SB Nation - Kevin Hobbs

Why Check Down? Because It Works.

John Morgan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:54:01 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Part of Matt Hasselbeck playing caretaker is Seattle's new defensive identity. Lawrence Jackson has developed into an above average pass rusher. Seattle has an above average pass rusher at almost ever position on its defense. Hasselbeck has come full circle. He is now the Seahawks Trent Dilfer. But who then is the Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck?

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Simple explanations are best and the simple explanation for Matt Hasselbeck's check down-fever was that Detroit was rushing the passer and dropping into medium and deep cover. The Lions were protecting an early 17 point lead. Their plan to attack the line and drop into deep cover is a typical response to an early lead. So Hasselbeck and Greg Knapp attacked them where they were exposed: between the linebackers and safeties.

He threw to T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Kevin Hobbs put a hat on the ball and forced a fumble. Max Unger was running towards the play and recovered. Unger was beat on his pass block and thus in excellent position to recover. It was a classic Big Play Babs maneuver.

In all, Seattle ran four play-action passes in seven pass plays. They all fit a single idea: draw the linebackers and wait for space between the linebackers and safeties. It worked. It also opened the run for the first time. Seattle ran play action four times, but ran only twice.

Justin Forsett attacked the middle on a simple run up the gut. Chris Spencer turned his man and from there it was Force against the second level. He ran for fourteen. It was the single longest play of the drive.

Julius Jones cashed in on an inside draw. Max Unger was run through and Jones had to bull and spin through a tackle in his own backfield. Specner and Rob Sims had fought back the defensive right and Jones cut left and into space for the touchdown.

A team uses the plays that work. I am sure the Seahawks will feature a similar playbook versus the attacking Arizona Cardinals. I did not consider Hasselbeck's showing a failure. It worked. However, in the big picture, this is the latest game in which Matt Hasselbeck seems unwilling to pass against modestly tight coverage. That coverage gets tighter this Sunday. Will Seattle design enough check downs to stay astride an explosive Cardinals offense?

Wednesday Notes: Lions Sign Demarcus Faggins, Re-Sign John Standeford

Sean Yuille — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:46:56 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Detroit Lions wide receiver John Standeford catches a two-point conversion from quarterback Drew Stanton during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The reason teams hold mass tryouts every once in a while was exemplified today, as the Lions signed free agent cornerback Demarcus Faggins. The Lions needed to add another corner to the team after Eric King was placed on injured reserve, and Faggins tried out with the team earlier this season. He was obviously at the top of their list of free agent corners, and he is now a member of the team. (John Niyo thinks Kevin Hobbs will become the Lions' nickel corner and Faggins will be inactive on game days for now.)
At the top of the Lions' list of free agent wide receivers must have been John Standeford, as he was re-signed by the team on Tuesday. Standeford was released during the final round of cuts before the season, but he has been brought back to add depth to the wide receiver position. What that means for the health of Calvin Johnson is beyond me, but I'm hoping the Lions just want to have depth going forward so they are never again left with only three healthy receivers during a game like they were last Sunday.
On a more positive note, Sammie Hill must be healthy again based on the fact that the Lions released Chuck Darby to make room on the roster for Standeford. Darby was brought back after Hill got banged up a few weeks ago, but the rookie must be ready to return if the Lions are willing to part with Darby.
The Lions not only signed a couple players on Tuesday, but they also held another tryout. This one only included three players: offensive tackle Levi Jones, center Melvin Fowler, and defensive back Jahi Word-Daniels.
When Ernie Sims returns to full health, he will be one of the Lions' starting linebackers.

(More after the jump)

The Lions have agreed to a deal with 97.1 The Ticket that will keep it as the team's flagship radio station for at least three more years.
Bidding on the Silverdome begins next month, and remember how I joked about how Pride of Detroit should buy it? Well...

"The Silverdome is a marquee property and in good condition, but the city can't run it properly, and it should be turned over to someone who can return it to a vibrant asset," Leeb said. "We're told there has already been considerable interest, but if the high bid is only $1, well, then that's it."
If the auctioneers happen to stumble across this post, I am officially bidding $1 (and whatever else POD readers want to throw in) for the former home of the Lions. The yearly costs of maintaining it would be a pain in the ass, but how sweet would it be to own the Silverdome? I can see it now... "Hi, my name is Sean, I own the Silverdome, err, the Seandome." Talk about a great conversation-starter.
Remember how Tom Lewand said a good way to sell tickets is by winning games? I have an even better strategy: Hope and pray that the Steelers come to Ford Field more often. At least half (probably more) of the fans at Sunday's game were waving terrible towels, and it was probably the most friendly game for an away team in the history of the NFL. I know the Steelers travel well, but as Larry Foote pointed out, quite a few of those fans didn't even come from Pittsburgh.

"I'm a little disappointed," Foote said. "On my way home on the freeway, I seen a lot of Michigan plates with a lot of Terrible Towels in the car. The people who live here and are Steeler fans, shame on you guys. You will be on our bandwagon sooner than later."

Foote smiled as he spoke. He expects the Lions to turn themselves around and win over those fans.

"These Detroiters that love Pittsburgh, they're going to have Honolulu blue on," Foote said. "People like to support a winner. I understand that. But I wanted to run some cars off the road yesterday."
He couldn't have summed up my feelings on this any better.
Quite a few players were fined because of plays that happened in the Bears-Lions game earlier this month, including Adewale Ogunleye, who got docked $7,500 for the sack that injured Matthew Stafford.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is going to pay for two new police dogs for the city of Detroit.
Dre' Bly is not very intelligent.
I knew Owen Schmitt was crazy, but I didn't know he was quite this crazy.
How's this for a stat: All of the Redskins' first six games will end up being played against winless teams. Here's an even better stat: Not counting the Giants (the Redskins' Week 1 opponent), Washington's opponents have a combined record of 2-22, and both of those wins came against the 'Skins.

Lions Claim Copeland Bryan, Kevin Hobbs

Sean Yuille — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:19:59 -0000

by Elaine Thompson - AP

4 months ago: Seattle Seahawks' Kevin Hobbs (32) is picked up by Kelly Jennings during a drill at an NFL football training camp workout Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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The mystery of who would fill the two open spots on the roster has been solved, as Tom Kowalski is reporting that the Lions have claimed defensive end Copeland Bryan and cornerback Kevin Hobbs.

