the Pats have any Chung absence covered. I can’t see them entrusting a newcomer like Brooks with the magnitude of Chung’s role.

Cowart has indeed been a stud. He might take Derek Rivers spot which is kind of a shame considering his promise coming out.

I kicked this thought around with Friend Of The Blog, Patty B., but I think Phillip Dorsett could be a surprise cut. I have no tangible evidence to support this, but Dorsett has always been a “one or two big plays” guy rather than a steady presence and so I wouldn’t be completely shocked if the Pats lets him go in favor of one of the young guns. I hope not though.

Either way things are going to get interesting over the next week. Hold onto ya butts.

 

 

 

 

One Foot in and One Foot Out: Patriots to Watch in the Third Preseason Game

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Patriots.com – The Patriots will square off this Thursday against the Carolina Panthers in a preseason Week 3 matchup for the fifth time in the last six years and for the second straight season. The Patriots played at Carolina last season, a 25-14 loss.

Week 3 of the preseason is often called the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season. It is where a lot of projected starters play for extended periods of time, most notably the Quarterback, and where we get a real glimpse into who could start Week 1.

Beyond that, based on this game we could also infer, both via playing time and whether or not they play at all, who is on the verge of making the Patriots roster and, well, who isn’t. So besides seeing two solid quarters of Tom Brady under center before he mayyyybe comes out for a hand off next week, there will be some drama unfolding Thursday night as we can attempt to read into who is playing what match ups and when and what is says about their chances to be on the squad this year.

Lets take a look at a few of those guys who have both made strides and fell behind in their quest to play home games in the Greater Providence area this fall.

Well, The Winters Are Cold Here Anyway

Duke Dawson – Like a budding summer romance, I still remember the elation in the wordsmithing of all the sportswriters who championed the Patriots’ pick of the Florida Gator last fall.  What a steal in the second round. He’s fast, he has a nose for the ball, and like any Belichick corner he can tackle. Well, so far really all we’ve been able to deduce is that he can get burnt like toast. Throw that in the pot with the revelation of Jonathan Jones and J.C Jackson and the drafting and then development of Joejuan Williams this spring, stir it up, bake it, and what comes out are Duke Dawson left out cupcakes. with all of that said, The Pats are known to make a surprising move or two every camp, and Belichick has shown a hesitance to cut his early picks so soon (Chad Jackson got two years on the squad. Chad. Jackson).

What to look for – If Dawson does see legitimate action against Carolina then it’s possible The Pats will keep him and jettison Jason McCourty, who has had a weird summer (we’ll get to that). If he doesn’t play much at all or sparingly it means that thanks to his pedigree and draft position that Belichick and Co are most likely fishing for a trade partner. If he is indeed relegated to mop up duty then well, it is simply the end of the road for one of our three alliteral cornerbacks.

Braxton Berrios – The feet Berrios was given for hands aside, you can’t help but kind of feel for the other second year player on this list. First, he came in with fans and media speculating, probably incorrectly, that he was the heir apparent to Julian Edelman. Just a true blue NFL legend and now Super Bowl MVP, no big deal. Then he tore his Achilles and missed all of his first year, a huge blow for a guy transitioning to the pros with such expectations on his shoulders. Finally this year, when he was supposed to come into training camp with a clean slate and work his way onto the depth chart, UDFA rookie WR Jakobi Meyers came out of the woodwork to become the star of the Patriots’ summer (more on him later). So let’s assume Edelman (1), captain clutch Philip Dorsett (2), and 1st Rounder N’Keal Harry (3) are locks. Let’s also say that the team is at least going to give Demariyus Thomas (4) a shot in the next two weeks considering they’ve kept him thus far. If Meyers (5) crushes it in preseason game three then that leaves, usually, one more slot (6). Berrios is going to have to battle journeyman Maurice Harris, a converted CB named Gunner Olszewski, and a couple of other unknowns for the last spot. That’s also assuming we keep six WRs out of camp, which we may not. Tough going for a guy we had high hopes for at one point. But hey, there is always what I mentioned before about Belichick giving his high picks every chance to shine.

