SB Nation - Marcus Brown

Incognito out, Amendola in: Random Ramsdom, 11/10

VanRam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:56:18 -0000

Feelin' kind of random today? Headlines are percolating as the St. Louis Rams gear up for a tough game against the New Orleans Saints this week, so let's shake off the bye week rust and jump right in.

RG Richie Incognito will be out. It's not official yet, but he's not practicing this week because of his foot injury. Adam Goldberg will start in his place. WR/KR Danny Amendola has recovered from his concussion and will play this week.

A couple of cornerbacks, Marcus Brown and Marquis Floyd, visited Rams Park yesterday. Neither has been inked yet, and S Anthony Smith's roster spot remains open. It seem like we could use the help at CB.

The NFL's schedule makers gave the 2-win Rams of '08 no breaks this year. New Orleans is the third undefeated team they'll face. That's the last, as of this week, elite team the Rams are scheduled to play, but 5-4 Houston comes to town in week 15 looking to keep their wild card shot alive. We've got two more games against the Cardinals as well.

New Orleans had a rough outing against the Panthers last week, having to fight their way back from a 14-point hole. Head coach Sean Payton doesn't seem ready to let that happen again.

Rams Gab takes a look at the New Orleans game this week.

Didn't get enough speculation with yesterday's Jason Campbell talk? How 'bout Tony Dungy suggesting Michael Vick for the Rams? His past aside, I'm going to give that a thumbs down based on Vick's stated desire to be a QB again. I want a guy who can run a passing game with more authority, sorry.

Donnie Avery, fantasy sleeper for week 10? Maybe. I'd feel a lot better about it if I knew Marc Bulger could throw.

Rams cut Klopfenstein and three others

VanRam — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:06:08 -0000

St. Louis Rams TE and 2006 second round draft pick Joe Klopfenstein got the axe today, as the Rams trimmed their roster to meet the league's mandate to pair down to 75 player rosters today.

Also getting cut were WR Jarrett Byers, CB Marcus Brown and C Daniel Sanders. That leaves one more cut to go. Could that move be putting Brooks Foster on IR? Stay tuned.

Klopfenstein had decent enough hands during his days playing at Colorado, but his, um, potential never developed at the NFL level. The Klop pick, along with Brian Leonard, symbolize the Rams drafts of the Linehan era. Klop did not have the speed required of NFL tight ends to keep defensive backs honest on seam routes. Klop never developed as a blocker either, leading to more than one mistake or two in pass protection. A tight end without speed and blocking ability in the NFL...

Like Brian Leonard, his skill set was somewhere in between two roles. Both players were absurd wastes of a second round pick, a pick that could have been used on solid contributors. In 2006, the Rams could have selected Maurice Jones-Drew, Cedric Griffin, Pro Bowl OT Marcus McNeill (at a time when the Rams could have really used OT depth), Darryl Tapp, Devin Hester, yada, yada, yada. Hindsight is always 20-20, but it should have been clear their were more projectable, better prospects to be had with the pick the Rams used on a TE lacking speed and blocking ability.

The 2006 draft is the perfect example of why the Rams are going through a rebuilding program, even though nobody on the team will call it that. Guys taken that year in the draft would be gearing up for their fourth year in the league, emerging as reliable starters, if not key building blocks. This year, the Rams are giving their first round pick from 2006, CB Tye Hill, one last chance to stick on the roster...and he's probably going to lose a starting role to 2007 third round pick Jonathan Wade. The Rams had 10 draft picks that season, more than they've had since. Of those 10 picks, only HIll, DE Victor Adeyanju (4th round) and OL Mark Setterstrom (7th round) remain with the team, the later two having given the Rams solid depth at their respective positions (don't forget that Setts has been a starter and probably could be a regular starter). For the Rams, the 2006 draft was a colossal failure. I get pissed every time I think about it. Breathe, Van, breathe. It's a new day for Rams football.

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.

