What are your HONEST OPINIONS on the play of Ellis Hobbs?

[billdog3484]

I think he is one of the better #2 cornerbacks in the league. unfortunately, he is playing #1 Cornerback for us. Therefore, he is struggling. I think thats all anyone can say. Hes definitely not a #1 CB but a very good #2.

 

[Jimke]

I like Hobbs, he is a solid CB and would be better if our 2nd CB wasn't Delta O'Neal

Until the Patriots are willing to pay more than minimum salary

for free agent cornerbacks, the second cornerback will be as inept

as Deltha O'Neill. The hope is that a draftee will eventually develop

into a good cornerback. A day #1 pick in 2009 has to be a cornerback.

 

[emoney_33]

I think he is one of the better #2 cornerbacks in the league. unfortunately, he is playing #1 Cornerback for us. Therefore, he is struggling. I think thats all anyone can say. Hes definitely not a #1 CB but a very good #2.

He's playing #1 without there being a legit #2, both starting safeties young and inexperienced, and a lot of youth and inexperience at LB on most downs. Sorry but it just isn't possible anymore for any corner to succeed alone. Look at the Broncos. Put Samuel in Hobbs place on this exact team and he will NOT look any better.

 

[Mack Herron]

Hobbs plays well with the ball in front of him, with good quickness and reaction time. He has trouble finding the ball and making plays with his back to the ball and gets beat frequently on deep passes and unable to adjust even to an underthrown ball. These have been very costly, as in the recent Jets game.

 

[MassPats38]

I like Hobbs, but his height definitely costs him in man coverage (he can compensate for his smurfness, but it has cost him passes defensed on a number of occasions). That fact alone would preclude me from calling him a true number 1 corner in the NFL. His coverage skills are good and he is quick enough to stay in the mix and break up passes. He deserves to be on the field.

O'Neal strikes me now as a nickel back who has been forced out of that role and is showing it. He plays well off the receivers at times and gives up short passes or comes in and gets torched long when the receiver blows past him. I actually thought Chad Scott would be a better option than what I have seen of O'Neal (I am assuming he was slower than last year or never really healed), and he was not really a starting corner at this point in his career.

I thought Wheatley was looking good until his injury, so hopefully he returns healthy and can do something. He may be another Hobbs but is also a smurf.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

He has regressed from his 2006 form, even his late 2005 rookie form. He used to play much better with his back turned, but now he loses sight of the ball more often, allowing for big gains more often than a CB should.

His best game this year was on Cotchery in the first Jets game. Yet in the rematch he lost sight of the ball again for Cotchery's ridiculous helmet catch.

Still, he's pretty good on balls in front of him where he doesn't have to turn his hips. However, that usually means he's leaving a huge cushion. I don't know if that's by design (BB's zone schemes) or to compensate for an apparent weakness the coaching staff sees in his game.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Lansdowne]

He's a solid #2 CB and he gives an honest effort every game. He can be overmatched at times because of his height, and I can't say I'm terrible confident any time a WR takes him deep. But I was comfortable enough when Samuel was on the other side of the field. This year Hobbs has been under more of a microscope because of the poor play of O'Neal.

 

[Deus Irae]

He's the team's best DB. Last year, he was the team's best DB and, even though he got beat on the TD to Burress in the Super Bowl, I think it says a lot about the way the coaches view him that he was left alone on an island on that play rather than having Samuel covering on that jailbreak blitz. He takes a lot of unfair criticism from people here that, perhaps, don't understand what's happening with the team's defensive secondary.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Until the Patriots are willing to pay more than minimum salary

for free agent cornerbacks, the second cornerback will be as inept

as Deltha O'Neill. The hope is that a draftee will eventually develop

into a good cornerback. A day #1 pick in 2009 has to be a cornerback.

Why? Bringing in good, not great CBs worked beautiful in the past.

Ask tyrone Poole. Hank Poteat, Earthwind Moreland. The funny thing is all those guys did better than O'Neal did, because the front 7 covered their ass.

 

[BionicPatriot]

He's the team's best DB. Last year, he was the team's best DB and, even though he got beat on the TD to Burress in the Super Bowl, I think it says a lot about the way the coaches view him that he was left alone on an island on that play rather than having Samuel covering on that jailbreak blitz. He takes a lot of unfair criticism from people here that, perhaps, don't understand what's happening with the team's defensive secondary.

I think it's more that people don't realize if you put him on the Giants or titans, none of this would be said. Do I think he's a true #1 corner you can leave on anyone? No, and that's because most elite WRs are freaking giraffes and it's just not possible for him to cover a pass chucked up to a guy who's 6'4 when he's 5'9 or 5'10.

People here really don't appreciate Hobbs.

 

[Deus Irae]

I think it's more that people don't realize if you put him on the Giants or titans, none of this would be said. Do I think he's a true #1 corner you can leave on anyone? No, and that's because most elite WRs are freaking giraffes and it's just not possible for him to cover a pass chucked up to a guy who's 6'4 when he's 5'9 or 5'10.

People here really don't appreciate Hobbs.

Well, the height thing is also ridiculously overblown. Yes, it's true that if you put a 5'9" db on a 6'5" receiver, the db is going to be at a disadvantage when the QB is able to make a lob pass to the proper window. On the other hand, having a 6'1" db trying to cover the Steve Smiths of the world is going to result in a lot of completions for huge gains. It's just the nature of the beast in a league where even minor contact is now treated as if the receiver got bludgeoned with a lead truncheon.