Bryan was a member of the Bills the last two seasons (he's only been in the league since 2006) and was cut yesterday. It seems there are quite a few people on Buffalo Rumblings not all that happy with Bryan being let go, though Brian Galliford, who runs the site, is fine with it.

OK, great, but if you guys are seriously of the opinion that Copeland Bryan – a fine, upstanding player with some skill – was the long-term answer at DE… then wow.

Brian is referring to the Bills' situation, obviously. For the Lions, he is seen as an upgrade over Ikaika Alama-Francis, which is why he is joining the team.

As for Hobbs, he has also only been in the league for a few seasons and was cut yesterday as well. He played for the Seahawks and had been on and off Seattle's active roster and practice squad. It looks like Marcus McCauley was claimed to fill Kevin O'Connell's spot on the roster, whereas Hobbs was claimed since he is viewed as an upgrade over Cletis Gordon.

Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor Battle for Seattle Seahawks Fifth Wide Receiver Position

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:07:33 -0000

by Elaine Thompson - AP

Seattle's three starting receivers, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, started their careers as backups, but all three played their way into starting their first season. Housh took the longest to develop, not becoming a prime receiver until his fourth season. With Branch and Houshmandzadeh over 30 and Burleson 28, Seattle hopes one of Courtney Taylor (above) or Ben Obomanu establish themselves this season as potential starters for next season.

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Seattle could keep Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor, but I think it's possible one is cut. John Carlson can play wide receiver on four and five wide receiver sets. He's a better pure receiver than Obomanu or Taylor are or are ever likely to be. Carlson creates matchup problems with smaller defensive backs and can be motioned tight to counter blitzes. So though I projected both to make the final 53, that was in some part recognition that the fifth wide receiver battle is not yet won.

There's not a sure leader, though I think Taylor has an edge. He has been more active with the first team and has the only reception from Matt Hasselbeck. There's also a sense that Taylor has a greater organizational standing than Obomanu. When it became clear last year that Seattle would not start the season with Deion Branch or Bobby Engram, weeks before Obomanu broke his collar bone, Taylor was tapped to start at split end. He failed, of course.

Obomanu hasn't had a regular season reception since 2007. Both players become restricted free agents after this season, so future and upside are considerations. The two were teammates at Auburn. Obomanu was the better red zone receiver, but Taylor was the Tigers' number one receiver. He was the number one receiver for Auburn's 13-0, 2004 team*. A team that included Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams, Marcus McNeill, Jay Ratliff, Carlos Rogers, Will Herring, King Dunlap, Quentin Groves, Ben Grubbs, Kevin Hobbs, Anthony Mix, Pat Sims and Evander Holyfield's son, Evander Holyfield.

Taylor was the better prospect. Obomanu was a situational receiver. He had nine fewer receptions and only 46 more yards than Ronnie Brown, but he led the team in touchdown receptions: seven. Taylor had six.

Obomanu has the two's only professional touchdown reception. If Seattle needed a designated deep threat or red zone threat, Obomanu would be the favorite. But Deon Butler is the better deep receiver, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Carlson are better red zone receivers. Seattle's fifth receiver needs to be, simply, as good as possible. That favors Taylor.

Nothing is decided though. There's a sudden-death feel to Thursday. Both receivers have positives and negatives. Taylor is most recently healthy, but Obomanu's injury was fluky and he owns better overall health. Obomanu has been with the team longer, but Taylor is better integrated into the offense. Obomanu has more experience as a returner, but Taylor is the better gunner. Taylor is better insurance for Deion Branch, but Obomanu is better insurance for Nate Burleson.

Both should get plenty of looks on Thursday and both could be working out the kinks or playing for their job. Taylor has developed better chemistry with Seneca Wallace and Matt Hasselbeck, but Obomanu has developed better chemistry with Mike Teel. Wallace is down with a groin injury and, having not practiced, may not play this Thursday. Hasselbeck won't fill that space. He could see a series or two, or not play at all. Teel could start, but even if he doesn't, I expect him to play 3+ quarters and pass the ball 20+ times. That favors Obomanu. It all factors, because the body of evidence does not strongly favor either. One breakout showing against Oakland could be enough to secure either the fifth wide receiver spot.

*Tim Ruskell likes winners.

Seattle Seahawks 14 - Kansas City Chiefs 10 (Winners and Losers)

John Morgan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:13:49 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

Corey Mays is forgiven for his foul. John Carlson deemed no flag shall be thrown.

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Winners

Seattle Seahawks: Won at Arrowhead. Won with their starters and won with their depth. The Seahawks showed something passing, rushing, defending the pass and in coverage teams.

Matt Hasselbeck: Has developed #1-receiver like chemistry with T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Hasselbeck showed confidence in the system and decisiveness in his reads. Spread the ball well. Better poise in the pocket and near flawless decision making.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Fulfilling potential of stronger, more athletic Bobby Engram.

John Carlson: Better as a blocker, and taking his receiving game to the heights of ‘game-changing'.

Julius Jones: Productive, undemanding, reliable and fearsome as a pass blocker.

Courtney Taylor: Played with the first team and contributed. Put a sizable gap between himself and Ben Obomanu.

Ray Willis: His pass protection has grown in bounds.

Nate Burleson: Freed from Holmgren's exacting offense.

Aaron Curry: Still a rookie, but fans needed to see the athleticism and power. See the athleticism and power.

Will Herring: Herring entered the league a tweener with a legitimate chance to never make it. His light build and cover-only instincts threatened his chance to ever become an NFL linebacker. Tonight, he survived in the scrum and showed what it's like to have a linebacker with DB zone skills.

Darryl Tapp: Disruptive.

Josh Wilson: Incredible awareness. Wilson adjusted to an underthrown ball as it passed over the linebackers and broke for an impressive near-pick before defending the ball from his back.

Derek Walker: Made impressive plays in garbage time to protect him from the cut to 75.

Losers

Devin Moore: Cut is a lock, but does Seattle bother with the practice squad?

Logan Payne, Jordan Kent, Mike Hass and Michael Bumpus: Will, short of injury, not make the roster.

Jeff Rowe: Camp days coming to an end.

Steve Vallos: Enough of a problem at center that Seattle will entertain free agents.

Seneca Wallace: That grimace and sullen look says: "the dreaded groin."

Olindo Mare: Unable to make up ground.

Kevin Hobbs: Picked on and playing his way out of the league.

Ken Lucas: Another so-so game.

Lofa Tatupu: Have we reached the point where Tatupu is too bulked up? I think he'd have trouble hugging me.

