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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' loaded roster and active offseason put plenty of key positions in the spotlight as the defending champs hit the practice fields for the first week of organized team activities. Tom Brady's ageless presence and star power combined with the fact that budding backup Jimmy Garoppolo remains in New England to play out his rookie contract mean the focus will always be on the quarterback spot.
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Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead, signed in the offseason to replace LeGarrette Blount, inject youthful excitement at running back. And the trade for speedy two-time 1,000-yard receiver Brandin Cooks adds to the squad's already impressive depth at wide receiver.
But arguably the most intriguing and potentially impactful position worth watching these days is a cornerback crop that has the high-end talent and depth to be one of the top groups in the NFL.
Putting even more emphasis on the cornerbacks at Gillette Stadium is that the depth chart includes two Pro Bowl talents seemingly headed in different directions in their Patriots careers.
Stephon Gilmore arrives from the rival Bills, his $60 plus million contract by far the largest ever given out by the Patriots. He already looks the part of the team's No. 1 corner, sporting the No. 24 jersey that Ty Law and Darrelle Revis donned in past Super Bowl seasons.
On the other side is former undrafted free agent turned Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, who visited the Saints as a restricted free agent this offseason and seemed destined to play elsewhere this fall rather than back in New England on his $3.91 million restricted free agent tender.
But when the media got its first glimpse of OTA practice Thursday, there was Butler at his customary left corner spot with the high-priced newcomer Gilmore on the opposite side. It's a look that should give plenty of opposing passing attacks pause.
"I'm just here to do a job and do anything to help the team win," Butler said, though his tone didn't erase the offseason of impending potential divorce between the player and team. "I'm just moving forward, and whatever happens, happens. You've just got to come here and just play football. You've got to earn everything you want. You've just got to come here and work hard every day. Nobody's going to give you nothing, just come here, work hard and play."
Though Butler may not have been happy to see Gilmore get the kind of money he is probably hoping for -- reports indicated Butler had talks with the Saints regarding a potential $50 million contract had a rumored trade to New Orleans ever materialized -- he does understand that Gilmore's arrival improves the back end in New England for this season.
"We got a better player. We got another player. We got another good player on this team. Anything to help the team win, I'm down with," Butler said of his reaction to the Gilmore signing. "He brings the size and the coverage skills. One of the best guys in the league. Very underrated ... come in, head down, working hard. Just trying to build off each other no matter what."
While Butler and Gilmore are the stars atop the cornerback depth chart, the position runs deeper than that.
Former Eagles second-round pick Eric Rowe enters his first full season in New England coming off an impressive Super Bowl. Second-year player Jonathan Jones, a former undrafted rookie, spent the first day of OTAs working with Butler and Gilmore in the slot. And 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones will be expected to make a big jump in his sophomore campaign.
Much as in a 2014 season in which a Revis- and Brandon Browner-led secondary balanced out the Patriots with a pass defense to match the Brady-guided firepower on offense on the way to a Super Bowl, the 2017 Patriots have the potential to field one of the best secondary groups in the NFL.
Butler and Gilmore may not be destined to spend years together in New England, but for now the duo is just one of the many reasons the Patriots open spring workouts as the clear favorite to find themselves in Super Bowl LII this February in Minneapolis.
