Defensive Backs To The Future: Patriots Young CBs Made Mitchell Expendable
FOXBORO — In the wake of cornerback J.C. Jackson’s departure, the New England Patriots found themselves in need of help at the position, primarily on the perimeter. As such, the Pats signed the former Houston Texan to a one-year, $3 million contract.
On Tuesday, the Patriots cut him.
At the outset of training camp, Mitchell appeared to be a near-certain roster lock, opposite Jalen Mills on the perimeter. He saw regular rotation with the Patriots starting defensive backfield, and was often the first player to arrive on field during camp practices.
Since that time, slot corner Jonathan Jones has emerged as the leading candidate for the second spot at outside corner. Jones’ speed and experience within the system seemingly made him a more natural fit in New England’s defensive system. Rookies Marcus and Jack Jones provide a great deal of potential, while veterans Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade have proven their value within the depth chart. Wade;s abilities in press coverage, along with his physical style, potentially make him too valuable within the Pats secondary to risk losing him via waivers. As such, Mitchell began to be considered as a possible cut candidate.
The Patriots had already trimmed their roster of another veteran cornerback by releasing Malcolm Butler with an injury settlement on last Thursday. Butler had been placed on injured reserve on Aug. 16 with a reported hip injury, as teams throughout the NFL reduced their rosters from 90 to 85 active players.
In 2021, Mitchell played 14 games in the Houston Texans’ defensive backfield, starting 13 of them as an outside cornerback. He allowed 45 receptions on 76 targets for 556 yards as well as five touchdowns and one interception. He built upon that experience when moving on to Cleveland, where he was effective in both aggressive man-based schemes (under then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams) and pattern-match zone schemes under Steve Wilks, who succeeded Williams. In Houston, defensive coordinator Lovie Smith ran a Tampa 2-style zone defense, which provided him with the chance to log significant time on the field. In short, Mitchell is versatile enough to blend into multiple schemes as he finds a new team for his services.
The final roster adjustment deadline arrives on Tuesday, Aug 30 at 4:00pm ET.
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