Good news for the Patriots: The CB glut

ivanvamp · Mar 13, 2013

From: Snap Judgments from the first day of free agency - NFL - Don Banks - SI.com

"Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be veteran cornerbacks in this free-agent market. Because there's a bunch of them, and there won't be enough chairs to go around once the music stops. With Winfield released by Minnesota, he joins the likes of Charles Woodson, Nnamdi Asomugha, DeAngelo Hall, Sean Smith, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib, Derek Cox, Cary Williams and that guy from New York who's reportedly about to be traded: Darrelle Revis."

A glut in the market should mean that the prices for these guys goes down, right? Thus, there's a really good chance that NE lands one of the better ones, at probably a lower price than originally thought.

borg · Mar 13, 2013

Big time WRs are pulling in $10+ mill/year while the name DBs are getting put out to pasture. Have the front offices come to the conclusion that it's better to buy points than prevent them. Have DBs become a generic commodity, especially under the new non contact format the league's lawyers are pushing. Is the NFL headed towards the CFL/Arena style of pinball scoring football. Defenses came to life this past football postseason, but isn't the future of the league going to be so influenced by player safety that offenses will be gaining an enormous upper hand?

Maybe this devaluation of the DB has more to do with gate receipts. Are fans flocking to watch Revis not get thrown at in a game? Is it a better fan experience watching your team lose 17-7 or 35-24 with a more sound aerial attack?

Maybe front offices find it cost ineffective to pay one DB an over proportion of salary when the team is playing nickel and dime D for the majority of the game?

Or maybe the front offices value pass rush more as the tool to slow down a passing attack. Two DEs or 5 DBs? To me, a dominant DE can alter the game more than the dominant DB that doesn't get thrown at.

I'm just glad the Pats have FA options and the costs appear somewhat contained at this time.

strngplyr · Mar 13, 2013

borg said:
Big time WRs are pulling in $10+ mill/year while the name DBs are getting put out to pasture. Have the front offices come to the conclusion that it's better to buy points than prevent them. Have DBs become a generic commodity, especially under the new non contact format the league's lawyers are pushing. Is the NFL headed towards the CFL/Arena style of pinball scoring football. Defenses came to life this past football postseason, but isn't the future of the league going to be so influenced by player safety that offenses will be gaining an enormous upper hand?

Maybe this devaluation of the DB has more to do with gate receipts. Are fans flocking to watch Revis not get thrown at in a game? Is it a better fan experience watching your team lose 17-7 or 35-24 with a more sound aerial attack?

Maybe front offices find it cost ineffective to pay one DB an over proportion of salary when the team is playing nickel and dime D for the majority of the game?

Or maybe the front offices value pass rush more as the tool to slow down a passing attack. Two DEs or 5 DBs? To me, a dominant DE can alter the game more than the dominant DB that doesn't get thrown at.

I'm just glad the Pats have FA options and the costs appear somewhat contained at this time.

A 10m+ /yr WR should, in theory, draw the coverage of multiple DB's. He will impact the game to a greater effect than any one defensive back. There are very, very few true shutdown corners who will never need assassitance with a top tier WR and there are many WR's talented enough to beat most teams #1 corner if he's on an island.

So why should a corner make nearly as much as a WR when you're going to need your top CB and usually a safety to help stop him?

Cornerbacks were so incredibly overpaid the last 2 offseasons with players like Asomoguah, Finnegan, Carr and Revis all getting ridiculous deals/extensions. It's coming back to bite the teams who did it and most of those players are finding themselves looking for new teams or have been asked to redo their deal.

I'm expecting to see a much more reasonable rate this offseason with the top deals around 7-8m and the mid around 5-6. The shear number of CBs available also helps.

b72s · Mar 13, 2013

I agree this is great for us to get a vet

Also might like Huff if we cannot get Ed Reed

Reckedtrek · Mar 13, 2013

Supply and demand.

With this type of talent to draw from, the Pats secondary has no excuses this year. They made a step forward last year, and they should make a really big step forward this year. Could 2013 be a time when value and high level of skill actually cross?!

serifyn · Mar 13, 2013

Pick up 2 or 3 of them, seriously.

mgteich · Mar 13, 2013

We NEED three corners. After all, we have Dennard and Dowling.

This is indeed great news for the pats. I'm sure a half dozen or so are on speed dial. This will be a process that could take awhile. But we'll be signing at least 3 corners and probably a safety.

serifyn said:
Pick up 2 or 3 of them, seriously.

MUFC7 · Mar 13, 2013

Get Talib on a long term good value deal. Except for the Redskins there hasn't been any interest in him at all and the Redskins are fighting with the cap so I don't think they can start a bidding war. He really fitted nicely in this defense and showed that he can make a impact

Try Nnamdi on a 3 year Llyod type of deal. If he regains his Oakland form he could be a great corner again on a very cheap deal.

DocHoliday · Mar 13, 2013

There's a lot of them cause corners just suck leaguewide under current rules.

45% of all starters are barely passable, 45% are an actual liability, and 5% can actually cover.

Good news for the Patriots: The CB glut

ivanvamp

In the Starting Line-Up

borg

Pro Bowl Player

strngplyr

In the Starting Line-Up

b72s

On the Game Day Roster

Reckedtrek

In the Starting Line-Up

serifyn

Third String But Playing on Special Teams

mgteich

PatsFans.com Veteran

MUFC7

Third String But Playing on Special Teams

DocHoliday

In the Starting Line-Up

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