Patriots Roster – Safety Competition Will Be Intense
 Duron Harmon will be looking to earn more reps with the philosophy change by the Patriots in 2015. (USA TODAY Images) |
While much of the talk surrounding the Patriots defense this spring has centered (and rightfully so), around who isn’t returning at cornerback in 2015, the safety position should be an interesting one to watch once training camp begins.
The New England defense that won the Super Bowl just four months ago has lost four starters including all three corners and will be facing a possible shift in philosophy. While they were mainly a man-coverage unit in 2014, the losses of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and most recently Kyle Arrington may have the team playing more zone coverage in 2015. If that is true, it should greatly impact the safety position.
Roster Breakdown: Right now the roster consists of Devin McCourty, Pat Chung, Duron Harmon, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner and rookie 2nd round pick Jordan Richards. One interesting player to watch will be rookie UDFA Jimmy Jean out of UAB. The 6’2, 205 Jean played cornerback in college but he may make the switch to free safety in the pros and would back up McCourty.
McCourty is entrenched as the FS and he’s rapidly becoming one of the better centerfielders in the NFL. He was courted in free agency but the Patriots made a concerted effort to retain his talents and he signed a five-year, $47 million dollar contract this spring.
Where the competition begins this season will be at the strong safety position.
With the one-deep safety look in man coverage of last season, it allowed Pat Chung who was brought back from the Philadelphia Eagles to play towards his strengths in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage. Chung with the Patriots earlier in his career had struggled in the two-deep safety and was a large part of the reason he was allowed to walk in 2013.
With the Patriots choosing to play more zone coverage in 2015, this may not be Chung’s strength and it could open the door for Duron Harmon to get more snaps this season. Harmon was thought to have the inside position on the SS position last season, but couldn’t hold off Chung in training camp and was then relegated to sub-packages.
But Harmon shined when it mattered most in the playoffs. His interception of Joe Flacco in the closing moments of the Divisional Round of the playoffs sealed the Patriots victory. With the Super Bowl on the line, late in the fourth quarter Harmon was again on the field as the coaches showed plenty of confidence in his ability.
Wilson and Ebner are standouts on special teams but have played only sparingly on defense.
Richards is the wildcard here; the Patriots invested a 2nd round pick (64th overall), so he is a lock for the roster in 2015. He plays strong safety and is an intense, physical and very competitive player. Richards was considered a coach on the field for Stanford and is a coachable player as well as a leader on and off the field.
Richards excels closer to the line and has some limits in deep coverage although he does have good hands and will attack the ball at the high point. It will be interesting to see how quickly he picks up the defense and how the team decides to utilize his talents.
With McCourty locked into one safety position, the battle will be an interesting one to watch for the other. Chung was the starter in 2014 and has the inside track to start but don’t count out Harmon who was thought to have the position last season. Richards may have to be a backup initially until he gets some experience but should see more and more of the field as the season progresses.
Is it July yet?....
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