No shortage of corners

I've heard of creating competition or adding depth, but this free agency the Patriots are taking it to a new level. The latest addition to the secondary is Fernando Bryant, a former first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently from the Detroit Lions.

He joins Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders hoping to become the replacement for Asante Samuel, who left for greener pastures in Philadelphia.

Why do these moves feel like when the Patriots signed Duane Starks? Remember he was a good corner for Baltimore and New England gave him good money after Ty Law signed a lucrative deal with the New York Jets.

Starks turned out to be a turd. A complete bust as a free agent. He didn't suffer any injuries but the training staff had to treat him weekly for getting burned. It didn't matter who it was, Starks made them look good.

Ultimately the Pats couldn't stand to wait a full season before they cut Starks. They were better off without him.

Which brings us to today. None of the three CBs signed seem like potential starters. Most seem like they will challenge for a nickel or dime DB. All of them won't make the final roster.

So if none are a potential starter, who will become the one that lines up at the left corner spot?

Obviously if New England is accumilating veteran corners it seems likely they will draft a corner, maybe two, during the 2008 draft. But because they've signed three CBs in free agency, the urgency isn't as high. Maybe they'll take one with a third round pick. With the number of corners on the roster, it's a problem area that can wait.

There's a wild card in this competition for top corner. He's forgotten because he spent the year on injured reserve, but I think he was tucked away for safe keeping.

I'm talking about Mike Richardson. He was drafted in the sixth round out of Notre Dame and held his own during the preseason before he suffered an arm injury that led to being placed on IR. I expect Richardson to be healthy and ready to compete against the veterans and likely draft pick. But Richardson has an advantage because he has a year learning the system. If he understands his role, the physical part should come easy.

One person the Pats can't turn to for depth is Troy Brown. As we already know, the Patriots said they wouldn't offer him a contract at the time. Brown has visited the Jets recently and it might not just be to rankle Pats head coach Bill Belichick.

If Brown does find a team that wants his services, it's gonna be hard to see. For more on this subject click this link.