The New England Patriots lost the starting cornerback duo of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner this offseason. Devin McCourty, who did re-sign, knows that replacing them will be difficult right out of the gate.
"I'd be lying if I came out here and told you we were gonna be great," McCourty said Tuesday, per ESPN.com. "Same thing last year -- when we all got together, we didn't know what to expect. We gotta put the work in now. We'll grow as the process goes on, once we get on the field for OTAs and we'll start practicing, doing things like that. That's where you put the work in, and give yourself a chance to be a good secondary."
Starting off the season against Ben Roethlisberger, who led the NFL in passing yards last season, will be no picnic for a secondary that is without an obvious No. 1 corner.
The Pats expect young players like Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon to step up in the absence of Revis and Browner. They also took fliers on veteran players who have a chance to make an impact, signing Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Chimdi Chekwa.
It's unlikely the Patriots will replicate their secondary play from a season ago, but Bill Belichick changing up schemes and succeeding on the fly is nothing new.
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