So, are we looking for cornerbacks?

BTW, that Marshall CB I mentioned in the pro day thread that put up some great numbers, Darryl Roberts had the second most PBUs in college football last year. I mention that because:

A good barometer for a corner is how often does he get his hands on the ball. Not just INTs but break ups too.

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I didn't get to watch the Senior Bowl this year. Was there a CB that stood out? The last time one stood out for me, it was Richard Sherman. The entire game, Sherman was making plays despite the negativity the announcers were throwing on him and I was surprised that he slipped as far as he did. But that was clearly influenced by his attitude..

The Pats Corners currently are:
Logan Ryan
Malcolm Butler
Alfonzo Dennard
Kyle Arrington
Justin Green
Chimdi Chikwa
Daz Swanson

To say that I expect a draft pick or two would be an understatement.. *LOL*

DaBruinz said:

I didn't get to watch the Senior Bowl this year. Was there a CB that stood out? The last time one stood out for me, it was Richard Sherman. The entire game, Sherman was making plays despite the negativity the announcers were throwing on him and I was surprised that he slipped as far as he did. But that was clearly influenced by his attitude..

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I thought Steven Nelson of Oregon State was very very good. Reminds me a lot of Dennard. Nick Marshall, the QB from Aubrn who is switching to CB has great size for the position at 6'1", 207lbs and whilst he got burned a couple of times showed some real ability. He's a development project but he could be a really good one.

DaBruinz said:

The Pats Corners currently are:
Logan Ryan
Malcolm Butler
Alfonzo Dennard
Kyle Arrington
Justin Green
Chimdi Chikwa
Daz Swanson

To say that I expect a draft pick or two would be an understatement.. *LOL*

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Unless they trade or sign someone, I expect them to double dip. But I think you are under-selling that group a little. Clearly it lacks a number one guy but it was only a season ago that Dennard was our number two and Butler showed some skill last year. Anything is possible with McCourty and I can see them playing an effective cover-3 with Dennard/Butler on the outside and Ryan/Arrington playing the slot. And this, of course, pre-supposes no other additions which there will be. I think we'll see some interesting camp battles in August.

DaBruinz said:

The Pats Corners currently are:
Logan Ryan
Malcolm Butler
Alfonzo Dennard
Kyle Arrington
Justin Green
Chimdi Chikwa
Daz Swanson

To say that I expect a draft pick or two would be an understatement.. *LOL*

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That group is a lot better than you are giving them credit for.

IMO the pick at #32 is Quentin Rollins the former point guard for Miami (Ohio). He has only one year at the CB position and has already shown that he had great ball skills. I saw him in the East West shrine game and he reminded me of Richard Sherman when he played in that game.

Blue horseshoe likes Kevin johnson of wake forest.

kennyb said:

Blue horseshoe likes Kevin johnson of wake forest.

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I like Johnson as well. I think he is perfect for our scheme.

Corners are perhaps the least NFL ready position for a rookie on the entire field. I really hope we don't use a high pick on one when he likely won't contribute.

Really impressed with FSU's PJ Williams. great size, very explosive on CB blitzes and stopping screens, plays press well and does it regularly so isn't much of a projection into our defence. Only concern is his long speed and COD. Ideal cover 3 corner, could be a good man press corner too although I wouldn't grade him quite so high there. Top 40 grade for me.

From Lance Zierlein

BOTTOM LINE
Cover cornerback with the talent to play on an island, and the swagger to regroup and forget when beaten. Williams can cover outside or from the slot, and has potential to come in and start right away for an aggressive man-cover defense. With consistency of effort, Williams could become the best cornerback to come out of this draft.

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http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/p.j.-williams?id=2552484

manxman2601 said:

Unless they trade or sign someone, I expect them to double dip. But I think you are under-selling that group a little. Clearly it lacks a number one guy but it was only a season ago that Dennard was our number two and Butler showed some skill last year. Anything is possible with McCourty and I can see them playing an effective cover-3 with Dennard/Butler on the outside and Ryan/Arrington playing the slot. And this, of course, pre-supposes no other additions which there will be. I think we'll see some interesting camp battles in August.

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How can you say that I am under-selling the group just because I expect a draft pick or two? Especially when you turn right around and say you expect them to double dip?

DaBruinz said:

How can you say that I am under-selling the group just because I expect a draft pick or two? Especially when you turn right around and say you expect them to double dip?

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The tone of your post suggested that this wasn't a very good group of cornerbacks, that's all I was responding too. And i did only say "under-selling a little". I agree that the group can be upgraded, I just don't think it qualifies for a "LOL". That's all.

manxman2601 said:

Really impressed with FSU's PJ Williams. great size, very explosive on CB blitzes and stopping screens, plays press well and does it regularly so isn't much of a projection into our defence. Only concern is his long speed and COD. Ideal cover 3 corner, could be a good man press corner too although I wouldn't grade him quite so high there. Top 40 grade for me.

From Lance Zierlein

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/p.j.-williams?id=2552484

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Right now I assume that Trae Waynes will be out of reach, but the rest of the CB class is wide open right now. What's your overall sense of how they sort out?

