{"id":4077,"date":"2026-07-02T09:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4077"},"modified":"2026-07-02T09:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:05:13","slug":"cory-durden-exudes-confidence-in-bid-to-line-up-as-patriots-starting-nose-tackle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4077","title":{"rendered":"Cory Durden exudes confidence in bid to line up as Patriots\u2019 starting nose tackle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After one season with the Patriots, nose tackle Khyiris Tonga signed a three-year free agent deal with the Chiefs. That means a starting spot is up for grabs on the interior, and Cory Durden is confident it should be for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cGoing into this year being the nose tackle 1. Just taking that next step,\u201d Durden said in early June of his expectations. \u201cWhether that\u2019s making the Pro Bowl or whatever it is, I feel like, you know, the sky\u2019s the limit now.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Durden arrived on the scene in a flash. The 2023 undrafted free agent out of N.C. State had bounced around with a few teams, and the Patriots scooped him up after he was unable to make the Giants\u2019 53-man roster.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Defensive line coach Clinton McMillan said the room has embraced staying present, and ignoring what happened before New England. Durden was a prime example of that, playing in all 21 games (17 regular season; four postseason) and totaling 30 tackles, with five for a loss. He finished the year playing 514 defensive snaps, and most notably tallied 13 of his 30 pressures during the playoffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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