 

[ALP]

i believe hobbs could pull off being a num 1 corner in some teams (like ours for instance, if we had a pass rush and better safeties)

but more then likely i see him as an above average number 2

and he most defenetely makes more plays then he allows, and the way he has to take wr's deep, its tough, so u have to expect some of those

however, hobbs does not suck, and i would be mroe then happy w/ him as our top corner if we had a pass rush and upgraded sanders

 

[ALP]

Well, the height thing is also ridiculously overblown. Yes, it's true that if you put a 5'9" db on a 6'5" receiver, the db is going to be at a disadvantage when the QB is able to make a lob pass to the proper window. On the other hand, having a 6'1" db trying to cover the Steve Smiths of the world is going to result in a lot of completions for huge gains. It's just the nature of the beast in a league where even minor contact is now treated as if the receiver got bludgeoned with a lead truncheon.

only prob w/ that is that most recievers in the NFL are around the 6'3'' range, and not the steve smith range

 

[Deus Irae]

only prob w/ that is that most recievers in the NFL are around the 6'3'' range, and not the steve smith range

Patriots: 6'4", 6'1", 5'9"
Jets: 5'11", 6'1"
Dolphins: 6'1", 5'11", 5'11"
Bills: 5'10", 5'10", 5'10"

Now, perhaps the AFC East is an exception to the rule, but in the division, there's only one WR with a truly significant edge, and that's Moss. For the other teams, having a 'quick' db is more important than having the height.

Just to check another division, I'll pick the pass-happy NFC South:

Bucs: 6'1", 6'4", 5'11", 5'11"
Panthers: 5'9", 6'2"
Falcons: 6'1", 6'4"
Saints: 6'4", 5'11", 5'9"

Not as short as the AFC East, but not peopled exclusively by Giants, either.

disclaimer: I chose the above divisions because of how they relate to the situation, but I did not check out the others. It may be that the above is not indicative of the entire league. I'm simply not in the mood to break down the heights of every single team's top receivers.

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Well, the height thing is also ridiculously overblown. Yes, it's true that if you put a 5'9" db on a 6'5" receiver, the db is going to be at a disadvantage when the QB is able to make a lob pass to the proper window.

And let's not forget Ellis the III has a very impressive vertical leap, second highest at the combine that year if I remember. The dude can elevate and plays much bigger than he is. Just wish he had more safety help over the top allowing him to play more to his aggressive nature (and a pass rush wouldn't hurt either).

 

[ALP]

Patriots: 6'4", 6'1", 5'9"
Jets: 5'11", 6'1"
Dolphins: 6'1", 5'11", 5'11"
Bills: 5'10", 5'10", 5'10"

Now, perhaps the AFC East is an exception to the rule, but in the division, there's only one WR with a truly significant edge, and that's Moss. For the other teams, having a 'quick' db is more important than having the height.

Just to check another division, I'll pick the pass-happy NFC South:

Bucs: 6'1", 6'4", 5'11", 5'11"
Panthers: 5'9", 6'2"
Falcons: 6'1", 6'4"
Saints: 6'4", 5'11", 5'9"

Not as short as the AFC East, but not peopled exclusively by Giants, either.

disclaimer: I chose the above divisions because of how they relate to the situation, but I did not check out the others. It may be that the above is not indicative of the entire league. I'm simply not in the mood to break down the heights of every single team's top receivers.

thats an interesting note about the division rivals....

btw, why wasnt hobbs questioned last season? when other teams were passing even more???


there u go, hobbs is not the problem

 

[PittPatriot]

Newflash: They both suck. O'Neal definitely sucks worse though. Hobbs is a great kick returner. Hobbs should be a nickle. I can't stand Hobbs' celebration "dances" after making a play. As I said in the game day thread - he's not worthy. I will not waste time on O'Neal's deficiencies. Lets just say they are plentiful and they make me sick.

Hobbs = Jimmy Hitch****.
He is a #2 CB on a decent defense and a Nickle on a good defense.
I'd pick Humpty Dumpty to win a jump ball with him (his timing is terrible).
I think he is a top 5 kick returner in this league.

 

[dhamz]

On defense, he's basically a guy that isn't so good you would look at him and think that he can't be upgraded but isn't so bad that you look at him and think he absolutely needs to be replaced. He's a serviceable corner. He always plays hard and he plays hurt.

He's an outstanding kick returner.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Ellis is Tedy Bruschi on an island - Full Tilt, Full Time - hurt or not, Safety help or not, Ellis is giving your every last ounce he's got, he's doing it with enthusiasm, and more often than not he's getting the job done and the doubters are only noticing him on the infrequent occasions when the offense wins one. :rocker:

 

[PatsFan2]

I have been arguing with this guy all morning about it. He thinks that he flat out sucks. I totally DISAGREE. Deltha O'Neal SUCKS. Hobbs is ok, IMHO. He's not great, but he's OK. I like Hobbs. I think that he gets a lot of unnecessary abuse from "SOME" fans and media. What are your thoughts?

I had my doubts about him after they declined to resign Asante Samuel. But i must admit about Ellis Hobbs even without a pass rush he plays CB very well Teams aren't picking on him. And i must also say even at his small stature Ellis Hobbs has gotten everything he possibly can out of his abilities. That cannot be said of Laurence Maroney and Ben Watson who reminds me of the old saying "looks like Trazan plays like Jane. That said Ellis Hobbs should be a Patriot for Life!