- Marcus Peters - maybe the most talented of the bunch but over-aggressive at times, and off field issues; questions about his long speed
- Jalen Collins - ideal size and measurables, but a work in progress; has drawn some comparisons to Ras-I Dowling as a prospect
- Byron Jones - physical freak with good but not great tape
- PJ Williams - questions about his long speed and COD
- Quinten Rollins - BB convert with limited experience, needs to refine his technique
- Kevin Johnson - loose hips and good man coverage skills, may be more ready than some of the guys above, but perhaps with less upside

I don't really yet have a good feel for this group in terms of sorting them out and ranking them. Maybe that's a good thing, as there probably will be a couple on the board at 32, and maybe into the mid 2nd round. Including Waynes, I don't see more than 4-5 CBs going before #32.

If the Pats could get one of those guys plus someone like Eric Rowe or Josh Shaw, I think they would have a very solid pair to build on.

For those who are concerned about rookie CBs, IIRC we got pretty solid play out of Alfonzo Dennard in 2012. His emergence was a key along with the Talib trade and the move of McCourty to FS.

mayoclinic said:

Right now I assume that Trae Waynes will be out of reach, but the rest of the CB class is wide open right now. What's your overall sense of how they sort out?

- Marcus Peters - maybe the most talented of the bunch but over-aggressive at times, and off field issues; questions about his long speed
- Jalen Collins - ideal size and measurables, but a work in progress; has drawn some comparisons to Ras-I Dowling as a prospect
- Byron Jones - physical freak with good but not great tape
- PJ Williams - questions about his long speed and COD
- Quinten Rollins - BB convert with limited experience, needs to refine his technique
- Kevin Johnson - loose hips and good man coverage skills, may be more ready than some of the guys above, but perhaps with less upside

I don't really yet have a good feel for this group in terms of sorting them out and ranking them. Maybe that's a good thing, as there probably will be a couple on the board at 32, and maybe into the mid 2nd round. Including Waynes, I don't see more than 4-5 CBs going before #32.

If the Pats could get one of those guys plus someone like Eric Rowe or Josh Shaw, I think they would have a very solid pair to build on.

For those who are concerned about rookie CBs, IIRC we got pretty solid play out of Alfonzo Dennard in 2012. His emergence was a key along with the Talib trade and the move of McCourty to FS.

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I'm not overly thrilled with the CB quality early - I think it's OK but there's not many that come in and start over Dennard/Butler on the outside..assuming Dennard still has a future with the Pats.

I've yet to watch Peters but I think he probably goes before 32 anyway. Kevin Johnson is good but not special. Like you, I just don't see the upside. Rollins is slow and I don't know where you play him. I'm OK with him at 64 but not before. Collins is so inexperienced that I just don't know what to make of him. I think he's too much of a risk at 32 - he might be one to pick up in a trade back.

For now, pending watching Peters, it's Jones/Williams and then a big gap to the others for me. I still really like Nelson but he projects more as a #2 guy who I wouldn't take until at least #64. If Dennard leaves, he'd be a really good replacement.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2079873/nick-marshall

03/03/2015 - Nick Marshall is willing to play anywhere in the NFL. Offense, defense or special teams, he just wants to be in the league. So, he spent Auburn's pro day Tuesday throwing passes, displaying his athletic ability in defensive back drills and fielding punts. It's the latest audition for a player who started his college career as a defensive back at Georgia and, as a quarterback, led Auburn into the national championship game two years ago. Marshall reiterated his focus is now once again on the defensive side of the ball. "I'm locked into defensive back right now," said Marshall, the last of 21 NFL hopefuls leaving the practice field. But, equally notable, he added: "To be on anybody's team, I'm going to do whatever they want me to do."
NFL scouts and coaches, including the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick, watched Marshall fire passes to ex-teammates like Sammie Coates. Then they checked Marshall out at cornerback. "What you see in the drills is just how athletic he is, how well he catches the football, how quick he is," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "You can't really just plug him in and say he's going to be a starting corner in the NFL, but what you can see is a willingness to do whatever it takes. You can see a really good athlete. "I see maybe a safety, other people may see a corner, but most importantly, I think we all see a competitive athlete." - AP Sports

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A possibility, good athlete, long arms, good football IQ projected 4th or 5th

Rusty Coupe said:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2079873/nick-marshall



A possibility, good athlete, long arms, good football IQ projected 4th or 5th

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Was in my mock today. I do think he has to be the second CB in a double dip at the position though, I don't want him to be the only CB added in the draft unless we get a vet to take the CB1 role.

manxman2601 said:

Was in my mock today. I do think he has to be the second CB in a double dip at the position though, I don't want him to be the only CB added in the draft unless we get a vet to take the CB1 role.

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Yup. He's been on our collective short list for a while. He's currently #3 on my list of prospects for a #2 CB in a double-dip, after Eric Rowe and Josh Shaw.

If K. Johnson, P.J. Williams and B. Jones are all available at 32, who would you pick?

KevinFaulk-33 said:

If K. Johnson, P.J. Williams and B. Jones are all available at 32, who would you pick?

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Personally, I'd trade back a bit and then see who's still available. I don't have a clear winner right now, though that could change. If forced to pick, it would be a toss up between Jones and Johnson. I'm not sure Williams has the long speed and COD for a #1 CB, though he'd make a great #2.