Do You Like Your Cornerbacks?
March 21st, 2014
With the addition of veteran cornerback Mike Jenkins yesterday, Joe started thinking about the state of the Bucs’ crop of cornerbacks.
Yeah, it’s early, but are they deep enough or good enough? Here’s a look:
Alterraun Verner: Replacing Revis is how he’ll be judged, like it or not.
Johnthan Banks: Go-Go Gadget looks promising but has a lot to prove.
Mike Jenkins: Former Pro Bowler took a small step toward recapturing that form last year in Oakland.
D.J. Moore: A four-year Lovie man in Chicago. Plays nickel. Cut midseason from Carolina last year.
Leonard Johnson: Doesn’t have the speed or quickness necessary to be consistent.
Danny Gorrer: Strong special teams player best known for costly drop against Philly in 2012.
Rashaan Melvin: Overhyped undrafted Schiano-Dominik man. Athletic big body was hurt all last season.
Deveron Carr: Better than fellow rookie Melvin last year. Stayed healthy. Contributed on special teams.
Anthony Gaitor: Final year of 2011 rookie contract. Has never impressed.
Bobby Felder: Leslie Frazier practice squad guy cut by Vikings and signed by Bucs in October.
How these guys will fit in to Lovie’s cover-2-heavy-system is unclear, though Verner is said to be tailor-made, and Moore comes Lovie approved.
Joe has to conclude the Bucs need another quality body. Perhaps Lovie and Jason Licht are eyeballing a cornerback in the draft? Joe surely could see the Bucs going offense in the first two rounds and jumping on a corner or a project pass rusher in the third round.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:22 am
Hey Joe, looks like the Raiders won’t be picking up Teddy or Mancrush. Guess they are trading for Schaub. But what does that say about the Texans?
March 21st, 2014 at 9:23 am
You can throw out your evaul Joe, if the Bucs finally get some guys that can rush the passer. I know you have nightmare’s of terrible secondary play from the Bucs, But you forget that the Bucs have had the worst pass rush in the league the last 5 years.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:28 am
Jeez, joe’s written about the Bucs awful pass rush forever. Why so hard on the guy? Just because you have a decent rush doesn’t mean you don’t need playmakers in the secondary and depth. One more legitimate corner should do it for this year.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:31 am
Revis wasn’t great last season, and so the bar he set isn’t all that high. He made the Pro Bowl on reputation alone (and that happens a lot).
I’m thinking the Bucs are going to draft one of the quarterbacks, considering what the Raiders have done (thanks walkdaplank for breaking the news).
But who?
March 21st, 2014 at 9:34 am
Like it or not Joe, we upgraded on overall Talent pool, size and lowered the cap space eaten up by the secondary.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:43 am
How many corners historically make the 53 man roster? 6?
March 21st, 2014 at 9:44 am
Based on that overview looks like Justin Gilbert will be our 1rd pick. That’s our guy
March 21st, 2014 at 9:49 am
I think Banks did a good job last season considering he was getting picked on due to Revis being on the other side. I’m still bummed about Revis, but Verner should do just fine. I honestly think we’re in better shape in the secondary this year. Should be fun to see how it plays out! But I actually agree with Joe on LJ & Gaitor(see Joe… I don’t bash you at any chance I get. Just on the JF stuff
March 21st, 2014 at 9:49 am
Felder must have been like oh… fudge when they hired Frazier.
I think we’re okay with that group. Corner is important but not as much as D-line in a lovie scheme…
March 21st, 2014 at 9:55 am
WalkdaPlank,
So, the Raiders have Schaub now and the Texans have no starting QB. This means the 1st pick will be a QB for the Texans and unless the Raiders get D-Jax they will draft Watkins with the 5th pick. That leaves us the possibility of OL, OLB/DE, or TE that are the top at their positions. Depending on the rest of FA. The Browns and Jags will probably take QBs, so the top 3 will be gone. Unless we take a top OL, OLM/DE we will trade back and pick up picks. The TE Ebron will be there at pick 10 to 12 or another WR.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:55 am
As far as seasons of good football left Verner is better than Revis.
That’s what amazes me about the Lovie show so far, he gets good free agents with a lot of shelf life left. Very smartly played.
Is it all good enough? Given the disaster that he took over he’s doing fantastic, but its not good enough until we are relevant again.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:57 am
Joe, you are one of few that will be comparing AV to Revis, you talk like Revis was a long time fixture in Tampa Bay. He had one year here in a system that was nothing like a real Tampa 2. We can’t compare the two players because we have no idea how either of them will play in Lovies system because niether of them have. If we will be comparing AV to anyone it will be #20.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:57 am
Don’t pick a QB in this years draft. Next years draft is WAY better than this years. Go look at all the prospects for next year.
March 21st, 2014 at 9:59 am
Draft is all that is left. “Quality” CB free agents are gone. Maybe someone will get cut later but you can’t depend on that.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:05 am
@Vincente
I agree entirely…next year is the year….Let Glennon work behind McCown for a year & see how he develops.
I think it is looking like we trade down for extra picks….& I think this crop of CBs is OK…not great….one of the younger CBs like Gorrer or Melvin will rise above the rest. Much will depend on their Special Teams contributions.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:07 am
What I read on the Shaub trade still says Oakland plans on him being the starter with a rookie at his side. So that doesn’t mean that they’re not gonna take a QB in the 1st. It also said getting Schaub didn’t effect their plans on the draft. So Oakland is still the unpredictable Raiders that they’ve been for years now
March 21st, 2014 at 10:11 am
Interesting that Joe left CB Marc Anthony off that list. Anthony is a CB that the Bucs were high on last year. He was recruited by and played for Tedford at Cal. He was plucked from the 49er PS and placed on the Bucs active roster. Check out his tape from Cal. He’s got grit and ball skills. May be a slot corner in the making!
