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Patriots Training Camp Position Preview: Safety

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- There's an old saying in sports, and it goes like this: The best ability is availability. And in that department, the New England Patriots have been as able as anybody at the safety position.

It's there that they've employed Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung together for the past four years, and it's there that the two starters have combined to miss three total games in that span.

That consistency has helped the Patriots' defense in more ways than statistics can show. With veteran leaders on the field every week, for nearly every snap, it becomes a lot easier for everything to function properly. (Though, to be fair, the Patriots' defense last September looked like anything but a well-oiled machine. Alas, they figured things out thereafter.) Add in Duron Harmon, who's missed one game since getting drafted in 2013, and the reliability of the Patriots' safeties has been remarkable.

Here's how that position looks as the Patriots get ready to open up camp in Foxboro.

(Virtual) Roster Locks
Patrick Chung
Devin McCourty
Duron Harmon
Nate Ebner

On The Bubble
Jordan Richards
Brandon King

Everyone Else
David Jones
Damarius Travis

The durability factor of the starters is obviously a huge one. It's not a coincidence that McCourty, Chung and Harmon have stayed healthy. They're tough, and they're smart. But football is still football, so it's worth pondering who would be tasked with filling in if the Patriots were to lose any members of that trio for any stretch of time.

Based on the Super Bowl performance of Jordan Richards, Patriots fans probably are hoping it won't be him. While overreacting to one very bad night on one very big stage would be imprudent, the fact is that Richards has not made much of an impact at all defensively in his three NFL seasons, after Bill Belichick reached to take him late in the second round. (He was projected to be a fifth- or sixth-round pick.) He's been all right as a special teamer, but he's been unable to convince the Patriots' coaching staff that he warrants playing time on defense; he was on the field for 25.66 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps last year, one season after taking just 1.73 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2016. One would have to think his roster spot is anything but secure as camp opens.

At the same time, there may not be tremendous competition. One would assume that Nate Ebner -- another special teams favorite of Belichick -- will make the team, provided he is fully recovered from his torn ACL. But he's gotten even less playing time on defense than Richards has. Brandon King may be more of a linebacker than a safety, but we don't truly know. He's never taken a single defensive snap in his three NFL seasons. He's only played on special teams. He doesn't seem to be a candidate for playing time in the event of an injury, though perhaps his size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) would make him next in line to fill in for Chung. Could he fare better than Richards?

David Jones spent last year on the practice squad as a rookie. Not much is known about his game other than that he had an excellent junior season at Richmond in 2015. But that was in the FCS, and that was long ago.

Damarius Travis spent last season on the practice squad after a good collegiate career at Minnesota. Likewise, it's not known how or if he can hang in the NFL.

So, in looking at the whole picture, it's clear that the Patriots are very solid when it comes to starting safeties. The depth? The depth leaves something to be desired. Given the talent of the starting-caliber players, Belichick knows he can't go out and spend big money on an available veteran safety. But don't be surprised to see another capable player added to the mix at safety.

You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

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