What to look for – Simply put if we don’t see Berrios in the slot for any meaningful downs when Brady is on the field then that is probably it. With that said, if he goes on to get fed later in the game then it could just be he’s penciled in as WR #6 and the team didn’t want to waste meaningful TB12 reps on him.

Mike Pennel – Pennel had some substance abuse issues (I’m guessing weed) a few years back but otherwise has been a quite solid, stout DT for the Jets and Packers. So it has been a big disappointment that he has been outplayed, and thoroughly, by Byron Cowart and at other times by David Parry. This one is the hardest to predict as Belichick prefers his DTs meaty and Pennel really fits that bill (wink nudge). Still, my guess is his seat is getting a bit hot.

What to look for – Pennel to make a play, plain and simple. Maybe more than one. If he gets dominated at the line and pulled that could be it for him in New England.
What….Are You?

Derek Rivers – Another once highly celebrated pick who missed his rookie year with an injury. Once labelled a steal, Rivers has yet to make good on the promise he flashed. This preseason he has been moved off the line a bit as the Pats are possibly going to show a lot more 3-4 fronts. Early reports on his performance were good but now Rivers is hurt again. All indications are that he’ll probably make the back end of the Pats LB rotation but it may be hard to justify since he never, you know, plays.

What to look for – Tough call considering Rivers might not play due to the aforementioned injury suffered against the Titans. What that translates to is that I gueeeesss if we see guys at the dead back of the group like Munson getting a lot of snaps it could mean they are saving a seat for Rivers. If he plays, he better see some quality first half time and hear his name called.

Jason McCourty – For the second year in a row it seems like McCourty is fighting for his spot. Last year there was speculation he’d be cut before becoming a damn good CB during the Pats Super Bowl run. But the more things change, the more they stay the same and with the emergence of both J.C Jackson and Jonathan Jones, McCourty seems to be on uneasy footing, even getting a look at Safety to see if there is anything there. That said, I don’t think his spot is in jeopardy. Although this is the strongest group of corners I can remember the team having. McCourty’s veteran presence and ability to play more than one spot should keep him employed.

What to look for – If he indeed sees some significant snaps at safety, even later in the game, my eyebrows may threaten to rise. Same if he sees next to none at CB. Those extremes aside, McCourty should be fine.

On The Bright Side

Jakobi Meyers – ::Bigggg exhale:: Folks there was a training camp not so far back where an unheralded, unheard of rookie made plays all over the field and made us fans think we’d found a steal. Another Brady-esque diamond in the rough. His name was Zach Sudfeld, and he was nicknamed “Mini-Gronk”, a reference to his All-Everything counterpart in the Tight End room (despite being the taller of the two). Sudfeld indeed had a hell of a summer. And then was cut. He had a cup of coffee with the Jets and probably one or two more teams before never being heard from again. Such is preseason. So I am REALLY trying not to get onto this Meyers bandwagon only to get my heart broken. I probably look like a BFI employee hanging off the garbage truck. But man has he looked good. He’s just a “football player”. Great hands, great routes, even seems to have built a rapport with Brady. I’ll stop here.

What to look for – Big snaps and a big performance with the 1’s means he’s in. Anything else I REALLY DON’T FUCKING KNOW.

Damien Harris – For all the talent the Pats have at RB we don’t really have a true rock toter behind Sony Michel, who himself can be scheduled to miss a few games per year. Therefore, Harris could become our true #2, seeing 12ish touches per contest. The huge question mark is whose touches is he taking? My guess? The more expensive and oft-injured Rex Burkhead, who although I did not write up here, may be on his way out. Anyway, Harris has shown impressive vision among other things this preseason.

What to look for – If the kid just goes out and has some fun he could lock up the back up spot, starting when Michel is hurt (which I don’t wish for but come on).

Chase Winovich – Another rookie. Despite being a high selection Winovich was immediately declared a developmental prospect and kind of a tweener. Guess what? The Pats love tweeners. Since he put on pads all “Wino” has done is spend so much time in opposing backfields he has forgotten which team he plays for. With Rivers hurt, Michael Bennett probably on some sort of “pitch count”, and the Pats love of switching up looks, Winovich probably should plan to play a lot.

