Editor’s note: NESN.com will go position by position to break down the Patriots’ depth chart heading into the 2015 offseason. Next up: the safeties.
Bill Belichick hasn’t had a player like Devin McCourty in 15 seasons as the New England Patriots’ head coach.
That’s how rare McCourty’s skill set is and why re-signing the All-Pro free safety should be viewed as 1B on the list of the Patriots’ offseason priorities, right behind retaining cornerback Darrelle Revis.
McCourty is fast, smart, instinctual and fundamentally sound, which means he can play free safety in any defensive scheme while making as few mistakes as possible in man coverage, tackling, run defense and while manning center field.
SAFETIES
2015 DEPTH CHART: Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner
2015 FREE AGENTS: Devin McCourty
Revis is a better overall player than McCourty, but the 2010 first-round draft pick is just as difficult to replace. There is no other lockdown cornerback or pure free safety in free agency or the draft.
Second-year pro Duron Harmon played very well in limited snaps while spelling McCourty this season, but he doesn’t have the veteran’s athleticism or experience. The Patriots’ cornerbacks are rarely out of position, and they rarely blow coverages because McCourty is an expert communicator who positions his secondary perfectly.
McCourty also is a three-time captain who took over as the defense’s vocal leader when linebacker Jerod Mayo went down in consecutive seasons. He’s the glue in the Patriots locker room who can connect with any player and put out any possible fires before they even begin with a perfectly timed joke.
If the Patriots can afford it, then McCourty absolutely is worthy of the franchise tag. He’s an elite safety. He doesn’t make as many plays as a player like the Seattle Seahawks’ Earl Thomas or the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu in his prime, but he also makes far fewer mistakes, which is just as valuable.
It shouldn’t come down to franchising McCourty, however, because he understands the rarity of being on a winning franchise year after year from studying his twin brother, Jason, with the Tennessee Titans. McCourty is more likely to take a hometown discount to stay in New England than Revis, because this is where he was drafted, this is home, and he’s the consummate Patriot.
The Patriots extended strong safety Patrick Chung on a three-year, $8.2 million contract during the season. He had a strong bounce-back season in his new role after playing free safety for his first five years in the NFL.
Harmon provides solid depth at free and strong safety. He didn’t allow a reception all season while playing both roles. If Revis can’t be retained, and the Patriots are forced to go back to a Cover 2 alignment, then Harmon will be extremely valuable while playing next to McCourty on passing downs.
Wilson hasn’t quite lived up to his second-round potential, but he and Nate Ebner are solid special-teams contributors who can be inserted into the defense in a pinch.
The Patriots could sign a free agent or select a safety during the late rounds of the 2015 NFL draft, but that player likely only would compete with Wilson or Ebner for a depth role.
Check out the rest of our position outlooks: Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, cornerbacks
Thumbnail photo via Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports Images
