Jason McCourty Practices With Patriots' First-Team Defense On Monday
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Patriots traded for Jason McCourty in March, it was expected that he would slide right into the No. 2 cornerback spot on the New England depth chart.
But he didn't do much with the Patriots' top defensive group during minicamp and the start of training camp, and the veteran didn't play a snap in New England's 26-17 win over Washington in their preseason opener. Bill Belichick was asked if McCourty's absence from Thursday's game was injury-related during his Monday morning press conference at Gillette Stadium, but as expected, the head coach didn't offer up much of an answer.
"The guys we played, we played. The guys we didn't play, we didn't play. We'll play other guys this week and we'll see how it goes. I mean, you all know I'm not talking about anybody's injuries, so there's no point in even bringing that up," Belichick scoffed. "We're not going through that. Can't look at everybody every week – there's just too many guys. So, some guys will play one week, some guys will play more the other week."
Belichick added that McCourty, the twin brother of Patriots safety and captain Devin McCourty, has been "very professional" in his time with the team.
"He's great. Hard-working kid, smart, has experience. He's picked things up well," said Belichick.
It's fitting (and important) to note that shortly after Belichick walked away from the podium Monday morning, McCourty was practicing with the Patriots' top defense as they prepare for Thursday's preseason tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Though he hasn't done much leading up to Monday, these next few weeks will be extremely important for McCourty and how he fits into the New England secondary. Many have surmised that he could be one of Belichick's "surprise cuts" when it comes time to trim the roster at the end of the month, but if Monday is any indication, he is very much in Bill Belichick's defensive plans for the upcoming season.
We should have a clearer picture on McCourty's situation when the Patriots defense takes the field Thursday night.