What to look for – I dunno just a crack a beer and enjoy man. Kid is a lot of fun to watch.

 

Patriots Dolphins Week 14 Game Preview, Odds, and Storylines

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After Sunday’s sound victory over Minnesota, many might be expecting the Patriots to roll over the Dolphins in Miami this week. But, any true Pats fan knows that Miami has been Brady’s own personal hell throughout his entire career.

Not only are the Pats 1-4 in their last five trips down to Vice City, but look at just how bad Brady has been down there throughout his entire career, as pointed out by Danny Heifetz of The Ringer:

Against the other 30 teams in the league, Brady is 85-32 on the road in the regular season. In Miami, he is 7-9, giving him more losses in Miami than anywhere except New England. Hell, Brady has nine losses in 16 Miami games and 19 losses in 132 home games. Brady has thrown 15 interceptions in Miami, which is more than he’s thrown in any season of his career. No matter how destitute the Dolphins are or how unbeatable the Pats seem, a trip to Miami is the most dangerous thing for the team outside of a visit from Bernard Karmell Pollard.

So, yeah, it hasn’t always been a breeze down in Miami for the Pats. But before we hop into the preview, here’s a quick look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:

  • Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
  • Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Odds (via Odds Shark): Patriots: -7.5 (spread) / Patriots: -350 (moneyline) / 47 (total)

Rather than base expectations purely off of what happened in the past, though, let’s take a look at who Miami has been this season.

First and foremost, they’re just not very good – on either side of the ball. They’re ranked 29th in terms of both total offense and defense. And while they are 6-6, much of that had to do with a fool’s gold 4-2 start, which has been followed up by a 2-4 run since the middle of October.

Yes, it is true that they were without Ryan Tannehill for five games, forcing them to turn to Brock Osweiler (*BARF*) until Tannehill returned two weeks ago against the Colts. But even still, Tannehill had 52.6 QB rating over his last two games before the injury, failing to surpass 185 yards passing in either contest – with one of those games coming against Cincinnati, who has had the absolute worst defense in the league this season BY FAR. (Seriously, the Bengals defense is laughably horrendous.)

To be fair, he has bounced back with two straight 100-plus-QB-rating games over the past two weeks, with a very solid 5-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio. Miami is also 1-1 over that time, with the victory coming in a very close contest against Buffalo last week.

Image result for ryan tannehill

Honestly, who ever really knows what to expect from this guy?

But even still this is probably the worst Miami team in quite some time, and now their bottom-of-the-barrel defense will be without stud corner, Xavien Howard, on Sunday. Howard, who is in his third year, leads the league in interceptions with seven and has quickly vaulted himself into the upper echelon at the position with his play in 2018. He’s yet to officially be ruled out, but ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, who covers the Dolphins, doesn’t sound too optimistic:

If that’s the case, expect a nice game from Josh Gordon – and the rest of the Pats receiving corps, for that matter – as the Dolphins really don’t have much else at the position. Truthfully, this should be a great game for the Pats offense as a whole; Miami is also giving up 144.7 yards per game on the ground this year, due in part to the 180-plus rushing yards they’ve given up four of their last six contests. The Pats also carved up the Dolphins for 175 rushing yards when the teams met in Week 4, so expect Sony Michel – who had 112 of those yards – to FEAST once again this weekend. (Seriously, if you’ve got Sony on your fantasy team, fire him up!)

Image result for sony michel dolphins

Expect another electric showing from the rook down in the Sunshine State.

The one noteworthy “strength” (and I use that term loosely) for the Dolphins might be their running game. It’s a two-pronged attack featuring the ageless future H.O.F. Frank Gore and a talented but inconsistent third-year man in Kenyan Drake. After an 883-yard breakout last year, most people expected Drake to completely take over this year, but the 35-year-old Gore is not going away, quietly averaging almost 12 carries a game at a 4.43 per-carry mark. Drake has had his moments this year and is unquestionably the team’s top pass-catching back, but even still neither one has been all that impressive this year, and the Pats should be able to keep them at bay.

