Competition continues
No clear winner for No. 2 CB
The trade yesterday of Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns may leave a void in the middle of the Patriots defense, but linebacker isn’t the only position that’s up for grabs on that side of the ball.
Halfway through the season, there’s still a competition raging for the No. 2 cornerback spot.
In Sunday’s 41-25 win in Buffalo against the Bills, Eric Rowe, Logan Ryan and Justin Coleman all saw time as Malcolm Butler’s counterpart. Ryan started the first six games, Rowe the last two, and Coleman was the first man off the bench in Buffalo.
“All those players have practiced well, have played well, deserved to play,” coach Bill Belichick said. “They’ve all had an opportunity to play on multiple occasions during the course of the season, and their performance will dictate future playing time and future opportunities.”
The coach isn’t in a hurry to choose option A, B or C. Until one corner distances himself from the pack, Belichick will continue to select all of the above.
“If we have several guys that are playing well, playing competitively, then I don’t think there’s any reason to just play one and not another one when we can play more than one,” Belichick said.
Belichick explained that there are times when extra corners are necessary in nickel and dime formations, but their playing time will be tied to their production.
“Some of that is related to certain defenses — groupings and packages — and I would say some of it isn’t,” Belichick said. “Some of it’s just the rotation, and some of it’s, once there’s enough evidence, there’s a performance component to it. Where one’s beating another, then that changes that decision-making pattern a little bit.”
Belichick has a fourth option, but top draft pick Cyrus Jones has been a healthy scratch for three straight games.
Brady knows Hogan
Chris Hogan is new to these parts, but he certainly isn’t new to the Patriots. Quarterback Tom Brady and the Pats saw plenty of the wide receiver during his time with the Bills, and Hogan had a couple of his biggest games at the expense of the AFC East rival’s defensive secondary.
On WEEI’s “Kirk and Callahan Show,” Brady issued a reminder that this wasn’t the first time the Patriots pursued a receiver who played them tough in the division in previous seasons. Wes Welker spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins before becoming an All-Pro with the Pats.
“We played against (Hogan) for four years in Buffalo, so coach Belichick and Josh ( McDaniels, the offensive coordinator) and (player personnel director) Nick ( Caserio), they really knew what they were looking for when they got him,” Brady said. “When you play against a guy in your division and we’ve done this a few times — even like with Wes, we played against Wes a bunch, and Wes had some turnover with their coaches down in Miami — and then we were like, ‘Wow we’ve been playing against Wes for a long time and this guy’s been a great player. Why don’t we try to get him?’ And we did. Hogs was the same way.”
Brady does have input when it comes time to sign one of those veteran free agents.
“Well I get asked my opinion, certainly,” Brady said. “And I watch a lot of film, so I have a pretty good idea of the guys I’ve watched around the league, too. So I always insert my ideas. Whether anything ever happens or follows through that’s different. But I always feel free to talk to Josh or Nick or coach Belichick about guys that I see that may be available that, you know, I like.”
Praise for Gronk
A day after breaking a Pats record with his 69th career touchdown, tight end Rob Gronkowski’s praises were sung on WEEI’s “Dale and Holley Show” by Belichick.
“Can’t say enough about Rob, the things he does for us,” Belichick said. “As a receiver, as a blocker, as a teammate, as a captain, he’s been invaluable. A lot of times he’s covered, but he’s never really covered because of his length and his ability to reach out and pluck the ball with his hands. There’s usually somewhere where the quarterback can put it that he can get it, and he gets a lot of those.”
The Bills were Gronkowski’s latest victims, and their coach agreed with Belichick’s assessment.
“He beat our corners. He beat our safeties. He beat our nickel,” Rex Ryan said yesterday. “He beat whatever the coverage was.”