Mazz: I’m worried about the Patriots cornerbacks
The New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers held their first joint practice today in Green Bay and according to some Jordan Love just hit Christian Watson for about a 50-yard gain. Christian Gonzalez was in coverage and got beat clean. Ball was perfectly thrown, too Packers QB Jordan Love picked on Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones almost exclusively over his final drive today.
Gonzalez allowed 2 catches on 3 targets, Marcus Jones allowed catches on both targets.
Concerns about the secondary…..
Mazz: I mean, I am worried about the cornerbacks.
Jim Murray: Oh the secondary as a whole without Devin McCourty there. I think not enough people are talking about this. You’re losing real leadership on that back end there. Who are you getting that from?
Mazz: In theory, I guess Phillips or Dugger. Maybe Julius Peppers on some level, but I just I trusted McCourty implicitly.
Jim Murray: Well, the issue being though, and I think they are somewhat deep at safety, but not from a leadership standpoint and not from a guy that can play the position like in an overall way l ike off of the line play in the run that’s also good in coverage that can also blitz. They’re all kind of one dimensional. Each individual guy.
Mazz: Totally. Yes. And I’d say generally speaking they’re better run players than they are pass players. So that has me alarmed, too. So you can say the whole secondary. I think their safety group has a chance to be better. I’m worried about the corners in particular. So Gonzalez is what, 6′ 1″? But he’s soft. He’s soft. He doesn’t play big, maybe that’s the way to say it. The Jones’s are both 5′ 9″. They’re tiny.
Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones at 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (98.5 The Sports Hub)
Jim Murray: Well, on Gonzalez, the word was that he dropped because of a soft mentality, too. Not just is his physical makeup.
Mazz: I’m worried about the size of all the corners, every single one of them, with the exception maybe of Jonathan Jones. I think Jonathan Jones is a little bit bigger and it feels like he plays a little bit bigger. Maybe you can tell me how tall he is, but I’m going to guess he’s 6’1″? 6’2″? He’s about the same height as Gonzalez, I think. But I think their corners are small and so I think they’re going to get bullied. And you read a lot about this when they were practicing. You forget the joint practices…..
Jim Murray: Jonathan Jones is 5’10”.
Mazz: Okay, so he’s 5’10”. Jack Jones is 5’9″ or 5’10”. Marcus Jones is 5’8″ or 5’9″, Gonzalez is a rail and gets plowed over like he’s 5’9″.
Joe Murray: Jack Jones got beat today on a play and had a little skirmish on the field.
Mazz: So I think their corners are small and I think it’s a problem.
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