Despite popular opinion, Law wasn’t a need for New England

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, July 26, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

New England Patriots
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Since the New England Patriots lost out to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Ty Law sweepstakes, many in the Boston area have begun to worry over their favorite team's secondary in the coming year. Not to panic, though, New Englanders. Law was one of the greatest defensive backs in Patriots history between 1995-2004, but he simply wasn't a must-have for head coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the organization.

Once again, the Patriots elected to conduct business their own way by not paying big-time money to a player they don't necessarily need on their roster. The team's current secondary isn't exactly lower-echelon, even though it could stand to improve.

Had Law been added to New England's fray, No. 2 cornerback Ellis Hobbs would have been moved to the nickel corner position, but he's more than capable of starting. The former third-round pick out of Iowa State finished his rookie campaign last year with 44 total tackles, an impressive three interceptions, and an even more eye-opening nine pass deflections. It's evident that the 23-year-old has what it takes to become one of the NFL's better playmaking and coverage cornerbacks, despite the fact that he's just 5-9.

Meanwhile, the Patriots' No. 1 corner, Asante Samuel, has proven to be a capable starter, too. The three-year veteran from Central Florida ended last season with a career-best three interceptions, improving on his total from '04, when he had two. Samuel may not be a household name to the average fan, but New England's loyalists appreciate the ex-fourth-rounder for his coverage abilities and playmaking skills.

The current starting free safety in Foxborough is Eugene Wilson, a three-year veteran. The 25-year-old experienced a down season in 2005, picking off a career-low one pass. However, in his first two seasons as a member of the Patriots, the 5-10, 195-pounder grabbed a total of eight interceptions and accumulated eight pass deflections.

Undoubtedly, the Pats' ace in the proverbial hole is Rodney Harrison, who has been one of the best defensive backs in football for the last 11 years.

The 33-year-old was only able to play in three games last season because of injury, but his return has the coaching staff excited, and the fans hoping he can channel his old form. Two seasons ago, when Harrison was healthy, he ended a Super Bowl-winning year for New England with a whopping 138 total tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. When the 6-1, 220-pounder is playing his best, he's one of the league's principal defenders.

There's no question the Chiefs' weak secondary was in need of Law's services, but the New England Patriots didn't feel like the corner was an essential for them. And frankly, with Hobbs, Samuel, Wilson and Harrison penciled in as the starters, they're right.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on the New England Patriots at Realfootball365.com.
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