Cornerbacks; Preview.

[Kiwibrown]

@NudeTayne you are the best



2017. Coverage nightmares







Our key nemesis over the last few years has been Antonio Brown.





Introducing the solution. Denzel Ward CB no.4 overall 2018 NFL draft. 6' 186lbs 4.32 speed


In 12 games vs the Browns 11-1. 86 receptions 1312 receiving yards and 7tds. Antonio Brown has dumped on us. Does this change in 2018 and beyond? 

Also we have EJ Gaines, Terrence Mitchell, TJ Carrie, BBC, Mike Jordan, Denzel Rice and Simeon Thomas round out the group. 

We have lost two starters from last year, Jamar Tayor and Jason McCourty. McCourty played well until injured, after which all you had to do was run by him. Jamar Taylor got paid by Sachi and then seemed to lose interest, to be fair he seems more like a man-to-man corner rather than a zone corner. 

Do you like the FA additions of EJ Gaines, Mitchell and Carrie over these two? Both Mitchell and Carrie have been given pretty decent contracts, while Gaines is on a 1 year job. 

[OhioG]

I dont like Mitchell and Carrie. 

Gaines has talent so im glad we have him and Ward

Looking forward to some young guys to develop

[NudeTayne]

Illuminati hand signal spotted.

[NudeTayne]

I do appreciate Middle Eastern Bradley Cooper, though.

[Kiwibrown]

3 minutes ago, NudeTayne said:

I do appreciate Middle Eastern Bradley Cooper, though.

And he appreciates you. 

[Kiwibrown]

19 minutes ago, ohiogenius said:

I dont like Mitchell and Carrie. 

Gaines has talent so im glad we have him and Ward

Looking forward to some young guys to develop

I’m least impressed with Carrie I like the match up of bbc vs mitchell for the slot. 

I also like the versatility of bbc as a nickel, boundary and fs.

[candyman93]

What are you guys talking about? I’ve read Carrie is a beast in the slot.

 

We will probably need a long term #2 CB if Gaines doesn’t work out.

[Kiwibrown]

I think I got Carrie and Mitchell mixed. Least impressed with Mitchell excited for carrie

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

I think Ward will be good, but Brown will give him the business early on imo.

We have a couple good slots, an unproven but highly talented rookie and couple JAG’s and some unknowns.

Not a great group, not deep at all.

[MWil23]

I’d look for us to go from horrendous in 2017 to bad in early 2018 and approaching average by the end of the season, with Ward coming on strong in the 2nd half.

Also, Approaching Average is a great name for a band.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

 

1 hour ago, MWil23 said:

Also, Approaching Average is a great name for a band.

Also a great pet name for my wife.

[MWil23]

15 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

 

Also a great pet name for my wife.

I thought that was her pet name for your...erm...never mind.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

Just now, MWil23 said:

I thought that was her pet name for your...erm...never mind.

I wish...

[BleedTheClock]

I think Ward is going to be a lockdown corner from day 1. He was one of the best CB prospects I have evaluated ever. Just flawless technique in man coverage. Physical, fast, has ball skills, instincts....this dude does it all at a very high level.

 

Outside of him, I think we have a bunch of singles (baseball reference). Not bad, but nothing that we can't improve upon.

 

Ward as the #1 CB: A+

Gaines as the #2 CB: C+

Carrie as the #3 CB: B+

BBC as the #4 CB: A+

Terrence Mitchell as the #5 CB: B-

Simeon Thomas as the #6 CB: C???

 

It's a pretty darn good group. I just hope we play more man coverage this year, because that's where Ward excelled. He played press man all game long, which is something Gregg Williams only ran in our freaking goal line defense last year. We were almost exclusively off zone last season and it was infuriating. I hope with better players at the position he plays to their strengths and lets them bump and run.

[jking948]

I think Ward will take four or five games to start looking like an impact player.

BBC is one of the better slot corners in the NFL. He is not great at doing much else, but I think he will have a positive impact. Gaines, Carrie, and Mitchell are all pretty average. Gaines and Carrie were both analytic pluses last year, but neither can cover the other team's best receiving threat.

I think we will have a good cornerbacks group... Probably between 12-15 in the NFL. With that said, I think it could look like one of the worst units in the NFL those first few weeks, because we still do not have anyone that can guard the other team's best.