Cameron Morrah: Now well behind Joe Newton.

Kevin Hobbs and Other Students of Jim Mora

John Morgan — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:53:05 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

Will Herring drops Jacob Hester with the move that nearly broke DDP's neck.

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When your head coach is your former secondary coach, it's troubling when the secondary screws up major. When your team allowed the most passing yards in the NFL last season, it's troubling when the secondary screws up major. When the team retains the two people that coached that secondary, promoting one, it's troubling when the secondary screws up major. When the team hires a respected secondary coach, Tim Lewis, to replace the new head coach, Jim Mora, it's troubling when the secondary screws up major. It's troubling even if it's insignificant. It was a major screw up that laid the rails for San Diego's first scoring drive. And though it was the second team, and though Kevin Hobbs might not make the team, if there's one unit the Seahawks should have invested enough resources in to be competent top to bottom, it's the secondary. When clear incompetence is demonstrated, it's troubling.

Only three things stuck out from this drive and only one is revealing.

3. Kelly Jennings swung about Vincent Jackson's hips in the most coquettish manner. Jennings is ever the tease.

2. Will Herring was covering the wrong man/location before correcting to tackle Jacob Hester on the goal line. I am not too worried about Herring's awareness against the pass, so seeing him make two good open field tackles and against two reasonably tough runners, Jackson and Hester, is encouraging.

1. San Diego runs play action. Hobbs covers Michael Bennett releasing into the flat, loses that responsibility when Herring assumes it and then begins backpedaling. Philip Rivers passes it over his head, he turns and tracks, but Kris Wilson receives for 31 and strides out of bounds untouched. Hobbs looks like the one in the wrong place without a man to cover, but I'm not sure.

Norv Turner runs a lot of unbalanced formations. The above play was shifted right. Both wide receivers were set right and the backfield was in a right offset I. Only Wilson was on the left. It certainly screwed up Seattle's coverage scheme. Herring tracked Bennett and then broke back to cover Wilson. Maybe he reacted to Rivers eyes or maybe Wilson was his assignment. Wallace was doubling someone in the end zone, but after the reception that's the first direction Hobbs looked. Pass rush begets good secondary play, but good secondary play abets the pass rush. When a receiver is wide open thirty yards down the field, no pressure is enough to stop the completion.

It could have been one man's screw up, or it could have been failure by the entire secondary, but no matter the insignificance of the play, it's troubling.

Seattle Seahawks 20 San Diego Chargers 14

John Morgan — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:36:34 -0000

More photos » by Chris Park - AP

This was cool, but when Justin Forsett landed on his feet and cartwheeled into the end zone--that was unreal.

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It's the preseason and I'm going to break open a beer. I suppose you already have.

Looks like everyone is healthy, and, blaow, the team won.

Winners

Nick Reed: There's give-good-quote football intelligence and then there's this-guy-excels-at-his-job football intelligence. Nick Reed is short, thin and has little musculature. He is dwarfed by his opposition. All he does is play football. Reading that pump fake and dropping in between Whitehurst and his outlet receiver, that was brilliant football.

Michael Bennett: The most dominant player at any position. He was destroying the Chargers second string offensive line. Lived in the backfield and all together played at another level than his competition.

Mike Teel: Looked like a pro. That's what you want in a rookie quarterback's first game. We knew about the gun. It's nice to see he can be very accurate, just not accurate often enough. Yet.

Devin Moore: Moore should get a look returning. Let's not ruin our pants because he looked shifty against jobbers.

Max Unger: Played a full game and had a couple good blocks. Most importantly, he was steady and kept the middle-integrity.

Courtney Taylor: Only two receptions but both were impressive. It's the preseason, you impress with the looks you get.

David Hawthorne: Shot gaps and showed something in coverage.

Julius Jones: Most impressive running back to take the field.

Jordan Babineaux: Keeping his name in the safety discussion.

Seattle Punting and Kicking Coverage Teams

Losers

Brandon Coutu: Kickoff distance matters.

Deon Butler: Destroyed pulling in a catch and as clueless returning as a professional football player can be.

Kevin Hobbs: Picked on and consistently unaware.

Pass rush from starters: Rivers and Volek with time to go deep.

Marquis Floyd: But you're invited to next year's training camp, young man.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Cornerbacks

Fooch — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:00:11 -0000

First off, I have only seen highlights and read Andrew's recap (big thanks to him for getting that up). I'll be watching a recorded version of the game tomorrow when I return to SF and will have plenty to discuss tomorrow afternoon and into next week. In the meantime, with the preseason getting going, we're nearing the end of our divisional position previews. Today we hit cornerbacks. To date, we've addressed safeties, outside linebacker, inside/middle linebacker, defensive end, defensive/nose tackle, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, centers, offensive tackles, guards and total offense.

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. St. Louis Rams

Seattle Seahawks
Blogger: John Morgan
I don’t know Ken Lucas. I have known Ken Lucas, but I do not know the 30 year-old, recently cut by the Carolina Panthers Ken Lucas Seattle signed after the draft. The skill-set is still the same. Lucas is decent in man cover, but better at zone. He has great ball skills and is a sound open-field tackler. And the foundation of talent is still the same. Lucas is agile and athletic, but doesn’t have great deep speed. He’s physical and can lay a hit, but is not always steady and all those hits don’t lead to much. He only has two forced fumbles for his career. Josh Wilson already has three.

Wilson is Seattle’s nickelback and has the athleticism and talent to be perhaps the best nickelback in football. He’s exceptionally quick, agile and athletic. He has rare ball skills and despite his size, brings the hammer on tackles. His size, dependence on reading the quarterback’s eyes and habit of guessing wrong on routes cap his potential as a man defender, but Seattle is settled with him at nickel. There he can terrorize slot receivers, menace quarterbacks appearing out of a zone, strike as a blitzer and run back picks for a score.

Travis Fisher is a former starter that had the bad judgment to sign with the Detroit Lions. Like an overhyped, underbudgeted and overexpended bomb that kills actors careers, no Lion was spared an exodus from Detroit without at least a demotion. Fisher could still be very good if injuries and Recession City hasn’t leached his youth, vigor and soul. Kevin Hobbs is a rounded corner that will do a lot of little things well as a dime defender. He’s going to need to show something soon, because he’s not talented enough to stick in the league because of potential. Kelly Jennings is depth at starting corner. He’s not strong in a zone, not an open field tackler and has not shown pro-level ball skills, but he’s a very capable in strict man cover. Unfortunately, he stays close, but doesn’t do enough to stop the completion. Jennings is starting in place of Marcus Trufant.

Yeeaaah…about that.

Trufant never made it to training camp. He hurt his back in a drill and has been held out. Everyone is echoing the sentiment that he’s fine and this time out is just a precaution, but the length of the absence and the team’s recent history reporting back injuries causes concern.

Trufant has the ability to be a sub-elite corner. His man cover skills are excellent. He steps up against the run and is a steady open-field tackler. Given agreeable situations (i.e. a deep safety, a big lead, a cover 3) Trufant does have damn good ball skills, but he tends to forget them when things get dicey. He’s athletic and fast enough to run with anyone and on a good defense, Trufant is capable of being a great cornerback every game. He just hasn’t played on many great defenses.

If Trufant were healthy or I had a better grasp of how Lucas will play this season, Seattle’s corners could be an A. Potential for potential, it’s as deep, balanced, system correct and accomplished group as there is in the NFL. But there’s a lot of potential variance. Wilson’s value is locked up in turnovers, and interceptions come and go. Lucas could have been cut for reasons other than his salary. 30 isn’t old, but it is old for some. Trufant could be more injured than the team is leading on, or this could be the first in one of those injury waves that kills a year of about every player’s career. So, to complete a continuing theme, there’s talent for more and potential for less, but "B" expresses the union of those factors, and "B" best expresses the most likely performance by Seattle’s corner’s in 2009.

Arizona Cardinals
Blogger: cgolden
For the first time that I can ever remember the Arizona Cardinals boast two above average starting corner backs that could, with any pass rush, be borderline dominant. Promising sophomore Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had his ups and downs last year but by seasons end he became the team's best cover man and one of the fan's favorite young stars. He's possesses the size, athleticism and ball skills to be as good as any corner in the league but he'll have to continue to grow as a defender who with his head instead of relying on natural ability. Too often last year DRC was burned with double moves or play action passes and he was one of the worst run defenders at the corner back position in the league. He improved in some of those areas as the season progressed and he gained experience but in order for the Cardinals secondary to make the kind of improvements that are needed, they need DRC to play at Pro Bowl level this season.

The Cardinals free agent splash was signing bizzaro-DRC, Bryant McFadden. McFadden isn't an uber-athletic corner or weak against the run, in fact he's basically the exact opposite. No other corner in the NFL performed as well against the run than McFadden last year and his physicality also transfers over to his style of coverage. While he a decent athlete, he's not a burner so instead he tries to knock receivers off their routes and disrupt the timing of opposing passing games. As with some players who prefer the physical style, he's struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but when he's healthy he's been a force and he's young enough (27) to believe that his best days are still ahead of him.

Once you get past the Cardinals top two corners though, the question marks start popping up. First, how much will Antrel Rolle drop down to nickel corner this year? Can the veteran Ralph Brown parlay last season's late success into an entire season as the Cardinals nickel corner? How quickly can fourth round pick Greg Toler get acclimated to the speed of the NFL? Does tiny-man Michael Adams even fit in the mix?

The biggest wild card in the secondary is where Antrel Rolle plays when the opposing offense goes three wide because last year he spent some time at nickel corner, some time around the line of scrimmage and some time as the actual free safety. During camp he's still been dropping down to the corner back in some passing situations and some will say that the team drafted Rashad Johnson (former Alabama free safety) so that Rolle could move around in the nickel and dime defenses. Ralph Brown is the next corner on the depth chart and he's basically the savvy veteran who get's by on sub-par athletic ability but a very good understanding of the game. He doesn't have great size but he understands opposing offenses and can bait quarterbacks into bad decisions. In a limited role he seems fairly adequate but any scenario that includes him as a starter would seemed destined for failure. Greg Toler is an athletic rookie that the Cards are hoping cut from the same mold as DRC (good size, athleticism and from a tiny school), but he's extremely raw and would be best served by a season spent on special teams units. Last but not least is Michael Adams, a tiny (5-8, 181) corner with a massive heart, who has basically been a special teams player up to this point. If he were to see time at corner, I'm sure other teams would just throw over the top of him to any receiver over six foot tall but Adams isn't afraid to stick his nose in the mix on running plays and he's made quite a name for himself as a gunner on special teams. His nickname should really be "Rudy."

Overall the Cardinals depth chart at corner is pretty top heavy. DRC and McFadden have the potential to be one of the better duo's in the league, if they can get any help from the pass rush. Behind them though is a bevy of question marks. I feel split between an A (for starters) and a C (for depth) so we'll split the difference and go with a B.

San Francisco 49ers
Blogger: Fooch
The 49ers cornerbacks are all over the place. They've got veteran experience, youthful potential, and some unreached potential mixed in. At this point I'm willing to give them a C because there is too much talent to go lower, but the production hasn't matched the talent so I'm not able to go much higher at this point.

Nate Clements is the #1 cornerback at this point and probably for the near future. Given the large contract he signed in 2007, he's been in the spotlight from day 1. He's had games where he shuts down the opposition and he's had games where he gets destroyed. I've read that some scouts think he still has technique problems even though he's entering his ninth season. At this point I'm willing to live with the fact that he'll never be the Champ Bailey type of shut down corner. However, I do think he is sufficiently talented to take care of business as the #1 guy for the 49ers. Some help at the free safety position could also provide him with help in coverage.

As of a few months ago Walt Harris was relatively entrenched as the #2 cornerback. A blown ACL later and the team went out and signed Dre Bly to compete for the #2 job. His opposition was Tarell Brown, a 5th round pick in the 2007 draft. Brown's draft stock fell due to some police issues that seem now to have been a matter of wrong palce wrong time. In two seasons with SF he's had zero problems. He's slowly seen his playing time increase and went into 2009's training camp with a good chance at winning the #2 job. Unfortunately a toe injury on the first day of camp has kept him out of practice. Dre Bly hasn't exactly run away with the #2 position in Brown's absence, so if he can get back soon he could still win that job. Dre Bly had a rather abysmal 2008 campaign, but in chatting with Broncos fans, while some of it has to do with Bly's own talent, he also was being utilized in a system that didn't allow him to use his aggressiveness. He'll get that chance with the 49ers, so we'll see how much talent there really is and how over the hill he might be.

The two primary backups after that are Shawntae Spencer and Marcus Hudson. Spencer was a late second round pick in 2004 and has never really matched the potential due in large part to a rash of injuries. At this point, he's most effective as the #3 corner, getting most of his playing time in the nickel defense. If he can stay healthy, he would likely be down to 4th in the depth chart, which I think gives the 49ers a nice level of depth at the position. Marcus Hudson is a guy who somehow hangs onto a job without blowing anybody away. Beyond that the 49ers are just rolling out camp bodies.

I'd probably go a grade lower if not for the depth they have at the position. While it's not spectacular depth, it's still a mix of good and decent talent 1-4, thus the grade of C. I actually think the performance of Dashon Goldson in center field could go a long way towards improving the 49ers cornerbacks.

St. Louis Rams

Blogger: VanRam
Outside of wide receiver, there's no position where the Rams evoke more head-scratching than at cornerback.

On top the depth chart they've got Ron Bartell, a very good, underrated CB. Bartell almost hit the free agent market this year, disgruntled with the Rams former front office for not trying to get a deal done earlier. The new regime showered him with love and lured him back to the team with a solid contract that was still well below what he might have been paid as a free agent in the always crazy market for corners. What exactly did the team say? Who knows as far as persuasion goes. They did tell Bartell that his solid work in man coverage made him the team's top corner. They also probably told him that his speed and physical style of play made him a good fit for the new defensive system's demands for CBs to jam receivers and the line and then stick close on the routes. They also told him that he's part of the team's leadership cadre now, being one of the more expereinced players on the defense and the most experienced among the cornerbacks. Bartell will match up against team's top receivers this year.

Behind Bartell it gets a little foggy. Former first round pick Tye Hill is trying hard to avoid the bust label after injuries, lost confidence and a poor coaching situation that often left Rams d-backs confused as to where to play or who to cover. Jonathan Wade is a solid depth guy who has seen plenty of time at nickel and filling in for starters. Probably not a guy you want as one of your top two CBs for 16 games. This year's third round pick Bradley Fletcher is a big, physical kid from Iowa, and more than one draft pundit was surprised by the pick. Not all of them were, and that group has seen enough in camp so far to think that this might be a steal for a third round pick. Justin King, a speedy Penn State product who might have been a first round pick had he not graduated in three years, made a big impression on people in camp last year. Then he got hurt and missed the entire season. He's having a good camp, responding well to the defense and earning time with the first team.

Quincy Butler looked like a classic camp body when the Rams signed him in the middle of last season. Now, he's blowing everyone away with a great camp. It looks like the big, physical Butler has finally found a system suited to him. Having a head coach who used to coach some really good d-backs with the Eagles once upon a time certainly doesn't hurt. Butler still has to prove he's not an August wonder. If he does look good in the preseason and makes the final cut, he could be another feather in Billy Devaney's well-adorned cap of successful role players signed off the scrap heap. Relative unknowns Cord Parks and Marcus Brown round out the list of players trying out for the open jobs on the Rams depth chart.

Like so many units with the Rams this season, this is a group long on potential but mostly barren of results, so far. I'll give the group a C.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Cornerbacks

Hawkwind — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:00:10 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) breaks up a pass intended for Anquan Boldin, right, during afternoon practice at training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Our divisional preview is winding down but there are still a couple of positions to cover including the defensive backfield. We looked at the safeties last week but up today are the corner backs and the Arizona Cardinals have a much improved group from a year ago but how do they matchup with their divisional mates.

Arizona Cardinals

For the first time that I can ever remember the Arizona Cardinals boast two above average starting corner backs that could, with any pass rush, be borderline dominant. Promising sophomore Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had his ups and downs last year but by seasons end he became the team's best cover man and one of the fan's favorite young stars. He's possesses the size, athleticism and ball skills to be as good as any corner in the league but he'll have to continue to grow as a defender who with his head instead of relying on natural ability. Too often last year DRC was burned with double moves or play action passes and he was one of the worst run defenders at the corner back position in the league. He improved in some of those areas as the season progressed and he gained experience but in order for the Cardinals secondary to make the kind of improvements that are needed, they need DRC to play at Pro Bowl level this season.

The Cardinals free agent splash was signing bizzaro-DRC, Bryant McFadden. McFadden isn't an uber-athletic corner or weak against the run, in fact he's basically the exact opposite. No other corner in the NFL performed as well against the run than McFadden last year and his physicality also transfers over to his style of coverage. While he a decent athlete, he's not a burner so instead he tries to knock receivers off their routes and disrupt the timing of opposing passing games. As with some players who prefer the physical style, he's struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but when he's healthy he's been a force and he's young enough (27) to believe that his best days are still ahead of him.

Once you get past the Cardinals top two corners though, the question marks start popping up. First, how much will Antrel Rolle drop down to nickel corner this year? Can the veteran Ralph Brown parlay last season's late success into an entire season as the Cardinals nickel corner? How quickly can fourth round pick Greg Toler get acclimated to the speed of the NFL? Does tiny-man Michael Adams even fit in the mix?

The biggest wild card in the secondary is where Antrel Rolle plays when the opposing offense goes three wide because last year he spent some time at nickel corner, some time around the line of scrimmage and some time as the actual free safety. During camp he's still been dropping down to the corner back in some passing situations and some will say that the team drafted Rashad Johnson (former Alabama free safety) so that Rolle could move around in the nickel and dime defenses. Ralph Brown is the next corner on the depth chart and he's basically the savvy veteran who get's by on sub-par athletic ability but a very good understanding of the game. He doesn't have great size but he understands opposing offenses and can bait quarterbacks into bad decisions. In a limited role he seems fairly adequate but any scenario that includes him as a starter would seemed destined for failure. Greg Toler is an athletic rookie that the Cards are hoping cut from the same mold as DRC (good size, athleticism and from a tiny school), but he's extremely raw and would be best served by a season spent on special teams units. Last but not least is Michael Adams, a tiny (5-8, 181) corner with a massive heart, who has basically been a special teams player up to this point. If he were to see time at corner, I'm sure other teams would just throw over the top of him to any receiver over six foot tall but Adams isn't afraid to stick his nose in the mix on running plays and he's made quite a name for himself as a gunner on special teams. His nickname should really be "Rudy."

Overall the Cardinals depth chart at corner is pretty top heavy. DRC and McFadden have the potential to be one of the better duo's in the league, if they can get any help from the pass rush. Behind them though is a bevy of question marks. I feel split between an A (for starters) and a C (for depth) so we'll split the difference and go with a B.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

The 49ers cornerbacks are all over the place. They've got veteran experience, youthful potential, and some unreached potential mixed in. At this point I'm willing to give them a C because there is too much talent to go lower, but the production hasn't matched the talent so I'm not able to go much higher at this point.

