Is Hobbs a Starting-quality Corner

[DaBruinz]

Plain and Simple. Is Hobbs a starting quality corner-back?

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

yes.................

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Plain and Simple. Is Hobbs a starting quality corner-back?

I'm not answering this without a poll.

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O yea, please.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Of course he is. Is he a starting quality CB for a SB contender ? A tougher question . . . I think the answer next year will be yes with another year of experience and without a broken bone in his wrist.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Next year will be his 3rd year, basically his make it or break it year.

I think with his experience and ability he has all the right tools to be in our system and be a great corner back. I have no doubt in my mind that he is a stating calibur player.

His jumping ability alone is amazing.

 

[363839]

Right now, I'd say he's better off in the nickel position but he
is young and has time to improve.
When he's healthy, he has his moments both good and bad.
But don't worry, DaBruins, if he doesn't get better, BB will be
on top of it/him.
Are you trying to say that maybe we should keep an eye out
for a corner in the draft or FA?
I'm sure Belioli will be looking at all possibilities.

 

[jrpatsfan]

I say yes, he had a solid performance against the colts, and you can't face a much tougher passing attack than that.

 

[lutontown_fc]

I like Hobbs - he's a real gamer.

His chin doesnt drop when he gets beat on a play - people forget they pay those WR dudes big money to do just that, and the rules are weighted against them (unless you're a Colt DB facing Troy Brown).

Some people may never be able to reconcile themselves with his lack of height - I think he's done growin'.

He showed some great instincts early in the Colts game - made a great play to bat the ball away a couple of times in the first half.

Those were elite guys he was up against.

So yeah, he'll start - not many teams have two guys the calibre of Patriots era Ty Law - and if they do they aint making the playoffs that often.

NM

 

[patsfan55]

definitely yes
my question is can he become a number 1?
its possible
lets see how he does with two hands next yr

 

[Brady to Brown]

He must learn the Polian way. But yes I believe he can be a very good corner.

 

[emoney_33]

I haven't understood at all why anyone would bash Hobbs or call him a nickel cb only. Does Samuel have 10 INTs because he's amazing and the other team was too stupid to "pick" on the "lesser" Hobbs? Is BB stupid to frequently match Hobbs up with the opposition's best receiver?

I dont know what people see when they watch Hobbs but I see a very talented cb with more room to grow. And remember no CB in the league allows 0 receptions. The best corners in the world are going to let up some plays now and again. Hobbs is absolutely starting quality and IMO better than that guy who will make a ton of money because of his fortunate hands this year.

 

[DaBruinz]

I haven't understood at all why anyone would bash Hobbs or call him a nickel cb only. Does Samuel have 10 INTs because he's amazing and the other team was too stupid to "pick" on the "lesser" Hobbs? Is BB stupid to frequently match Hobbs up with the opposition's best receiver?

I dont know what people see when they watch Hobbs but I see a very talented cb with more room to grow. And remember no CB in the league allows 0 receptions. The best corners in the world are going to let up some plays now and again. Hobbs is absolutely starting quality and IMO better than that guy who will make a ton of money because of his fortunate hands this year.

Well, I don't believe that Hobbs was matched up against the oppositions best WRs all the time. However, one does have to ask why so many teams threw to Asante's side vs. Hobbs side.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I haven't understood at all why anyone would bash Hobbs or call him a nickel cb only. Does Samuel have 10 INTs because he's amazing and the other team was too stupid to "pick" on the "lesser" Hobbs? Is BB stupid to frequently match Hobbs up with the opposition's best receiver?

I dont know what people see when they watch Hobbs but I see a very talented cb with more room to grow. And remember no CB in the league allows 0 receptions. The best corners in the world are going to let up some plays now and again. Hobbs is absolutely starting quality and IMO better than that guy who will make a ton of money because of his fortunate hands this year.

Not just "anybody" bashing Hobbs, we're talking the stumbling testament to football dementia.

 

[DaBruinz]

Well, now this is interesting. With all due respect to all of you who think he is a starting corner...you will all be seeing otherwise come next September when he is replace on the corner opposite Samuel by either Eugene Wilson, a draft pick, or a free agent.......

And then Hobbs will be the nickel back.

Again, we are all entitled to our opinions and I respect yours. I would expect the same respec for me having mine.

Next September, when Hobbs is replaced at the starting corner position, maybe then you will see what I have seen.

He is a gard nosed, quality player, and has a great attitude. He is just weak at the corner position, gets beaten regularly, and creates situations in which the only way he can recover is to committ pass interference.

Sure, he makes an occasional good play, but unfortunatley, his bad ones far outnumber his good ones.

There were man occasions this past season wher BB started other players over Hobbs on the corner.......must be a reason....

He should remain on the team, a gutsy player, but, IMO, wont be one of the two starting corners with Asante Samuel next season.

Unfortunately, I am not at home and don't have access to my full library of stat links to see if you are just talking out your arse again or not. I believe you are, but I will have to wait until Friday to prove it unless someone is kind enough to post the link to STATSINC so I can see for myself just how much Hobbs was penalized.

 

[javajunky]

Samuel is a classic Tampa Cover Two Corner with fantastic ball skills. However, a healthy Hobbs does some things that Samuel can't. Hobbs is better at bump and run and keeps tight man coverage even without Safety help. Hobbs is not an elite corner, but in many ways is more versatile than Samuel. It took fours years for Samuel to blossom and reach his potential. I have a feeling it will take Hobbs only three.

I remember the old man-zone schemes that Law and Poole played a few years back. I have hopes that Hobbs, and a lighter Wilson, will have the skill set to help bring those schemes back to the team’s defensive playbook. Some may question the idea of Wilson sliding back to the corner position, but he look damn good there before the team asked him to gain 15lbs. Wilson’s move to Safety was out of necessity, not design.

 

[everlong]

Wilson isn't a quality starting CB or he would have been moved back there in the past.

I'm just hoping he can stay healthy enough to be a quality starting safety or nickle back going forward.

 

[Brady to Brown]

Both are great corners. Neither would be as good without the big 3 up front.

I would not put Samuel ahead of Hobbs at this point. I hope we get to see them work out who is best over the next 3 - 5 years.

 

[DaBruinz]

He couldnt be moved there before because we didnt have any other decent safeties. Now we haved the emrgence of Hawkins and Sanders and the return of Harrison is expected. Wilson's move to corner is a very high probability.

NEM -
This is only partially true. Hawkins emerged LAST YEAR as a viable replacement for Wilson.

Fact is that Wilson has been GUNSHY ever since he broke his arm against the Eagles in SB 39.

The Pats could, most certainly, have moved Wilson to CB last year as Hawkins had already proven he was jsut as good. I think BB was hoping that Wilson could regain his confidence, but it didn't happen.

 

[everlong]

I agree with Bruinz they could have moved him to start the year. He's not a CB and we'll have to wait and see if he's still a FS. If he plays like he did in 03-04 he's a much better FS than Hawkins, Sanders or Harrison, but we haven't seen that in a while.

 

[ATippett56]

NEM -
Fact is that Wilson has been GUNSHY ever since he broke his arm against the Eagles in SB 39.

The Pats could, most certainly, have moved Wilson to CB last year as Hawkins had already proven he was jsut as good. I think BB was hoping that Wilson could regain his confidence, but it didn't happen.

Hopefully safety Michael Griffin will come to the rescue via the 2007 NFL draft. It doesn't hurt to add a player on the roster with championship pedigree.