The Patriots are thin this season with their front seven. They lost Dannt Shelton, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and "The Ironman" Roberts to free agency. They also lost Hightower to covid, as he opted out.
The Patriots made some decent draft picks, bringing in Uche but Dugger is a safety. Free agent Beau Allen really isn't a replacement for Shelton, and Brandon Copeland isn't the replacement for any of the losses at linebackers.
On Thursday, the Patriots released Nick Coe who was a one time high draft prospect. Coe had the ability to be utilized like Richard Seymour, as he could play both end and tackle. Coe also played a little bit of linebacker but he was too slow for that position.
Why would the Patriots get rid of such a valuable piece? When looking at the NFL, there are a lot of mobile quarterbacks and a lot of receiving tight ends. That combination is the way the league is going.
The Patriots have one of the smartest defensive coaching staffs in the league, headed by Bill Belichick. The Chargers like to run with six and seven defensive backs but they're poorly coached.
The Patriots won't have that problem, if they decide to play a 3-2-6 quarter / "Dime of Doom" defense. With the number of safeties the Patriots have on the roster and with Belichick signing players who are more of a Hybrid player rather than a true positional guy, the Patriots are in a good position.
There's still time for the Patriots to sign front seven guys, especially having roster spots open but the odds of the Patriots running with six or more defensive backs as a base is more and more likely.
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