Anyone else seriously worried about cornerback?

[PoetTree]

Because it seems to me that our weakest position last season... has only grown weaker since then, with no real relief in sight. As much as people maligned him over the playoff loss, Jaques Reeves played some good ball for us last year. He had some mighty fine games playing for MOST of the season in place of either an injured Newman or an injured Anthony Henry. Up until that playoff game, and everyone has bad games, he had actually put together a very solid campaign for us. As Wade Phillips would say, we were 13-3.... and most of that came with Reeves as one of our starting corners.

But he's gone now. And Anthony Henry is a year older, and I'm guessing, no less injury prone than he has been for the last 3 years. And we have absolutely NOBODY viable behind him & Newman. Not even a damned Nate Jones at this point, which is frightening when he's the next best option anyway.

This is something that I think is a real, real problem for us. Our secondary was by far the weakest link on our defense last season, and it's gotten weaker since then. And where & how are we gonna fix it? There's nada left in free agency that would do anything to upgrade it. And cornerback is one of the biggest adjustments for a rookie to make from college-to-pro. So, even if we wind up with a first-rounder... and by the time we pick, there's absolutely no guarantee that one of the better ones will even still be on the board... it'll be a hard press to find one who can play with the level of competence that Reeves showed last year. Which leaves us in an AWFUL position.

I'm glad we signed Flo and are keeping Barber & all that jazz. But we ain't goin' to the Superbowl with the secondary we have now, nor any one I can see us assembling between now and the start of the season -- barring a very unlikely trade for someone starting-caliber. Quite frankly, from where I sit, we appear screwed in that direction.


Am I the only one who sees this?

 

[Anguillidae]

If we draft a CB in the first round he will not be a starter from day one, but can learn as the nickle corner.

Apart from Samuel I think we can get a better corner in the draft than in free agency. And a lot cheaper.

 

[AmishCowboy]

:signmast:

 

[big dog cowboy]

I've been saying for several months we need two new CB's this off season. I wouldn't say there is no real relief in sight just two days into free agency and the draft still two months away.

Assembling a revamped core of CB's is probably a very high priority in VR this off season. If we were discussing this in August I would be more concerned. It's just to early in the off season to begin pushing panic buttons.

 

[Woods]

First of all, you never know, we could get a 3rd or 4th CB in FA in another week or so. Guys could get cut (i.e., Springs), a trade could happen (i.e., Akin Adoyle for a 3rd CB, etc.)

But in any case, if we do use a Round 1 pick on CB, he could initially play nickel. Oglesby is status quo, in that he would still be our 4th or 5th CB, and A Ball should be able to at least replace N Jones.

So, the question is whether our draft pick could play better than Reeves?

Maybe not the first few weeks of the season. But by the 2nd half of the season, if we draft well, he should be a significant upgrade.

 

[PoetTree]

If we draft a CB in the first round he will not be a starter from day one, but can learn as the nickle corner.

Apart from Samuel I think we can get a better corner in the draft than in free agency. And a lot cheaper.

Yeah, I don't think there IS anyone in free agency to get. And while I know any rookie won't be drafted as a starter, the chances of him having to start at some point in the season are very good. Henry hasn't made it through a full campaign in years, and regardless, a nickel corner these days practically is a starter with the amount of three-receiver sets in the league.

And my point is, I doubt any rookie we get... unless he's a true phenom, and a very rare player... will equal the quality that Jaques Reeves gave us last year. Especially if thrown in as a starter due to injury, which seems almost a given at some point. And that means we have unequivocally gotten weaker at a position that was already our weakest.


This, honestly, is really not good...

:

 

[MichaelWinicki]

And my point is, I doubt any rookie we get... unless he's a true phenom, and a very rare player... will equal the quality that Jaques Reeves gave us last year. Especially if thrown in as a starter due to injury, which seems almost a given at some point. And that means we have unequivocally gotten weaker at a position that was already our weakest.


This, honestly, is really not good...

:

Honestly, I don't believe that. Any of the guys drafted in the first round are going to have far more upside than Reeves ever had. They'll combine Reeves speed with the instincts he never had.

