(Photo by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Last year, CB Logan Ryan led the Patriots in snaps in slot coverage with 309. The next closest among cornerbacks was Malcolm Butler at 82, though safety Patrick Chung did log 147.
Heading into the 2017 season, New England’s top three corners, Malcolm Butler, Stephon Gilmore and Eric Rowe combined for 136 snaps in slot coverage last season.
The Patriots will need someone to step up into that slot role with Ryan gone. Butler is one possible candidate, as it would allow New England to keep the taller Rowe and Gilmore on the outside.