Nate Clements is the #1 cornerback at this point and probably for the near future. Given the large contract he signed in 2007, he's been in the spotlight from day 1. He's had games where he shuts down the opposition and he's had games where he gets destroyed. I've read that some scouts think he still has technique problems even though he's entering his ninth season. At this point I'm willing to live with the fact that he'll never be the Champ Bailey type of shut down corner. However, I do think he is sufficiently talented to take care of business as the #1 guy for the 49ers. Some help at the free safety position could also provide him with help in coverage.

As of a few months ago Walt Harris was relatively entrenched as the #2 cornerback. A blown ACL later and the team went out and signed Dre Bly to compete for the #2 job. His opposition was Tarell Brown, a 5th round pick in the 2007 draft. Brown's draft stock fell due to some police issues that seem now to have been a matter of wrong palce wrong time. In two seasons with SF he's had zero problems. He's slowly seen his playing time increase and went into 2009's training camp with a good chance at winning the #2 job. Unfortunately a toe injury on the first day of camp has kept him out of practice. Dre Bly hasn't exactly run away with the #2 position in Brown's absence, so if he can get back soon he could still win that job. Dre Bly had a rather abysmal 2008 campaign, but in chatting with Broncos fans, while some of it has to do with Bly's own talent, he also was being utilized in a system that didn't allow him to use his aggressiveness. He'll get that chance with the 49ers, so we'll see how much talent there really is and how over the hill he might be.

The two primary backups after that are Shawntae Spencer and Marcus Hudson. Spencer was a late second round pick in 2004 and has never really matched the potential due in large part to a rash of injuries. At this point, he's most effective as the #3 corner, getting most of his playing time in the nickel defense. If he can stay healthy, he would likely be down to 4th in the depth chart, which I think gives the 49ers a nice level of depth at the position. Marcus Hudson is a guy who somehow hangs onto a job without blowing anybody away. Beyond that the 49ers are just rolling out camp bodies.

I'd probably go a grade lower if not for the depth they have at the position. While it's not spectacular depth, it's still a mix of good and decent talent 1-4, thus the grade of C. I actually think the performance of Dashon Goldson in center field could go a long way towards improving the 49ers cornerbacks.

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

On top the depth chart they've got Ron Bartell, a very good, underrated CB. Bartell almost hit the free agent market this year, disgruntled with the Rams former front office for not trying to get a deal done earlier. The new regime showered him with love and lured him back to the team with a solid contract that was still well below what he might have been paid as a free agent in the always crazy market for corners. What exactly did the team say? Who knows as far as persuasion goes. They did tell Bartell that his solid work in man coverage made him the team's top corner. They also probably told him that his speed and physical style of play made him a good fit for the new defensive system's demands for CBs to jam receivers and the line and then stick close on the routes. They also told him that he's part of the team's leadership cadre now, being one of the more expereinced players on the defense and the most experienced among the cornerbacks. Bartell will match up against team's top receivers this year.

Behind Bartell it gets a little foggy. Former first round pick Tye Hill is trying hard to avoid the bust label after injuries, lost confidence and a poor coaching situation that often left Rams d-backs confused as to where to play or who to cover. Jonathan Wade is a solid depth guy who has seen plenty of time at nickel and filling in for starters. Probably not a guy you want as one of your top two CBs for 16 games. This year's third round pick Bradley Fletcher is a big, physical kid from Iowa, and more than one draft pundit was surprised by the pick. Not all of them were, and that group has seen enough in camp so far to think that this might be a steal for a third round pick. Justin King, a speedy Penn State product who might have been a first round pick had he not graduated in three years, made a big impression on people in camp last year. Then he got hurt and missed the entire season. He's having a good camp, responding well to the defense and earning time with the first team.

Quincy Butler looked like a classic camp body when the Rams signed him in the middle of last season. Now, he's blowing everyone away with a great camp. It looks like the big, physical Butler has finally found a system suited to him. Having a head coach who used to coach some really good d-backs with the Eagles once upon a time certainly doesn't hurt. Butler still has to prove he's not an August wonder. If he does look good in the preseason and makes the final cut, he could be another feather in Billy Devaney's well-adorned cap of successful role players signed off the scrap heap. Relative unknowns Cord Parks and Marcus Brown round out the list of players trying out for the open jobs on the Rams depth chart.

Like so many units with the Rams this season, this is a group long on potential but mostly barren of results, so far. I'll give the group a C.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

I don't know Ken Lucas. I have known Ken Lucas, but I do not know the 30 year-old, recently cut by the Carolina Panthers Ken Lucas Seattle signed after the draft. The skill-set is still the same. Lucas is decent in man cover, but better at zone. He has great ball skills and is a sound open-field tackler. And the foundation of talent is still the same. Lucas is agile and athletic, but doesn't have great deep speed. He's physical and can lay a hit, but is not always steady and all those hits don't lead to much. He only has two forced fumbles for his career. Josh Wilson already has three.

Wilson is Seattle's nickelback and has the athleticism and talent to be perhaps the best nickelback in football. He's exceptionally quick, agile and athletic. He has rare ball skills and despite his size, brings the hammer on tackles. His size, dependence on reading the quarterback's eyes and habit of guessing wrong on routes cap his potential as a man defender, but Seattle is settled with him at nickel. There he can terrorize slot receivers, menace quarterbacks appearing out of a zone, strike as a blitzer and run back picks for a score.

Travis Fisher is a former starter that had the bad judgment to sign with the Detroit Lions. Like an overhyped, underbudgeted and overexpended bomb that kills actors careers, no Lion was spared an exodus from Detroit without at least a demotion. Fisher could still be very good if injuries and Recession City hasn't leached his youth, vigor and soul. Kevin Hobbs is a rounded corner that will do a lot of little things well as a dime defender. He's going to need to show something soon, because he's not talented enough to stick in the league because of potential. Kelly Jennings is depth at starting corner. He's not strong in a zone, not an open field tackler and has not shown pro-level ball skills, but he's a very capable in strict man cover. Unfortunately, he stays close, but doesn't do enough to stop the completion. Jennings is starting in place of Marcus Trufant.

Yeeaaah...about that.

