Good is not good enough for the New England Patriots defensive secondary.
Just ask their leader, the most accomplished guy in the bunch, three-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.
Taking nothing for granted
“The sky is the limit. Truth be told, we have a lot of talent. The potential is to be one of the best in the league,” said Byard on his guest spot with the Zolak and Bertrand radio show on 98.5 The Sports Hub after practice on Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, potential is just another word for we haven’t done (anything) yet.”
Those are strong words from the 11-year pro out of Middle Tennessee State. Obviously, he was speaking of the secondary’s potential with Christian Gonzalez on the field. Gonzalez missed practice again on Wednesday as coach Mike Vrabel continues to point to an injury, not contract extension talks, as the reason for his absence.
Big day at joint practice
Without Gonzalez, the Patriots picked off five Philadelphia passes in the joint practice session, three from Jalen Hurts.
“We have to keep working. We’re making a lot of plays. We had five turnovers today, but that has to be the expectation day in and day out,” said Byard. “We can’t just talk about it. We have to go out there and continue to do it every day.”
Assuming Gonzalez is back by the Sept. 9 opener, the Patriots secondary does shape up to be one of the game’s best.
High-caliber personnel at all spots
With Gonzalez and Carlton Davis on the corners, and Marcus Jones defending in the slot, the Patriots rival the game’s top corner groups, including the visiting Eagles with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Riq Woolen.
In Byard, the Patriots are replacing Jaylinn Hawkins with a veteran with experience in the system and the three All-Pros on his resume.
Byard will continue to push the group to reach for the sky.
“We’re going to preach it every single day. We got five (turnovers on Wednesday), and we’re looking to get even more tomorrow,” he said. “We want to be able to get turnovers every single day.”
