Cornerbacks; Preview.

[brownie man]

Yeah the best thing with Ward is we didnt have to rush to start him 

with Gaines and Mitchell 

if hes starting he earned it

I dont see why he cant have a Marshon Lattimore type season maybe not as many INTs but potentially more PBUs

[jking948]

7 hours ago, brownie man said:

Yeah the best thing with Ward is we didnt have to rush to start him 

with Gaines and Mitchell 

if hes starting he earned it

I dont see why he cant have a Marshon Lattimore type season maybe not as many INTs but potentially more PBUs

They are definitely different players. But I think he could have a similar impact throughout their respective careers. 

Analytics almost exclusively favor corners that create turnovers. It is pretty straightforward. If you have the ball, you score, and if your opponent does, they can score and you cannot. Thus, turnover creation is viewed as incredibly important. But interestingly, Ward consistently ranked in the top-2 corners in this class and top-4 over the past two years without strong turnover creation. That should explain how dominant he was in coverage. He is so good that his ability to lockdown a receiver over the course of a game is similar to a corner that generates one turnover per game. That is pretty insane.

[DizzyDean]

5 minutes ago, jking948 said:

They are definitely different players. But I think he could have a similar impact throughout their respective careers. 

Analytics almost exclusively favor corners that create turnovers. It is pretty straightforward. If you have the ball, you score, and if your opponent does, they can score and you cannot. Thus, turnover creation is viewed as incredibly important. But interestingly, Ward consistently ranked in the top-2 corners in this class and top-4 over the past two years without strong turnover creation. That should explain how dominant he was in coverage. He is so good that his ability to lockdown a receiver over the course of a game is similar to a corner that generates one turnover per game. That is pretty insane.

I think you are trying to describe Nnamdi Asomugha during his prime in Oakland.  His stats were non existant mostly because other teams just did not throw at him.

[AkronsWitness]

On 7/25/2018 at 1:54 AM, BleedTheClock said:

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.

Well word on the street is that Mitchell is playing head and shoulders above Carrie and Gaines and is now the starting #2 opposite of Ward. As well as Gaines was viewed in Free Agency because of his play last year its weird that I havent heard a single peep about him since training camp started.

Carrie has been getting dusted by pretty much everyone and hasnt had a good day of camp yet according to beat writers. I dont really know how any of this will shake out besides the fact that I wish we didnt give away Jason McCourty. I would feel better about him right now that any corner on the roster not named Ward.

 

[DizzyDean]

37 minutes ago, AkronsWitness said:

Well word on the street is that Mitchell is playing head and shoulders above Carrie and Gaines and is now the starting #2 opposite of Ward. As well as Gaines was viewed in Free Agency because of his play last year its weird that I havent heard a single peep about him since training camp started.

Carrie has been getting dusted by pretty much everyone and hasnt had a good day of camp yet according to beat writers. I dont really know how any of this will shake out besides the fact that I wish we didnt give away Jason McCourty. I would feel better about him right now that any corner on the roster not named Ward.

 

Not sure where you get Gaines is the 2 since he has taken no reps with the 2s.  Carrie was taking them, then he was passed by Mitchell who is now taking them.  I do not even know what Gaines is doing.  I have not heard a peep.

[AkronsWitness]

8 minutes ago, DizzyDean said:

Not sure where you get Gaines is the 2 since he has taken no reps with the 2s.  Carrie was taking them, then he was passed by Mitchell who is now taking them.  I do not even know what Gaines is doing.  I have not heard a peep.

I was referring to Mitchell not Gaines but yes its weird we havent head anything in regards to Gaines