To say New England has a messy cornerback situation is an understatement. Gone are Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and their combined more than 2,000 snaps from last season. If New England wants to make a Super Bowl run, it may need to hope the gamble on somewhat unproven talent pays off.
Will third-year man Logan Ryan be able to be the team’s top cornerback? Will Malcolm Butler emerge or simply be one of those players who had a career-defining Super Bowl and nothing more? Can Bradley Fletcher turn things around after struggling in Philadelphia? Why did the Patriots wait until the seventh round before drafting their first cornerback, Marshall’s Darryl Roberts? That may be too many questions to answer during training camp for a team looking to make another title run.
Player you’ll be buzzing about: LB Denzel Perryman — It would be easy to go with running back Melvin Gordon, the team’s first-round pick, but second-rounder Perryman is explosive and will be trying to show the team he deserves a starting role early.
What to watch: The Chargers have been searching for help at running back for years, and they took advantage of the strongest running back draft class we’ve seen in a long time and picked Gordon. Quarterback Philip Rivers is still the guy who will drive the offense, but Gordon is loaded with potential and the Chargers should have a balanced attack next season. However, there’s the question of whether anybody will step up at tight end after Antonio Gates was suspended for four games.
Most important position battle: Defensive line — The Chargers have Corey Liuget, but outside of him they need to get the defensive line depth sorted out. Sean Lissemore and former Bronco Mitch Unrein are a couple of other names to watch.
For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue.