Cornerback Assessment/Questions

[TheRazorsEdge]

While we may have lost the top end talent with the end of the Jackson/Gilmore era, I feel we got deeper at the position group as of post draft.

I don't think think they are done building the unit in the big picture but I think they've made considerable progress rebuilding the depth of the unit and/or having the next guy ready for when expiring contracts hit (Jon Jones/Marcus Jones).

Said this in another thread.. I'd keep my eye on Jack Jones. If he hits his ceiling he's a high end corner.

I'm rooting for Hafford as well. When it's all said and done we might be missing "the guy" (Jackson,Gilmore, Revis , Law etc..) but we have a crew that might make some noise..esp if the other units play up to par.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

While we may have lost the top end talent with the end of the Jackson/Gilmore era, I feel we got deeper at the position group as of post draft.

I don't think think they are done building the unit in the big picture but I think they've made considerable progress rebuilding the depth of the unit and/or having the next guy ready for when expiring contracts hit (Jon Jones/Marcus Jones).

Said this in another thread.. I'd keep my eye on Jack Jones. If he hits his ceiling he's a high end corner.

I'm rooting for Hafford as well. When it's all said and done we might be missing "the guy" (Jackson,Gilmore, Revis , Law etc..) but we have a crew that might make some noise..esp if the other units play up to par.

Thanks. It would be nice if M Jones, Jack Jones, and Wade are all keepers. It worries me that Wade did not earn reps all of last year but we will see. Let's hope.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

It appears we are going to be playing a lot more zone this year. Our bend but don’t break defense will back on display and driving everybody on this board crazy.

Defensive turnovers will be tough to come by.

Need to hope Mac jones has a huge year two leap.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

It appears we are going to be playing a lot more zone this year. Our bend but don’t break defense will back on display and driving everybody on this board crazy.

Defensive turnovers will be tough to come by.

Need to hope Mac jones has a huge year two leap.

I think you are right, but forgot to mention it is a 2023 plan. Build the offense first in 2022 because it takes longer to gell, and then fill out the defense next year for a deep playoff push in 2023. If Parker, Strange, Thornton, Strong, and Zappe work out, we are all set on offense in 2023 except for signing Wynn or getting a new OT.

 

[Ollie]

It is so hard to gauge where the secondary is right now. There are question marks in so many positions much like the D in general but it is possible that Butler is decent and if so a secondary of a decent Butler, Mills and Jones with Phillips and Dugger at safety looks ok to me. Then hopefully Jones Jones and Wade can contribute. I do find it concerning that Wade didn't really get a look in at all all last year.

 

[zimmy]

One of the big issues last year was the lack of cornerback depth. Once it became clear that Gilmore wasn't going to start the season (for whatever reason), we were pretty thin. I don't think it was Bill's plan to play Mills on the outside originally - and he ended up playing competently but without an INT all year. After JC, Mills and J Jones we had no one basically. Wade was a rookie and a late add to the roster, and Joujuan was not a capable starter (see Houston game). The Jones injury then killed us and we didn't have a single quick twitch corner capable of covering the McKenzie types (no surprise we drafted two) and we had to play practice squad call ups against Buffalo.

So I think Bill knew he needed to get better depth, even if we lost the high end player in JC. There are still plenty of questions - how does Butler look after a year off, can Jack Jones play on the outside, how does Shaun Wade look in year 2 etc - but I like the two young corners we've brought in.

In terms of the roster

Butler - lock, likely starts at LCB
Mills - lock, likely starts at RCB
J Jones - lock, likely starts in the slot
M Jones - lock, should see the field early on in 3rd down packages.
J Jones - lock, backup outside corner
CB6 - we likely keep one more, at this point Wade or Mitchell, which will be an interesting camp battle. It depends whether we think Wade can really play on the outside. He has the size but was seemingly better in the slot in college. Could also still sign a veteran corner.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

It is so hard to gauge where the secondary is right now. There are question marks in so many positions much like the D in general but it is possible that Butler is decent and if so a secondary of a decent Butler, Mills and Jones with Phillips and Dugger at safety looks ok to me. Then hopefully Jones Jones and Wade can contribute. I do find it concerning that Wade didn't really get a look in at all all last year.

I agree. Butler is 32 and away from football last year so I think we will see more of Mitchell. Still a weakness unless the draft picks work out well. Fingers crossed.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

One of the big issues last year was the lack of cornerback depth. Once it became clear that Gilmore wasn't going to start the season (for whatever reason), we were pretty thin. I don't think it was Bill's plan to play Mills on the outside originally - and he ended up playing competently but without an INT all year. After JC, Mills and J Jones we had no one basically. Wade was a rookie and a late add to the roster, and Joujuan was not a capable starter (see Houston game). The Jones injury then killed us and we didn't have a single quick twitch corner capable of covering the McKenzie types (no surprise we drafted two) and we had to play practice squad call ups against Buffalo.

So I think Bill knew he needed to get better depth, even if we lost the high end player in JC. There are still plenty of questions - how does Butler look after a year off, can Jack Jones play on the outside, how does Shaun Wade look in year 2 etc - but I like the two young corners we've brought in.

In terms of the roster

Butler - lock, likely starts at LCB
Mills - lock, likely starts at RCB
J Jones - lock, likely starts in the slot
M Jones - lock, should see the field early on in 3rd down packages.
J Jones - lock, backup outside corner
CB6 - we likely keep one more, at this point Wade or Mitchell, which will be an interesting camp battle. It depends whether we think Wade can really play on the outside. He has the size but was seemingly better in the slot in college. Could also still sign a veteran corner.

Butler is 32 so I question his viability after being out of football. I think Mitchell will be a starter. I too worry about Wade if he could not find the field last year when we were desperate.

 

[ralmat55]

It appears we are going to be playing a lot more zone this year. Our bend but don’t break defense will back on display and driving everybody on this board crazy.

Defensive turnovers will be tough to come by.

Need to hope Mac jones has a huge year two leap.

Lots of NFL teams are primarily zone teams. It only becomes bend don’t break when you don’t have a good enough pass rush to play it effectively. Judon, Barmore et al can give them the pass rush to play it just as the Pats did last season during their winning streak when the were a predominant zone D on early downs.

 

[captain stone]

Coming off of double shoulder surgery and might not be ready. Even if cleared for contact, not going to be ready for nfl hitting.

Terrific... Yet another reason that drafting him at 85 was ****ing stupid.

 

[captain stone]

Butler - lock, likely starts at LCB
Mills - lock, likely starts at RCB
J Jones - lock, likely starts in the slot
M Jones - lock, should see the field early on in 3rd down packages.
J Jones - lock, backup outside corner
CB6 - we likely keep one more, at this point Wade or Mitchell, which will be an interesting camp battle. It depends whether we think Wade can really play on the outside. He has the size but was seemingly better in the slot in college. Could also still sign a veteran corner.

I agree. Butler is 32 and away from football last year so I think we will see more of Mitchell. Still a weakness unless the draft picks work out well. Fingers crossed.

Butler is 32 so I question his viability after being out of football. I think Mitchell will be a starter. I too worry about Wade if he could not find the field last year when we were desperate.

Yeah I don't think Malcolm's a lock yet either...He has to show that at his age he's still capable of the now-17-game grind... But if Mitchell is Plan B then we're in big trouble...

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Yeah I don't think Malcolm's a lock yet either...He has to show that at his age he's still capable of the now-17-game grind... But if Mitchell is Plan B then we're in big trouble...

We won a Super Bowl with Earthwind Moreland. Mitchell is not big trouble. He is dependable, a JAG, not exciting or dynamic, but dependable. I doubt Malcolm has anything left.

 

[n6249c]

Butler is 32 so I question his viability after being out of football. I think Mitchell will be a starter. I too worry about Wade if he could not find the field last year when we were desperate.

I thought Wade might have still been less than 100% physically, that plus learning a new system makes me wait to see how he does this year. Seems like it’s wide open for him or the other newcomers to grab opportunity and show what they can do with it.

 

[slash83]

Outside corners all suck

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Outside corners all suck

They all suck if they are playing press man or man, but in zone coverage, they should be viable. They should always have help and they should keep everything in front of them!

As stated earlier, we must get pass rush pressure to keep the zone coverage scheme from breaking down!

 

[Dragda]

We’ve had worse groups. We’ve had better. Someone will surprise us and someone will play and not look good. We’ll wonder why so-and-so can’t beat them out.

 

[mgteich]

One of the big issues last year was the lack of cornerback depth. Once it became clear that Gilmore wasn't going to start the season (for whatever reason), we were pretty thin. I don't think it was Bill's plan to play Mills on the outside originally - and he ended up playing competently but without an INT all year. After JC, Mills and J Jones we had no one basically. Wade was a rookie and a late add to the roster, and Joujuan was not a capable starter (see Houston game). The Jones injury then killed us and we didn't have a single quick twitch corner capable of covering the McKenzie types (no surprise we drafted two) and we had to play practice squad call ups against Buffalo.

So I think Bill knew he needed to get better depth, even if we lost the high end player in JC. There are still plenty of questions - how does Butler look after a year off, can Jack Jones play on the outside, how does Shaun Wade look in year 2 etc - but I like the two young corners we've brought in.

In terms of the roster

Butler - lock, likely starts at LCB
Mills - lock, likely starts at RCB
J Jones - lock, likely starts in the slot
M Jones - lock, should see the field early on in 3rd down packages.
J Jones - lock, backup outside corner
CB6 - we likely keep one more, at this point Wade or Mitchell, which will be an interesting camp battle. It depends whether we think Wade can really play on the outside. He has the size but was seemingly better in the slot in college. Could also still sign a veteran corner.

Presuming that the Jones boys are healthy, I see Butler, Mitchell, Wade and Williams competing for the 5th CB spot. This is added to the 4 safeties and top STers Davis and Bethel.

 

[Nunchucks]

M Jones size is concerning. His shoulder surgeries are not so much, he just had them cleaned up

 

[captain stone]

We won a Super Bowl with Earthwind Moreland. Mitchell is not big trouble. He is dependable, a JAG, not exciting or dynamic, but dependable. I doubt Malcolm has anything left.

Earthwind also had Asante $amuel & Randall Gay ahead of him; and we don't have anybody currently in the building as good as they were that season... Terrance Mitchell is simply Not a starting-caliber CB on a team with legitimate PO aspirations... The fact that he's considered one of the top two candidates to start opposite Jalen Zero INTs Mills should tell us all we need to know about the overall state of our secondary's first level.

 

[captain stone]

M Jones size is concerning. His shoulder surgeries are not so much, he just had them cleaned up

Surgeries on Both shoulders, before he has stepped even one foot on an NFL field, and at his size... We should be concerned.