"There still is at least one name out there that would give Patriots fans a sense of security were he to open the season at cornerback: Ty Law.
Law remains a free agent after sitting out all of training camp following his release by the Chiefs early in the offseason. The Patriots have a need at corner, where Ellis Hobbs will be joined in the starting lineup either by rookie Terrence Wheatley or veteran Lewis Sanders.
Rodney Harrison doesn’t normally address what-ifs or players who aren’t wearing Patriots uniforms, but he made an exception for Law.
“Hey, Ty knows how I feel about him,” Harrison said. “The respect and the love as a friend that I have for Ty, the respect as a football player, he knows that. If he’s here, great. If he’s not, we’ll play with the guys we have and that’s the focus.
“You don’t want to comment too much on someone that’s not here, but at same time, I mean, Ty Law is Ty Law.”
Whether the 34-year-old still has anything in the tank remains to be seen. A first-round pick of the Pats in 1995 out of Michigan, Law is likely headed to the Hall of Fame for what he did in a Patriots uniform.
He hasn’t missed a game since 2004, his final with the Pats, but his numbers nonetheless have slipped. Last year with Kansas City, Law picked off just two passes, his career low for a 16-game season.
At the owners meetings in March, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said he believed Law still could play and added he wouldn’t be surprised if Law finished his career where it started in New England.
It’s unclear what the Patriots’ interest is at this point. After cutting veteran Fernando Bryant, they’re left with just four corners on the roster: Hobbs and Sanders, as well as rookies Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.
Complicating matters is money. Word out of Cleveland is that Law wanted starter-level cash to join the Browns and his demands presumably would be similar here.
The Patriots briefly had two roster openings yesterday after releasing Chad Jackson and John Lynch, but they didn’t fill either of them with Law."
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