Storylines

(Can Brady Defeat His Demons?): As evidenced above, Brady is not a fan of playing in Miami. However, as also previously mentioned, this may be the worst Dolphins team we’ve seen in years, and I just don’t see how Brady can once again lay an egg down there. With Gordon now in the fold, Brady & Co. should be able to exploit Miami’s weak secondary; if not, then it’s really just all in Brady’s head and there’s just nothing else to say.

Image result for tom brady 2018

Come on, Tommy. It’s time to change the narrative.

(Oh, Danny, Where Art Thou?): As I pointed out the other week, offseason acquisition Danny Shelton has been extremely disappointing this year. In fact, he’s been so ineffective that he wasn’t even active for last week’s game against Minnesota. Bill’s not afraid to quickly cut bait on bad investments, and hopefully it’s not the last we’ve seen of Shelton, who really does possess some solid talent. If he rides the pine again for the second straight week, however, it could signal the end of the 25-year-old’s career in New England.

(Will We See the Duke’s Arrival?): Even though he’s now been active for three weeks after being taken off I.R., rookie corner Duke Dawson has still yet to make his debut. It’s likely because of the fact the team’s current group of corners has been playing exceptionally well this year, and Dawson did miss a lot of valuable practice time while he was on the shelf. But still, the team needs to eventually see what they have in the young guy, on whom they spent a second-round pick in May.

Image result for duke dawson patriots

Can’t wait to see what this kid’s got when he finally gets his chance.

Prediction

I honestly expect the Pats to roll in this one, regardless of what past history tells us. The team’s offense should be able to destroy Miami with ease, and while Tannehill could have a surprisingly good game, he just doesn’t have enough around him to overtake what the Pats are bringing to the table. This one’s over quickly, and the Pats take it 38-17.

With Isaiah Wynn Out for the Season, Scrutiny Intensifies on Patriots’ Poor Drafts

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ESPN – New England Patriots top draft choice Isaiah Wynn tore his left Achilles during Thursday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles and will miss the 2018 season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Last year the Patriots top pick Derek Rivers blew out his ACL and missed the whole season. Granted he was “only” a third round pick, he was supposed to be a solid young infusion of talent the Patriots were banking on. This year their top overall pick Isaiah Wynn just blew his achilles and is done for the year. Add that to the fact that they’re other first round pick this year in Sony Michel has missed the entire pre-season with a knee injury and the Patriots draft is looking like a shaky class already, at least in the immediate future.

My point here though is that the Pats have not gotten much out of the draft in the past several years, which is essentially playing with fire in today’s NFL. If we go back and look at the Patriots draft picks in the first 2 rounds over the past 10 years and the contributions they’ve gotten — it gets ugly. I took the first 2 round as the barometer as that is normally the elite young talent you expect immediate contributions from. Guys you’re getting in the later rounds are oftentimes lottery tickets and/or end of the roster players. Anyone that makes a significant contribution from late in the draft is a pleasant surprise, no more no less.

With that being said, lets take a look…

  • 2018
    • 1st Rd – Isaiah Wynn (No. 23), Sony Michel (No. 28)
    • 2nd Rd – Duke Dawson (No. 56)
  • 2017
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – NO PICK
  • 2016
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Cyrus Jones (No. 60)
  • 2015
    • 1st Rd – Malcolm Brown (No. 32)
    • 2nd Rd – Jordan Richards (No. 64)
  • 2014
    • 1st Rd – Dominique Easley (No. 29)
    • 2nd Rd – Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 62)
  • 2013
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Jamie Collins (No. 52), Aaron Dobson (No. 59)
  • 2012
    • 1st Rd – Chandler Jones (No. 21), Dont’a Hightower (No. 25
    • 2nd Rd – Tavon Wilson (No. 48)
  • 2011
    • 1st Rd – Nate Solder (No. 17)
    • 2nd Rd – Ras-I Dowling (No. 33), Shane Vereen (No. 56)
  • 2010
    • 1st Rd – Devin McCourty (No. 27)
    • 2nd Rd – Rob Gronkowski (No. 42), Jermaine Cunningham (No. 53), Brandon Spikes (No. 62)
  • 2009
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Patrick Chung (No. 34), Ron Brace (No. 40), Darius Butler (No. 41), Sebastian Volmer (No. 58)
  • 2008
    • 1st Rd – Jerod Mayo (No. 10)
    • 2nd Rd – Terrence Wheatley (No. 62)

