FOXBORO -- It wasn't long into the beginning of the NFL's free-agency period before Devin McCourty was signed by the Patriots to a record-setting deal for safeties. And once he knew he'd be back in New England, he openly pined to have Darrelle Revis back as his teammate.
That didn't happen, of course, as Revis opted to sign for $39 million fully guaranteed to return to the Jets.
When McCourty was asked on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium if he was surprised by Revis' decision, he replied playfully: "Who?"
McCourty didn't elaborate much on the topic of his rival-turned-teammate-turned-rival-again, but he laughed when posed follow-ups by reporters at Gillette Stadium.
"We're past that," McCourty said. "We're past that . . . We're still friends."
Revis is scheduled to be in attendance when the reigning Super Bowl champions head to the White House to be honored by president Barack Obama on Thursday. But once the Patriots -- both past and present -- leave the nation's capital, McCourty will be returning to a new-look secondary.
Brandon Browner's contract option for 2015, like Revis', was not picked up by New England. He later signed with the Saints, leaving the Patriots without two of the starters from their championship run.
During free agency, Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio grabbed corners Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Chimdi Chekwa -- all of whom will have to learn the Patriots system before they carve themselves a role in the team's defense.
McCourty explained that while players are focused on getting into good condition during their voluntary workouts, once they start discussing Xs and Os he'll be a sounding board for anyone who has questions.
"I think the great thing is once you get on the football field, and we start talking scheme and everything," McCourty said. "Right now, it's all about working out and trying to get better along those lines. But once we start talking about scheme, I'm just another guy who tries to be another way to explain things, another way to say things other than how the coach does sometimes.
"I think some players can relate to each other a little easier than just hearing a coach lecture about it and talk about it. I just try to be that bridge so we can all be on the same page because we always say at the end of the day we just gotta make sure all the players are thinking the same way. If we do that, we got a chance to be good."
McCourty admitted there is some uncertainty with the new group of defensive backs on the Patriots roster. Though the level of NFL experience was greater with the group of players the Patriots had under contract last year, he said there was also some uncertainty back then as to how things would gel together.
"I guess right now we don't know what it's going to be," McCourty said. "I'm confident in the hard work that we're going to put in, but I'd be lying if I came out here and said we're gonna be great. Same way last year when we got together. We didn't know what to expect. We gotta put the work in now and we'll grow as the process goes on. Once we get on the practice field for OTAs, and we'll start practicing, doing things like that, that's where you put the work in and you give yourself a chance to be a good secondary and a good defense."
The Patriots also have a handful of relatively young corners -- Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Alfonzo Dennard -- who could also take the next step in their development and turn into players with more regular roles.
Again, McCourty didn't promise anything when it came to the next crop of Patriots defensive backs, but he said he was confident in what they'll bring to the table.
"I'm excited for all those guys," McCourty said. "They've put in a lot of work. I was in Arizona with [Ryan] for a little while. Since I met him when he was a freshman in college, he's always one of the guys that's gonna be there putting in extra work, trying to be better.
"I think Malcolm was a guy, he came in last year, not knowing anything to expect and then making a great play in the Super Bowl. I think it's exciting for him, but for all those guys. When you're young in the NFL you just want to try to learn as much as you can and just get better year in and year out. I don't think they can worry about everything everyone's gonna ask them but just try to get better."
The Patriots could look to bolster their cornerback group in the NFL Draft as that position is considered to be one of the deepest in this year's class. If the team's decision-makers decide to import a cover guy or anyone else on the defensive side of the ball, McCourty said the message from the veterans on board will be simple.
"I think we just try to get those guys to understand that you want to be urgent to learn right now," he said. "Sometimes guys get drafted early or they were big-time players in college, and the first thing you think is you want to come in and make an impact. You just want to come in and learn as much as possible.
"I think that sets you up for when you do get into the season and you do get opportunities to play and be out there on the field, then you're just playing. You're not worried about being an impact player, you're just making plays because that's what you've been doing. You just learned a lot from the veterans. I think this team has a lot of good veterans that the young guys can learn from, really throughout every position group. I think that's always exciting when you got young, talented guys come in here, and you got some older guys that can teach them the way. Not just scheme and everything, but how to be successful in the NFL. I think that always makes your team better."