Secondary strengths
Pats DBs hungry to improve
FOXBORO — The band was back together yesterday.
No, not Guns N’ Roses. That reunion show at Gillette Stadium was last week.
The Patriots defensive backs took the field together for the first time this summer, as Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon both returned to practice. After missing minicamp with undisclosed injuries, they sported red non-contact jerseys at the team’s first training camp session.
The veterans’ presence was immediately felt, according to cornerback Malcolm Butler.
“It was great, man,” Butler said. “We can mix a lot of groups together. We’ve got more bodies out there. We can rotate better, and I’m just glad to have those guys back there. Big part of this defense.”
Ryan started 11-on-11 drills covering Rob Gronkowski, and Harmon was the first defensive back off the bench, subbing in on the second play when they shifted to a nickel package. Harmon had offseason surgery that he deemed “minor,” and Ryan was mum on his injury, but neither player looked limited at all as they sprinted around the fields behind Gillette.
Harmon was light-hearted when asked how long he’ll be sporting non-contact uniform.
“I’m not sure, I just do what I’m told. It was in my locker so I put it on,” Harmon said. “Hopefully soon, or whenever, they take it off so I can just be out here ready to go.”
The red jerseys didn’t make much of a difference, as the team was practicing in shorts and there was minimal contact.
There were also some new faces in the secondary, as top draft pick Cyrus Jones and a slew of rookies participated in their first training camp session. The veterans work to cultivate a competitive atmosphere, and early reviews on the newcomers were positive.
“They’re all in and they want to compete,” Ryan said. “They want to get better every day and they’re coachable, so that’s all you can ask for at this point.”
The Pats secondary enjoyed a productive 2015, holding quarterbacks to an 87.0 passer rating, and tying for third in the AFC with only 24 touchdown passes allowed. All of the key contributors return including Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung, and with another year of seasoning for the young core, there is cause for optimism.
“Trying to build each day toward a common goal. It feels good just to be out there with them,” Harmon said. “The ceiling? We don’t really know what the ceiling is. All we can do is come out here, get better and see how good we can be throughout the season.”
Ryan laid down the bottom line: Even though the returning starters all have Super Bowl rings, that won’t show up in the 2016 standings.
“It’s a good group. We’ve played some games in the past but that has nothing to do with this year,” Ryan said. “It’s just a building process and every year this is where it starts, and we’re off to a good start.”