Coming into the 2018 offseason, the secondary was certainly an area of need for the New England Patriots. In the Super Bowl, the Patriots benched Malcolm Butler, which made it clear that they were not going to be bringing him back as a free agent.
Butler did indeed end up leaving the Patriots, as he signed with the Tennesee Titans. Even though Butler was benched in the Super Bowl, he was a starter all season for the Patriots and an important part of the team.
To replace him, the Patriots traded for cornerback Jason McCourty, who is the twin brother of Devin McCourty.