With Aqib Talib, Kyle Arrington and Patrick Chung all set to become free agents, the Patriots secondary already was facing an offseason of uncertainty. But with Alfonzo Dennard now facing a hazy future because of the legal decision that was handed down Wednesday in Nebraska, it creates more personnel questions involving the New England secondary that have to be addressed over the next few months. The Patriots could enter the 2013 season with their top three corners from 2012 -- Talib, Devin McCourty and Arrington -- not on the opening day roster. While Dennard could return with only probation (which would allow him to play the whole season) at this point the Patriots have four options as it relates to their secondary -- specifically, at corner:

1. Franchise Talib

The idea of placing the franchise tag on the veteran corner seems like a good one at first: It would keep him around, and by all accounts, Talib was a good teammate, kept his nose clean and was able to dispel some of the ideas that he wasn’t a good guy. Talib, who turned 27 earlier this month, appeared to buy into the New England system, and was able to provide the Patriots with some consistency at corner. It also allowed McCourty to move from corner to safety, where he’s an overall better fit in the defense. But it’s likely that New England views the $10.7 million price tag for a franchise corner as a bit much -- for some historical perspective, the Patriots have NEVER paid a corner more than $10 million a year, and it’s unlikely that Talib will be the one to break that ceiling. If you can get Talib and his agent to agree to a more manageable deal -- particularly if you are losing Dennard for any stretch -- then, you might have something. (However, that scenario is probably unlikely, as Talib and his representation know that New England certainly won’t be coming at the talks from a position of strength.) But ultimately, when it comes to the idea of slapping Talib with the franchise tag in the wake of the news involving Dennard is a panic move, one the Patriots probably won’t make. (One thing that makes this particular decision harder is the fact that Dennard is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11. The window to decide on the franchise tag is March 4.)

2. Add depth via free agency

If Talib walks and Dennard is gone for any length of time, you do have options in free agency. None of the cornerbacks out there are overly impressive, but a few names do jump off the page. For one, we detailed the possibility of Brent Grimes as a possible under-the-radar free agent addition recently. In addition, there are a variety of other veterans who could be had at a reasonable rate, including veterans Sean Smith and Chris Houston, both of who are expected to be available when free agency begins next month. (You could also try and focus your attempts on signing Ed Reed, all while possibly prepping McCourty for a return to corner.)

3. Explore options in the draft

The Patriots have had a sketchy history when it comes to adding defensive backs through the draft over the last few seasons. There have been a few success stories (McCourty probably being the most obvious case), but more often than not, they’ve been unable to successfully draft and develop corners and/or safeties. That being said, there have already been a few defensive backs who have been linked to the Patriots in the pre-draft process, with NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock indicating that someone like Florida State defensive back Xavier Rhodes would be available to New England with the 29th pick overall. Rhodes is a 6-foot-2 cornerback who had seven picks over the course of his college career, and was described by Mayock as a someone who “has mostly second-round grades as a corner or a safety.” In addition, we detailed a handful of possible fits for the Patriots at defensive back via the draft, a group that includes defensive back D.J. Swearinger from South Carolina and Johnthan Banks, a corner out of Mississippi State.

4. Stand pat and examine some other possibilities

The Patriots could roll the dice and wait to see what happens with Dennard’s sentencing (he could get probation, or he could end up missing a chunk of the first half of the season because he’d be serving time), all while trying to get a deal worked out with Talib and his representatives. There’s also the possibility you could get something out of corner Ras-I Dowling, who has been dogged by injury over the course of his two seasons with the Patriots. In addition, you do have some positional flexibility with McCourty, who could always bump to corner again if the situation calls for it.