I'm betting that two corners are selected in this draft and a third will probably come to us off of someone else's roster.

Reeves was not quality starter material... I want that material and it will come early in the draft.

 

[justbob]

Honestly, I don't believe that. Any of the guys drafted in the first round are going to have far more upside than Reeves ever had. They'll combine Reeves speed with the instincts he never had.

I'm betting that two corners are selected in this draft and a third will probably come to us off of someone else's roster.

Reeves was not quality starter material... I want that material and it will come early in the draft.

Good morning Michael --I agree- with Henry getting up there and no gurantee
we can resign TN in a few years --this draft is an opportunity to put young talent in place. We have to stay young and talented thru the draft

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Good morning Michael --I agree- with Henry getting up there and no gurantee
we can resign TN in a few years --this draft is an opportunity to put young talent in place. We have to stay young and talented thru the draft

Morning justbob.

The draft has become even more complicated because now it's the prime to get guys in anticipation of future loses.

Outside of CB, WR and RB what other position may we look for next month (and it does feel good typing "next month" when it's in relation to the draft ) in anticipation of future loses?

DE.

Canty is going to want a ton of money and I'm not sure that Spears is long for the planet in a Cowboy uniform.

 

[sago1]

We are now paying the price for not addressing the CB position last year. Trading away our own 2nd round pick for Cleveland's high 3rd & 4th round picks (Cleveland used our 2nd rounder to draft really good CB but who had off field issues). We drafted Marten & Stanbach neither who contributed last year but might do something this year. In fact the only CB addition we made while Parcells was here was to sign FA Henry; not sure what year we drafted 2 7th round CBs Reeves & Jones.

 

[burmafrd]

Anyone saying Reeves was MIGHTY FINE has no football judgement at all.

 

[justbob]

Morning justbob.

The draft has become even more complicated because now it's the prime to get guys in anticipation of future loses.

Outside of CB, WR and RB what other position may we look for next month (and it does feel good typing "next month" when it's in relation to the draft ) in anticipation of future loses?

DE.

Canty is going to want a ton of money and I'm not sure that Spears is long for the planet in a Cowboy uniform.

I think the big three has to be CB,WR ,CB and then RB ....Good chance Spears
is gone and I think you are right (can we afford Canty) Of course if he leaves we are looking at another 1st rounder to pay.

Always have to draft the mandatory DE and maybe another big nose tackle

To many choices --I am much better at second guessing then making a decsion

 

[PoetTree]

Honestly, I don't believe that. Any of the guys drafted in the first round are going to have far more upside than Reeves ever had. They'll combine Reeves speed with the instincts he never had.

Oh, they may have more upside. I don't doubt that. But they won't be nearly as polished for the pro game as Reeves was last season. Not nearly. It is a rare corner who can come in and excel in their rookie outing in the NFL. Hell, it took Trufant a couple of seasons to get his act together in this league, and he's got more talent than anyone we'll be able to grab at #22 (or 28).

And you're also assuming that any rookie corner we get won't bust, though aside from quarterback that position has the highest bust-rate in the league. And frankly, I'm not all that impressed with this year's corner crop. I don't see that as a standout position in any way for this draft. There are a few nice prospects (all of whom just MAY be gone before we pick), but no surefire pro-bowlers by any means -- and especially not all the way down to 22.

Reeves has limited upside, sure. But he'd been in our system for a while, had adjusted to the pro game, knew the schemes and had the athleticism to make it work. I cannot even begin to comfortably say that about any corner we'd have a shot at in this draft. Again, we were 13-3 with Reeves as the starter for 13 of those games, and like 12 of the wins. He's not going to be as easy to replace as you seem to think, in my opinion.


It certainly appears to be a step back to me...

:gassy1:

 

[burmafrd]

You can polish cubic zirconium all you want but it will never be a diamond or any other kind of worthwhile rock.

 

[justbob]

You can polish cubic zirconium all you want but it will never be a diamond or any other kind of worthwhile rock.