As you can see, in the last 10 years, the Patriots had great success in the first half of the decade, drafting guys like McCourty, Solder, Mayo, Gronk etc. But in the past 5 years (not counting the 2018 draft) the Pats have exactly ONE of those players still on the roster in Malcolm Brown who is solid but unspectacular.

And for the guys that were actively traded away, the Patriots have not received great value in return.

  • Chandler Jones – Received OL Jonathan Cooper (cut before his 1st season with NE) and a 2nd Round draft pick, which the Pats then traded to the Saints for 3rd and 4th Round draft picks ultimately turning into Joe Thuney, and Malcolm Mitchell (recently cut).
  • Jamie Collins – Received Browns 3rd Round draft pick, which the Pats then flipped to Detroit for No. 85 overall, which the Pats then used to take Antonio Garcia (played 0 snaps for NE and missed his entire rookie season due to blood clots in his lungs before getting released).
  • Jimmy Garoppolo – Received a 2nd Round draft pick, which the Pats then flipped to Detroit and traded down for a 2nd and a 4th, which they then flipped a couple of times again in a whole bunch of draft day trades to wind up with Duke Dawson and a 2019 Bears 2nd Round draft pick.

It obviously doesn’t help that three of the last 5 years the Patriots didn’t even have a first round pick due to various reasons, trades, and league mandated penalties from absurdly overblown alleged incidents. This is not a great way to build a deep roster guys.

Your team is built around that young talent because you can’t overpay for everyone. With guys like Logan Ryan, who was formerly the third CB on the Pats, getting $30 million contracts — you rely on young cheap talent to flesh out the rest of the roster. But the Patriots have failed to do that over the better part of the last decade.

That is how we find the Patriots suddenly with the fourth oldest team in the league at an average age of 26.7. The cabinets are bare my friends and most of that is masked by Tom Brady being the goat.

Part of the problem here is the high risk/high reward approach the Patriots tend to take in the draft. Because they have been set at quarterback for the better part of the last 2 decades, they have been able to take some big swings (and misses) on risky players. Taking Rob Gronkowski in the 2nd round with a bad back was a big risk because he was just coming off a missed season due to back surgery. But obviously that paid off as Gronk, when healthy, has turned into arguably the greatest tight end the league has ever seen.

But then there are cases where the team is taking risks in the 1st Round on guys with pre-existing injuries and unsurprisingly those same injuries pop up and the guy never makes an impact. Easley was a guy with two bum knees coming out of Florida and never made an impact with the Patriots because he was always battling, yup, knee injuries.

So it should come as no surprise really that the Patriots lack a core of young, elite players on the roster. All of their best players are on the back 9 of their careers; Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski Devin McCourty, Julian Edelman. They had 2 players in the NFL Top 100 (Gronk and Brady) and exactly 0 players on ESPN’s top NFL players under 25 years old.

Listen this team will be good as long as Brady is upright and pliable in the pocket and Gronk is on the field. But probably not a second longer. With each passing mediocre draft, I am less and less confident that this team will be all that good the second Brady and/or Gronk call it a career.

TLDR;

 

 

The 300s Previews the Patriots (Part 3): Who’s Replacing Malcolm Butler?

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First and foremost, the boys are finally back in action tonight!!! After what felt like an extremely long offseason, the first Patriots preseason game of the year kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium against Washington.

Even though the team is just getting things started, we are already three levels deep into “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series. After focusing on the offensive side of the ball in both Part 1 and Part 2, today we’re going to give you a look at the defense, specifically regarding exactly whom is going to replace Malcolm Butler.

