New England Patriots Cut Kyle Arrington

bleacherreport.com

bleacherreport.com

Over the course of this offseason, the Patriots secondary has become more and more depleted. First, they lost their star cornerback Darrelle Revis, followed shortly by the oft penalized Brandon Browner. Those two losses alone left fans wondering who would start. With questions about who would play on the outside, the only sure thing in the Patriots secondary was having Kyle Arrington in the slot. Well, it seemed like a sure thing at the time. Arrington was informed of his release from the Patriots this morning.

After going undrafted out of Hofstra in the 2008 NFL Draft, Arrington was signed to the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he never got to play in an Eagles uniform. The next year, Arrington spent the whole season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad before being resigned on a one-year deal. Arrington was active for one regular season game before being cut the next day. That’s when the Patriots stepped in. The Patriots promoted Arrington from their practice squad on November 8, 2009 and he never looked back. In his six years with New England, Arrington picked off nine passes, returning one for a touchdown.

There were times during his tenure with the Pats where fans may have been calling for his head. However there were others where the New England faithful wanted to give him all of the chowder in Boston. When forced to play on the outside Arrington had some very ugly plays. He had trouble covering deep routes (Superbowl anybody?) and would often get burned far down the field. Arrington was a master in the slot though, and that was never truly appreciated. The ability to lock down the opposing team’s faster and shiftier receivers is a valuable one in today’s NFL and not many are better than Arrington.

As far as replacing Arrington, there are many options. I’m going to quickly review each cornerback currently on the Patriots’ roster and what their final role on the team may end up being.

Logan Ryan: Ryan figures to see playing time similar to what he saw in his rookie season. We know that Ryan has the ability to be a top notch zone defender at times but at only 24 years old, he’s still developing. Ryan will surely start on the outside for the Patriots.

Malcolm Butler: This Superbowl hero will face a lot of scrutiny from critics that believe he was a one trick pony. Butler and Ryan play similar styles, which makes them a natural fit on the outside together. Butler is instinctive and seems to always get his hand on the ball no matter where he is.

Bradley Fletcher: Fletcher started on the outside last year for the Eagles but struggled mightily. He is a solid veteran though, and could possibly fit well in the slot. Without needing to be worried about getting burned deep, Fletcher may be able to shine.

Robert McClain: He will have some playing time all over the field. He is not a starting caliber player but he is capable of playing at any position in the secondary. McClain will be a solid rotational player.

Chimdi Chekwa: Chekwa is nothing special at corner and unlike McClain hasn’t shown any flashes of having a greater potential. He will be a bench reserve at corner and a key special teams player.

Dax Swanson: Swanson was earning rave reviews during training camp last season for the Patriots and with all the playing time up for grabs, I wouldn’t be surprised if he played a couple snaps per game.

Justin Green: I’m almost positive that Justin Green will earn playing time this season. He’s seen the field for the Patriots before and has actually played better than expected.

Darryl Roberts: Roberts has good instincts deep and will compete for a roster spot because of that. Don’t expect to see him playing though.

Jimmy Jean and Eric Patterson: Nothing but camp bodies.

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