True, but it must be able to fool some people

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Oh, they may have more upside. I don't doubt that. But they won't be nearly as polished for the pro game as Reeves was last season. Not nearly. It is a rare corner who can come in and excel in their rookie outing in the NFL. Hell, it took Trufant a couple of seasons to get his act together in this league, and he's got more talent than anyone we'll be able to grab at #22 (or 28).

And you're also assuming that any rookie corner we get won't bust, though aside from quarterback that position has the highest bust-rate in the league. And frankly, I'm not all that impressed with this year's corner crop. I don't see that as a standout position in any way for this draft. There are a few nice prospects (all of whom just MAY be gone before we pick), but no surefire pro-bowlers by any means -- and especially not all the way down to 22.

Reeves has limited upside, sure. But he'd been in our system for a while, had adjusted to the pro game, knew the schemes and had the athleticism to make it work. I cannot even begin to comfortably say that about any corner we'd have a shot at in this draft. Again, we were 13-3 with Reeves as the starter for 13 of those games, and like 12 of the wins. He's not going to be as easy to replace as you seem to think, in my opinion.


It certainly appears to be a step back to me...

:gassy1:

Welcome to the 2008 NFL Poet.

You can't plug all the leaks in the dam with how the current cap situation and roster limitations are structured.

But saying that I still would prefer a 1st rounder playing over Reeves. Reeves may have looked "polished" but was it his skill or was it because we had to be so darned careful with him that we resisted any opportunity to put him in a position (say man on man) where he might not look so polished?

Look at New England at this point... they've got Welker and Troy Brown at WR.

That's how it works nowadays.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Newman, Henry and a 1st round corner makes me feel a damnsight better than Newman/Edwards or Newman/Pete Hunter or the number of other combos we tried.

 

[noletime95]

Because it seems to me that our weakest position last season... has only grown weaker since then, with no real relief in sight. As much as people maligned him over the playoff loss, Jaques Reeves played some good ball for us last year. He had some mighty fine games playing for MOST of the season in place of either an injured Newman or an injured Anthony Henry. Up until that playoff game, and everyone has bad games, he had actually put together a very solid campaign for us. As Wade Phillips would say, we were 13-3.... and most of that came with Reeves as one of our starting corners.

But he's gone now. And Anthony Henry is a year older, and I'm guessing, no less injury prone than he has been for the last 3 years. And we have absolutely NOBODY viable behind him & Newman. Not even a damned Nate Jones at this point, which is frightening when he's the next best option anyway.

This is something that I think is a real, real problem for us. Our secondary was by far the weakest link on our defense last season, and it's gotten weaker since then. And where & how are we gonna fix it? There's nada left in free agency that would do anything to upgrade it. And cornerback is one of the biggest adjustments for a rookie to make from college-to-pro. So, even if we wind up with a first-rounder... and by the time we pick, there's absolutely no guarantee that one of the better ones will even still be on the board... it'll be a hard press to find one who can play with the level of competence that Reeves showed last year. Which leaves us in an AWFUL position.

I'm glad we signed Flo and are keeping Barber & all that jazz. But we ain't goin' to the Superbowl with the secondary we have now, nor any one I can see us assembling between now and the start of the season -- barring a very unlikely trade for someone starting-caliber. Quite frankly, from where I sit, we appear screwed in that direction.


Am I the only one who sees this?

I'm definately concerned about CB, but it has nothing to do with losing Reeves. Newman has one year left on his deal, Henry is getting older and can't stay healthy. I was pretty disapointed w/ Reeves towards the end of last year. He may be a decent player for Houston, but I don't expect a step back w/ a first round pick other than maybe the first 4-5 games.

 

[Manster68]

Poet,

The best way to address this corner problem is through the draft. Use on of the first round picks on a corner, then take a chance on a second day corner.

You just can't go out and sign a 50 million dollar player each offseason when free agency arrives. Outside of Samuel, there really isn't a corner in free agency that is much of an upgrade over Reeves.

So it has to be the draft.

 

[Nightman]

I don't see the reason to panic. We lost our easily replaceable nickel corner. Draft a CB in the first and maybe later in the draft. If we lose Newman or Henry next year we also lose their cap hit and can replace them(Newman not so easy, but extending him will actually lower his cap number at first). How many teams have 4 or 5 good CBs?