Patriots will move Darius Butler to right cornerback to fill the slot vacated by Leigh Bodden, who was placed on the season-ending injury reserve list on Tuesday.
The Patriots have decided to move Darius Butler to right cornerback following the season-ending rotator cuff tear suffered by Leigh Bodden.
According to the Boston Globe, Butler will switch sides of the field to allow Devin McCourty to play in his natural position for his rookie season. Butler, the team’s second round pick in 2009, recorded 35 tackles with 3 INTs (including a 91-yard return for a TD in Week 17) in 14 games last season.
Bodden, the team’s projected no. 1 cornerback before getting placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday, was coming off an excellent 2009 campaign in which he recorded a team-high 5 INTs. With his absence, the Patriots are left with the most inexperienced cornerback tandem in the NFL.
Although the duo will get some time to adjust against the weak passing offenses at the beginning of the season, the Week 7-15 stretch will face them up against the likes of San Diego, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Indianpolis, and Green Bay, all of which were top 10 passing offenses in 2009. Additionally, playing in the AFC East means they’ll have to see WRs like Miami’s Brandon Marshall and New York’s Braylon Edwards, and Santonio Holmes twice.
New England has a final preseason tuneup against the Giants on Thursday, a good opportunity for the young team to get some final snaps in before they’re thrown into the fire of the 2010 NFL regular season.