FOXBOROUGH -- The locker now belongs to Roderick Rogers.
It’s no different than the 80 or so other lockers in the Patriots’ locker room -- it’s got the same sharp look, the same compartments for all the valuables, the same spot for the nameplate at the top. The difference, as they say in real estate, is location, location, location. And Rogers, whether he knows it or not, has an important location.
For the last six seasons, the far corner locker at the end of the long line of defensive backs in the New England locker room belonged to Rodney Harrison. It was where football lessons were doled out on a daily basis to teammates and the media. Needed a quote for a story on the defense? Rodney was there. If a teammate wanted to talk about … anything, Rodney was there. Death, taxes and Rodney Harrison.
Now, after Harrison announced his retirement this past spring, Rogers has taken Harrison’s old locker, perhaps unaware he’s inhabiting some exclusive real estate. For James Sanders, there’s no disrespect intended to Rogers, but it's been strange walking into the locker room and not seeing No. 37 -- the man a generation of New England defensive backs called “Hot Rod” -- next door.
“It’s still strange for me -- I’ve seen a couple of guys in his locker so far,” said Sanders, who lockered next to Harrison the last four seasons. “It does feel a lot different.”
For the first time since 2002, the Patriots are preparing for a season without Rodney Harrison. The veteran safety played six seasons in New England, delivering some savage hits and helping the Patriots win a pair of Super Bowls along the way. Harrison helped a generation of young defensive backs come of age. His leadership and guidance were invaluable -- just ask Sanders, who still reaches out to Harrison, even though he’s now working as an analyst at NBC Sports.
“I’ll be talking to him from time to time,” Sanders said of Harrison. “The last couple of texts I shot him, he responded, but he won’t return my phone calls when I call him. When I catch up with him, I’m going to give him a hard time about that. We still try to stay in contact.”
While the offense looks almost exactly the same as it did last season, there are some real changes on the defensive side of the ball as the Patriots prepare for the post-Harrison Era. The safety was just one of a couple of veteran defensive players who departed New England in the offseason -- linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was with the Patriots since 2001, was traded away to Kansas City.
Both were vocal leaders whose departure clears the way for a new generation of leadership in the Patriots’ locker room.
“It’s definitely tough to replace a Rodney Harrison -- maybe a future Hall of Famer,” said defensive lineman Richard Seymour. “Mike Vrabel, he’s been one of the most consistent guys that we had here ever since I’ve been here. We both came in together in 2001. To lose guys like Mike and Rodney, that’s a tremendous loss for our team.
“But it creates another opportunity for some other guys to step up. Who are those guys are at this point? It’s still tough [to determine]. You really don’t know at this point, because guys are still working, guys are still making their own niche and finding their own way.”
At the linebacker spot, that role looks to have been filled by inside linebacker Jerod Mayo. The second-year linebacker has been very vocal over the course of training camp and through the preseason, talking about “helping the younger guys” to get acclimated to the New England defense.
In addition, Mayo has taken over the job of defensive play-caller -- he’s had the green dot on the back of his helmet through the preseason, meaning he has the defensive communication device in his helmet. Last year, that job was filled by Vrabel.
When it comes to the defensive backs, that role of leader likely falls on the shoulders of Sanders. Dubbed “The Old Guy” by defensive coordinator Dean Pees, the 25-year-old is suddenly the senior member of the New England secondary. Three of the four defensive backs who started last season with the Patriots are either released, retired or traded. The only starter from the 2008 opener left standing is Sanders.
“[Pees] says I’m the old guy in the group now. I tell him, ‘Dean, I’m only 25. How am I the old guy?’” Sanders said with a laugh.
“It doesn’t change anything. I’m going to go out there each and every day and each and every play and just give it my all,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot more experience over the years. I feel a lot more comfortable back there. I’m eager to see what’s going to happen this year.”
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