Trufant never made it to training camp. He hurt his back in a drill and has been held out. Everyone is echoing the sentiment that he's fine and this time out is just a precaution, but the length of the absence and the team's recent history reporting back injuries causes concern.

Trufant has the ability to be a sub-elite corner. His man cover skills are excellent. He steps up against the run and is a steady open-field tackler. Given agreeable situations (i.e. a deep safety, a big lead, a cover 3) Trufant does have damn good ball skills, but he tends to forget them when things get dicey. He's athletic and fast enough to run with anyone and on a good defense, Trufant is capable of being a great cornerback every game. He just hasn't played on many great defenses.

If Trufant were healthy or I had a better grasp of how Lucas will play this season, Seattle's corners could be an A. Potential for potential, it's as deep, balanced, system correct and accomplished group as there is in the NFL. But there's a lot of potential variance. Wilson's value is locked up in turnovers, and interceptions come and go. Lucas could have been cut for reasons other than his salary. 30 isn't old, but it is old for some. Trufant could be more injured than the team is leading on, or this could be the first in one of those injury waves that kills a year of about every player's career. So, to complete a continuing theme, there's talent for more and potential for less, but "B" expresses the union of those factors, and "B" best expresses the most likely performance by Seattle's corner's in 2009.

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How do you think DRC and McFadden will match up against the rest of the NFC West?

NFC West Roundtable: Cornerback

John Morgan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:55:29 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Josh Wilson forced more fumbles in 2008 (3) than Ken Lucas or Marcus Trufant have forced in their respective careers (2). (Not pictured, T.J. Duckett calling Pistol "short".)

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It's been so long I've forgotten these existed. We end by previewing each team's cornerbacks. Notice no one ever says cornerback corps? Or defensive end corps? Next to the Seattle's quiver of ends, its swarm of cornerbacks will best define or undermine the 2009 Seahawks defense.

Seattle Seahawks
Blogger: John Morgan

I don’t know Ken Lucas. I have known Ken Lucas, but I do not know the 30 year-old, recently cut by the Carolina Panthers Ken Lucas Seattle signed after the draft. The skill-set is still the same. Lucas is decent in man cover, but better at zone. He has great ball skills and is a sound open-field tackler. And the foundation of talent is still the same. Lucas is agile and athletic, but doesn’t have great deep speed. He’s physical and can lay a hit, but is not always steady and all those hits don’t lead to much. He only has two forced fumbles for his career. Josh Wilson already has three.

Wilson is Seattle’s nickelback and has the athleticism and talent to be perhaps the best nickelback in football. He’s exceptionally quick, agile and athletic. He has rare ball skills and despite his size, brings the hammer on tackles. His size, dependence on reading the quarterback’s eyes and habit of guessing wrong on routes cap his potential as a man defender, but Seattle is settled with him at nickel. There he can terrorize slot receivers, menace quarterbacks appearing out of a zone, strike as a blitzer and run back picks for a score.

Travis Fisher is a former starter that had the bad judgment to sign with the Detroit Lions. Like an overhyped, underbudgeted and overexpended bomb that kills actors careers, no Lion was spared an exodus from Detroit without at least a demotion. Fisher could still be very good if injuries and Recession City hasn’t leached his youth, vigor and soul. Kevin Hobbs is a rounded corner that will do a lot of little things well as a dime defender. He’s going to need to show something soon, because he’s not talented enough to stick in the league because of potential. Kelly Jennings is depth at starting corner. He’s not strong in a zone, not an open field tackler and has not shown pro-level ball skills, but he’s a very capable in strict man cover. Unfortunately, he stays close, but doesn’t do enough to stop the completion. Jennings is starting in place of Marcus Trufant.

Yeeaaah…about that.

Trufant never made it to training camp. He hurt his back in a drill and has been held out. Everyone is echoing the sentiment that he’s fine and this time out is just a precaution, but the length of the absence and the team’s recent history reporting back injuries causes concern.

Trufant has the ability to be a sub-elite corner. His man cover skills are excellent. He steps up against the run and is a steady open-field tackler. Given agreeable situations (i.e. a deep safety, a big lead, a cover 3) Trufant does have damn good ball skills, but he tends to forget them when things get dicey. He’s athletic and fast enough to run with anyone and on a good defense, Trufant is capable of being a great cornerback every game. He just hasn’t played on many great defenses.

If Trufant were healthy or I had a better grasp of how Lucas will play this season, Seattle’s corners could be an A. Potential for potential, it’s as deep, balanced, system correct and accomplished group as there is in the NFL. But there’s a lot of potential variance. Wilson’s value is locked up in turnovers, and interceptions come and go. Lucas could have been cut for reasons other than his salary. 30 isn’t old, but it is old for some. Trufant could be more injured than the team is leading on, or this could be the first in one of those injury waves that kills a year of about every player’s career. So, to complete a continuing theme, there’s talent for more and potential for less, but "B" expresses the union of those factors, and "B" best expresses the most likely performance by Seattle’s corner’s in 2009.

Arizona Cardinals
Blogger: cgolden

For the first time that I can ever remember the Arizona Cardinals boast two above average starting corner backs that could, with any pass rush, be borderline dominant. Promising sophomore Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had his ups and downs last year but by seasons end he became the team's best cover man and one of the fan's favorite young stars. He's possesses the size, athleticism and ball skills to be as good as any corner in the league but he'll have to continue to grow as a defender who with his head instead of relying on natural ability. Too often last year DRC was burned with double moves or play action passes and he was one of the worst run defenders at the corner back position in the league. He improved in some of those areas as the season progressed and he gained experience but in order for the Cardinals secondary to make the kind of improvements that are needed, they need DRC to play at Pro Bowl level this season.

The Cardinals free agent splash was signing bizzaro-DRC, Bryant McFadden. McFadden isn't an uber-athletic corner or weak against the run, in fact he's basically the exact opposite. No other corner in the NFL performed as well against the run than McFadden last year and his physicality also transfers over to his style of coverage. While he a decent athlete, he's not a burner so instead he tries to knock receivers off their routes and disrupt the timing of opposing passing games. As with some players who prefer the physical style, he's struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but when he's healthy he's been a force and he's young enough (27) to believe that his best days are still ahead of him.

Once you get past the Cardinals top two corners though, the question marks start popping up. First, how much will Antrel Rolle drop down to nickel corner this year? Can the veteran Ralph Brown parlay last season's late success into an entire season as the Cardinals nickel corner? How quickly can fourth round pick Greg Toler get acclimated to the speed of the NFL? Does tiny-man Michael Adams even fit in the mix?

