ORLANDO, Fla. — The Patriots defensive secondary is going to have a new look. That goes without saying with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, eventually, manning the corner flanks.

But there’s more in store. Currently, the Pats are strongly considering a plan that would have cornerback Logan Ryan, who had five interceptions as a backup during his rookie season, play safety.

According to a source, Ryan would take on the free safety role, while Devin McCourty would move to strong safety.

Why would this work? Ryan’s ball-hawking skills are obvious. He’s instinctive and plays well in space, much like McCourty. He could also play in the slot, but there’s a logjam with Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard competing for that role, once Browner completes his four-game NFL drug suspension.

The Patriots like what Ryan brings, and want to get him on the field. So assuming he makes the transition, and outplays fellow second-year Rutgers product Duron Harmon, this looks like an alternative that would not only get him on the field, but take advantage of his abilities.

As for McCourty, he would just be in a different spot, and handle more in the box. He’s certainly one of the best tacklers on the team. He can also cover tight ends. Last season, he took over covering the Saints’ Jimmy Graham after Aqib Talib went down to injury, and the tight end still went without a catch.

The versatile McCourty, who blossomed in the free safety role, could make the switch. He’d still be the defensive quarterback in the backfield, he’d just be playing closer to the line, as opposed to deep in the secondary. Safety roles these days tend to be interchangeable, and the two would still be on the field in nickel and dime packages.

However it turns out at safety, the Patriots are trying to create a secondary that will slow down the Denver Broncos. The Pats didn’t have an answer in the AFC Championship Game, so the offseason has been spent trying to come up with solutions.

The Seattle Seahawks tamed Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ record-setting offense in the Super Bowl, so the Patriots are trying to follow suit.

It’s possible the Pats will still draft that bone-crushing, tone-setting strong safety come May. And also get some help with the pass rush. But they have taken care of a big part of the Manning equation by landing Revis and the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Browner, two imposing corners who can provide man-coverage on both sides.

Coach Bill Belichick, during the AFC coaches breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton yesterday, was asked how Browner’s size factored into the team signing the free agent.

“We feel like he can help our team. He has rare size for a corner,” Belichick said. “Players that we have that we haven’t worked with, we’ll just have to see how it comes together. Obviously there’s a lot of things that we liked about it or we wouldn’t have signed him, same thing when we draft a player. We have to work with him, have them put it together and see how it comes together with that player on our team, but that’s a process we have to go through.”

Belichick, when speaking about Revis, one of the game’s best cornerbacks, did his best to downplay the acquisition.

“Darrelle is a good player, we’ll see how it comes together with us, what his role is and how exactly he fits in our scheme and so forth,” Belichick said. “We’ll just have to see how that comes together, I mean I don’t know.”

Perhaps Belichick doesn’t know for sure, but it’s a safe bet he has an idea — a vision of what the secondary might be like with a stud like Revis and a tower like Browner on the outside, coupled with Ryan and McCourty at safety.

It’s something the Patriots are toying with at the moment to improve the mix with an eye toward Manning and Denver.