The New England Patriots are far from an uncompetitive team, but they do not have the security they once had with both Bill Belichick at the helm and Tom Brady under center.
In this new era of Patriot football, there is one area of the roster that the national media are particularly concerned with.
“The Patriots’ starting outside cornerbacks are Jalen Mills and either Terrance Mitchell or the recently unretired Malcolm Butler, as things stand right now,” ESPN’s Ben Linsey wrote Wednesday. “That talent doesn’t line up with what New England has done on defense in recent years, including last season, when it ranked second in Cover 1 rate.