The biggest wild card in the secondary is where Antrel Rolle plays when the opposing offense goes three wide because last year he spent some time at nickel corner, some time around the line of scrimmage and some time as the actual free safety. During camp he's still been dropping down to the corner back in some passing situations and some will say that the team drafted Rashad Johnson (former Alabama free safety) so that Rolle could move around in the nickel and dime defenses. Ralph Brown is the next corner on the depth chart and he's basically the savvy veteran who get's by on sub-par athletic ability but a very good understanding of the game. He doesn't have great size but he understands opposing offenses and can bait quarterbacks into bad decisions. In a limited role he seems fairly adequate but any scenario that includes him as a starter would seemed destined for failure. Greg Toler is an athletic rookie that the Cards are hoping cut from the same mold as DRC (good size, athleticism and from a tiny school), but he's extremely raw and would be best served by a season spent on special teams units. Last but not least is Michael Adams, a tiny (5-8, 181) corner with a massive heart, who has basically been a special teams player up to this point. If he were to see time at corner, I'm sure other teams would just throw over the top of him to any receiver over six foot tall but Adams isn't afraid to stick his nose in the mix on running plays and he's made quite a name for himself as a gunner on special teams. His nickname should really be "Rudy."

Overall the Cardinals depth chart at corner is pretty top heavy. DRC and McFadden have the potential to be one of the better duo's in the league, if they can get any help from the pass rush. Behind them though is a bevy of question marks. I feel split between an A (for starters) and a C (for depth) so we'll split the difference and go with a B.

San Francisco 49ers
Blogger: Fooch

The 49ers cornerbacks are all over the place. They've got veteran experience, youthful potential, and some unreached potential mixed in. At this point I'm willing to give them a C because there is too much talent to go lower, but the production hasn't matched the talent so I'm not able to go much higher at this point.

Nate Clements is the #1 cornerback at this point and probably for the near future. Given the large contract he signed in 2007, he's been in the spotlight from day 1. He's had games where he shuts down the opposition and he's had games where he gets destroyed. I've read that some scouts think he still has technique problems even though he's entering his ninth season. At this point I'm willing to live with the fact that he'll never be the Champ Bailey type of shut down corner. However, I do think he is sufficiently talented to take care of business as the #1 guy for the 49ers. Some help at the free safety position could also provide him with help in coverage.

As of a few months ago Walt Harris was relatively entrenched as the #2 cornerback. A blown ACL later and the team went out and signed Dre Bly to compete for the #2 job. His opposition was Tarell Brown, a 5th round pick in the 2007 draft. Brown's draft stock fell due to some police issues that seem now to have been a matter of wrong palce wrong time. In two seasons with SF he's had zero problems. He's slowly seen his playing time increase and went into 2009's training camp with a good chance at winning the #2 job. Unfortunately a toe injury on the first day of camp has kept him out of practice. Dre Bly hasn't exactly run away with the #2 position in Brown's absence, so if he can get back soon he could still win that job. Dre Bly had a rather abysmal 2008 campaign, but in chatting with Broncos fans, while some of it has to do with Bly's own talent, he also was being utilized in a system that didn't allow him to use his aggressiveness. He'll get that chance with the 49ers, so we'll see how much talent there really is and how over the hill he might be.

The two primary backups after that are Shawntae Spencer and Marcus Hudson. Spencer was a late second round pick in 2004 and has never really matched the potential due in large part to a rash of injuries. At this point, he's most effective as the #3 corner, getting most of his playing time in the nickel defense. If he can stay healthy, he would likely be down to 4th in the depth chart, which I think gives the 49ers a nice level of depth at the position. Marcus Hudson is a guy who somehow hangs onto a job without blowing anybody away. Beyond that the 49ers are just rolling out camp bodies.

I'd probably go a grade lower if not for the depth they have at the position. While it's not spectacular depth, it's still a mix of good and decent talent 1-4, thus the grade of C. I actually think the performance of Dashon Goldson in center field could go a long way towards improving the 49ers cornerbacks.

Turf Show Times
Blogger: VanRam

Outside of wide receiver, there's no position where the Rams evoke more head-scratching than at cornerback.

On top the depth chart they've got Ron Bartell, a very good, underrated CB. Bartell almost hit the free agent market this year, disgruntled with the Rams former front office for not trying to get a deal done earlier. The new regime showered him with love and lured him back to the team with a solid contract that was still well below what he might have been paid as a free agent in the always crazy market for corners. What exactly did the team say? Who knows as far as persuasion goes. They did tell Bartell that his solid work in man coverage made him the team's top corner. They also probably told him that his speed and physical style of play made him a good fit for the new defensive system's demands for CBs to jam receivers and the line and then stick close on the routes. They also told him that he's part of the team's leadership cadre now, being one of the more expereinced players on the defense and the most experienced among the cornerbacks. Bartell will match up against team's top receivers this year.

Behind Bartell it gets a little foggy. Former first round pick Tye Hill is trying hard to avoid the bust label after injuries, lost confidence and a poor coaching situation that often left Rams d-backs confused as to where to play or who to cover. Jonathan Wade is a solid depth guy who has seen plenty of time at nickel and filling in for starters. Probably not a guy you want as one of your top two CBs for 16 games. This year's third round pick Bradley Fletcher is a big, physical kid from Iowa, and more than one draft pundit was surprised by the pick. Not all of them were, and that group has seen enough in camp so far to think that this might be a steal for a third round pick. Justin King, a speedy Penn State product who might have been a first round pick had he not graduated in three years, made a big impression on people in camp last year. Then he got hurt and missed the entire season. He's having a good camp, responding well to the defense and earning time with the first team.

Quincy Butler looked like a classic camp body when the Rams signed him in the middle of last season. Now, he's blowing everyone away with a great camp. It looks like the big, physical Butler has finally found a system suited to him. Having a head coach who used to coach some really good d-backs with the Eagles once upon a time certainly doesn't hurt. Butler still has to prove he's not an August wonder. If he does look good in the preseason and makes the final cut, he could be another feather in Billy Devaney's well-adorned cap of successful role players signed off the scrap heap. Relative unknowns Cord Parks and Marcus Brown round out the list of players trying out for the open jobs on the Rams depth chart.

Like so many units with the Rams this season, this is a group long on potential but mostly barren of results, so far. I'll give the group a C.