After great hype, the media finally will get its first glimpse of the 2017 New England Patriots on the practice field this week.
Patriots organized team activities began earlier this week, and the first practice open to the media is Thursday. Most of the focus will be on skill-position players — rather than those in the trenches — because there’s no hitting allowed during the offseason workout period.
Here are the defensive players we’ll be keeping a close eye on this spring:
CB STEPHON GILMORE
Gilmore was New England’s marquee offseason defensive addition, and it’ll be exciting to see how he matches up against the Patriots’ talented crew of wide receivers. We’ll also be monitoring how he fits into a secondary that already includes another top-flight corner in Malcolm Butler (more on him in a second). With his $65 million price tag, the pressure is on Gilmore to produce in his first season in Foxboro.
CB MALCOLM BUTLER
Talent-wise, Butler has nothing to prove. His first season as an NFL starter ended with a Pro Bowl selection, and his second earned him second-team All-Pro honors. This has been a tumultuous offseason for the Super Bowl XLIX hero, though, filled with contract negotiation and trade rumors. Will his head be in the right place now that he’s making close to $9 million less than his fellow starting cornerback?
Also, with former Patriots slot corner Logan Ryan now plying his trade in Tennessee, Gilmore and/or Butler might be asked to play inside more often than they are used to, and that could begin this week.
CB CYRUS JONES
We promise this list won’t consist of only defensive backs. But the nature of OTAs is more conducive to judging cornerbacks and safeties than, say, defensive tackles. Jones, the Patriots’ top draft pick last year, is coming off a wretched rookie season both on defense and in the return game, and he enters camp as the fourth man (at best) on a crowded cornerback depth chart.
His high draft status will afford him a second chance, but Jones must separate himself from the likes of Jonathan Jones, Justin Coleman and undrafted rookie D.J. Killings in order to guarantee himself a spot on the 53-man roster.
DE KONY EALY
We won’t get a full picture of what Ealy can do until the pads come on later this summer, but we’ll be able to see how the former Carolina Panther fits into the Patriots’ pass rush rotation. Trey Flowers is a lock to start at one defensive end, but it’s easy to envision either Ealy or Rob Ninkovich laying claim to the other starting spot. Thursday should offer an early look at how the coaching staff feels about this group.
DEs DEREK RIVERS AND DEATRICH WISE
Some rookies enter their first NFL workouts ready to start from Day 1. Patriots guard Joe Thuney was an example of this last year. Most need some seasoning before they’re ready to contribute at the professional level. Picked in the third and fourth round, respectively, Rivers and Wise likely skew more toward the latter, but New England’s defensive end group is open enough that both rookies should see significant reps this summer.
Thumbnail photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images