It’s actually really sad how things ended with Butler, who signed a deal with the Titans this offseason, and I’ll be entirely honest in saying that I’m still not over Belichick’s decision to sit him for the Super Bowl. (Seriously, though, what in the HELL could the guy – a guy who played 98 EFFING PERCENT of the defensive snaps last season – have possibly done to not play in the biggest game of the year? Even worse, we’ll never know the actual reason, because Belichick is apparently taking that shit to the grave.)

I’ll still always love you, Malcolm. And while I’ve yet to get married or have a kid, I know this will always remain one of the very greatest moments of my entire life:

Anyway, it’s time to suck it up, and it’s time for someone else to step in and take Butler’s place opposite Stephon Gilmore in the team’s secondary this season. At least we know Gilmore is a stud; he was excellent in his first year with the team last season. But other than that, there are a couple solid veteran guys and a mishmosh of talented young players/rookies to choose from at corner.

For some reason, the team also worked out free-agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport:

But for now, that’s as far as it’s gone with him.

According to the team’s current official depth chart (which means diddly squat this early in camp, but still), Eric Rowe is leading the way. The 25-year-old has had an inconsistent two years with the Pats after being acquired from the Eagles for a fourth-rounder after his rookie season in 2015. At times, he’s been really bad, and at other times he looks like he’s worthy of the pick the team gave up for him. If Rowe (6’1″, 205 pounds) wins out, he and Gilmore (6’1″, 201 pounds) will make for a pretty stout pairing that should be able to match up physically with most outside receivers. Rowe doesn’t have the speed that Gilmore possesses, but both are tailor-made to play on the boundary.

Image result for eric rowe

What many fans are rooting for instead, however, is that Jason McCourty – twin brother of Patriots safety Devin McCourty – will win the job and give the team a little dose of double trouble in the defensive backfield. The Pats acquired Jason McCourty this offseason from the Browns, and many assumed he would automatically win the starting job, especially considering the fact that the trade occurred just two days after Butler signed with Tennessee.

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While brother Devin has been a Patriots mainstay since 2010 and is a two-time Pro Bowler (2010 and 2016), Jason hasn’t been quite as prolific. Still, he has been a starter for both Tennessee and Cleveland, respectively, for the past seven seasons and has 26 passes defensed over the past two years with the Browns.

Other than Rowe and McCourty, nobody else has much of shot at winning the open job at outside corner, but there are a few young guys vying to be team’s “third” corner. Here’s a quick look at some of the players gunning to be the team’s starter in the slot:

Jonathan Jones: After a season-ending ankle injury he suffered against the Titans in the playoffs last season, Jones returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and is expected to be the frontrunner. He initially made the team as an undrafted rookie out of Auburn in 2016, and he continued his impressive ascension last year by playing on over 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Overall, he finished with 44 tackles and eight pass breakups, and he is also one of the team’s top special teams guys.

Duke Dawson: The rookie out of Florida was selected by the Pats with the 24th pick in the second round of the draft this past May, and according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, he has been playing alongside Gilmore and Rowe in three-cornerback sets this summer. This may be subject to change with Jonathan Jones back in the fold, but the the team wouldn’t have used such a high selection on the 5’10”, 198-pounder with 4.46 speed if they didn’t believe in him.

J.C. Jackson: Undrafted like Jones, Jackson is another rookie who’s impressed so far this offseason. While he’s been roasted at times by guys like Gronk and Chris Hogan, MassLive’s Andrew Callahan also points out that he’s made some pretty great plays as well, breaking up passes in 11-on-11 drills and picking off a two-point conversion attempt. Still, he’s pretty unlikely to beat anyone out for a starting spot just yet.

And oh by the way, Cyrus Jones is still on the team, too, (*vomit*) and it seems like the team is still going to give him a chance to prove himself in some capacity. (At least he can return punts?)

Regardless of exactly how the final depth chart looks, I can’t remember the last time the Pats had such solid depth in the secondary – and we haven’t mentioned the team’s safeties either. Even with the team set to face the likes of Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota, Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cousins, and the other really good No. 12 who plays quarterback in Green Bay this season, I’m feeling pretty good.

So even though I’ll still miss you, Malcolm, I think we’re gonna be just fine.