Bengals release Dexter Jackson, three off-season roster players

Kirkendall — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:18:20 -0000

In an expected move to free up cap space, and realistically no need for roster depth, the Bengals released Dexter Jackson on Friday, along with practice squad players guard James Blair, defensive end Victor DeGrate and cornerback Marcus Brown.

At safety, after Jackson's release, he Bengals now have six guys under roster.

Chinedum Ndukwe
Marvin White
Chris Crocker
Corey Lynch
Kyries Hebert
Mike Doss

Tuesday afternoon links and notes; practice squad moved to offseason roster

Kirkendall — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:23:58 -0000

The Bengals signed seven players onto the offseason roster that were on the team's practice squad.

G James Blair
CB Marcus Brown (McNeese State)
C/G Digger Bujnoch (Cincinnati)
DE Victor DeGrate (Oklahoma State
WR Maurice Purify (Nebraska)
FB J.D. Runnels (Oklahoma)
WR Mario Urrutia (Louisville)

Mark Curnutte is leaving as the Bengals beat writer. No word on who's replacing him. We've never had a problem with Curnutte, he provided us with plenty of information. However, we think that the Enquirer has never fully understood the potential they have with their Bengals blog; where information meets opinion in a messy collision. That's a good blog.

Stacy Andrews, who plans on being back by training camp, is having surgery in Cincinnati on January 5.

Not only is Chris Henry looking to have an "uneventful offseason season", but he says his relationship with head coach Marvin Lewis is "repaired." Forgive us if we've heard that before and remain suspect.

Chick Ludwig agrees with CJ, Bob Bratkowski should be "under heavy scrutiny". But he also thinks tagging Houshmandzadeh would be a mistake.

Lewis' latest press conference proves it, he's no fun.

While Lewis complimented the veteran players for helping keep things stable, but also said "I can't have said it enough times that they weren't quite ready to go when we got started, and that makes a big difference. It's difficult to train on your own at the pace everyone else is keeping with the team." Chad and Houshmandzadeh were within his sights when saying that. We fully stand behind the head coach on that one.

Why Geoff Hobson is examining anything other than tackle for the upcoming NFL draft is beyond me. At the same time, I'm a little flaky on my stance if that means we can get a leader, a play-maker, on defense -- specifically the middle linebacker.

The 2009 schedule based on location.

B.J. doesn't seem too optimistic.

Bengals waive psychotic defensive end looking guy, Cincy Jungle sad

Kirkendall — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:25:44 -0000

Admittedly, one of the reasons I really liked Josh Mallard was this picture. His eyes are bulging, unshaven with wild out-of-the-shower hair. He's the type of looking guy that fathers would freak watch strutting to the front door with music that would make Pantera and Slayer fans blush. With this look, you had hoped his performance would be one of a psychotic defensive end.

Well, he's gone. The Bengals waived him.

In response, the Bengals signed safety Mike Doss. Ohio State, baby! He's the first Buckeye on roster since the team signed (and subsequently placed on IR), Kirk Barton. During the Ohio State's National Championship season, Doss' senior year, the starting safety recorded 107 tackles, two picks and a fumble recovery. That year he won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the year, semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe award and a consensus All-America and All-Big Ten choice. In his Ohio State career, Doss recorded 331 tackles, 20 passes defended, eight picks, eight fumble recoveries, six sacks and two forced fumbles.

He started 15 games his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, recorded 102 tackles and recorded seven interceptions from 2003-2006. Doss has been unemployed since his contract expired with the Vikings in 2007. Red flag?

The Bengals also signed Marcus Brown to the team's practice squad, who like Doss, has been unemployed since being waived on August 26.

Back to Doss at Ohio State (make sure you watch the last video).

And for those of you wondering (Tar), yes, suddenly like Pixie Dust showering from the moon during a pleasantly mild December night, my internet has suddenly fixed itself. I'm still having Time Warner out. I know my karma. My karma ain't good. My karma will not be a factor, thus I command Time Warner to "make sure" I'm not daydreaming of a solid internet connection. Yes, I'm an internet junkie.

UPDATE: Mike Doss will wear #44.