Patrick Chung Felony For Possession of Cocaine

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2205 days ago

Patrick Chung was drafted by the Patriots with the 34th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Chung played one season in Philadelphia for the Eagles in 2013 but returned to play from 2014 to present day. He posed an immediate impact, opposite Devin McCourty as a hard-hitting safety.

On Wednesday, August 22nd, major news broke out in New England. Patriots star safety Patrick Chung was indicted on felony cocaine possession. That charge took place on June 25th, 2019. What impact does this have on the Patriots?

Current Depth Chart

To currently place all safeties on a depth chart from top to bottom would look something like this:

Devin McCourty

Patrick Chung

Duron Harmon

Terrence Brooks

Nate Ebner

Duke Dawson

Malik Gant

AJ Howard

Losing your second-best safety is a big blow to any team. However, the cornerback crew is very strong, and Jason McCourty, who plays corner according to the Patriots official team sites, can swing to safety if needed. But here’s what Chung’s very-realistic release can immediately impact. Terrence Brooks, who signed a 2-year contract for $4M (with $805,000 guaranteed) this off-season, wasn’t expected to make the roster, initially. However, he worked his way into a strong position and the anticipated release of Chung opens the door wide-open for Brooks.

LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 16: Quarterback Kevin Hogan #8 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by defensive back Terrence Brooks #23 of the New York Jets in the second half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Brooks isn’t the only Patriots player to gain a big advantage with Chung’s upcoming release, however. Duke Dawson is also gaining an edge. Dawson hasn’t had a very good off-season and it has been rumoured that he could be cut off the team. However, after a couple of decent practices and Keion Crossen, a cornerback with special teams abilities that Dawson has been closely competing with, having a down week of practice, he has moved up a bit. Now, with the news of Chung being publicized, Dawson could become a lock, as he was a second-round pick in last year’s draft.

In Conclusion

There’s no doubt that losing a player like Chung is a major blow to the Patriots defense. However, it does open the door for players with high upside. The only thing is that those high-upside players have a very low floor. If Dawson’s play meets his second-round selection status, then he would be a solid replacement, though not quite as good as Chung. If Brooks remains as impressive as he has been in camp and continues to improve, he would be a really good rotational and situational safety for the Patriots. It’s not all bad, but it’s still going to be a huge negative to start the year for sure.

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