March 21st, 2014 at 10:13 am
Yeah, I doubt Case Keenum is who Houston expects to be their savior. And they didn’t pick up any FA QB’s. It’s a safe bet they are going QB. As for the Jags. They traded Gabbert and resigned Henne. They are going QB, first or later. Considering they pick in the Top 5 I would say first. Cleveland has no QB. And now no Weeden. Unless they pick up Freeman or Vick I’d say they are going QB.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:26 am
@ Mike
Exactly….why would us taking McCown keep us from drafting a QB at 7?…..why is that any different than the Raiders?
They have brought in an experienced FA to work with a younger QB and likely to start just like us.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:28 am
Just because the Raiders picked up Shaub does not mean they won’t draft a QB in their first pick. Where you some of you come up with this notion is beyond me.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:29 am
Okay well same thing Mike and TBBF just said then.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:32 am
We’re proving the old theory that you can never have enough CBs!
March 21st, 2014 at 10:32 am
Okay caffeine do your thing damn it.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:44 am
@TBBF, you’re right there. I won’t argue that. Just going by what I read. I just hope we take BPA and don’t reach. I’m learning how to be calm this off season. Lol
March 21st, 2014 at 10:54 am
Didn’t Raheem pass on Jenkins when he came out, because he didn’t really fit a Tampa2/4/Flea secondary?
March 21st, 2014 at 10:57 am
…but Vernor, Jenkins, Banks, Moore are a decent secondary, still not very deep…I would bet we go corner on the second round.
March 21st, 2014 at 10:59 am
Not all the decent FA corners are gone. I’d like to see Lovie bring in Antoine Cason. He’s not an elite corner but in a system that gets pressure on the QB from the guys up front he could do well. He’s better than Jenkins, and younger too. And he’s MUCH better than Johnson, Gorrer, Gaitor etc
March 21st, 2014 at 11:03 am
Joe,
Schaub to be traded to the Raiders. Maybe a general league view on the QB’s in the draft, also seems to look like Houston will pick QB (Bortles / Bridgewater?)
March 21st, 2014 at 11:09 am
Houston picked up Ryan Fitzpatrick yesterday, not saying they won’t go qb in the 1st but they did get a FA
March 21st, 2014 at 11:15 am
McCown will not be good if we do not get him a top tier receiver and if Sammy Watkins is gone than we should go after Mike Evans who ESPN has ranked the 7 best player in the draft (right where we are picking) and we know Lovie likes big physical receivers. I think we will take a QB in round 2 or 3 (if at all).
March 21st, 2014 at 11:16 am
Looks like most teams needing a QB have gone the FA route before the draft….hedging their bets and not forcing the rookie to play before he is ready. Good move by Bucs, Raiders & Texans.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:19 am
Schaub going to the Raiders doesn’t mean any more than McCown coming to the Bucs. They are a bookmark, a place-holder, for the next QB that (hopefully) is the long-term answer.
There are three teams, in the top six, that ‘could’ draft a QB. There are also, at least, two teams behind the Bucs who might feel the need to move up for one.
This is going to be a wild and crazy ride!
March 21st, 2014 at 11:21 am
Que589 Says:
March 21st, 2014 at 9:44 am
Based on that overview looks like Justin Gilbert will be our 1rd pick. That’s our guy
+++++++++++++++++
Do you not know anything about this defense? It’s about the front 4, not the back 4. As a matter of fact, no CB has ever been taken inside of the top 20 by a team running T-2.. EVER!!!
March 21st, 2014 at 11:23 am
Thank god for Verner. I like Banks a lot and think he’ll be fantastic playing for Lovie Smith, but he’s not quite ready to be a number one corner and it would have been very tough if Revis had to replaced through the draft.
Overall it’s a solid group of guys. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Bucs grabbed a corner in the draft, but I don’t think it would be until round 3 or later. Too many other areas to fill; pass rushing end, another linebacker, at least one wide receiver, and you have to expect the new regime to grab a QB in round 1 or 2.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:23 am
Hawk Says:
March 21st, 2014 at 11:19 am
Schaub going to the Raiders doesn’t mean any more than McCown coming to the Bucs. They are a bookmark, a place-holder, for the next QB that (hopefully) is the long-term answer.
There are three teams, in the top six, that ‘could’ draft a QB. There are also, at least, two teams behind the Bucs who might feel the need to move up for one.
This is going to be a wild and crazy ride!
_______________
It does make it much less of a pressing need, however, and that and Schaub’s $11 salary he will be earning (as well as the pick given up) suggest the Raiders think of him fairly highly. If they are in “win now” mode… and they traded for Schaub, they will likely try to draft a position player in round 1, not a QB.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:24 am
Banks is like a Tillman clone. He’s perfect for this scheme.
You talk CBS joe. The safeties are more of a question mark. What really matters is how the front 4 gets to the qb.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:27 am
The CB group still looks thin overall. Verner was a nice addition. Banks might develop into a solid player, too early to tell. Jenkins has flashed at times but he’s underperformed for long stretches too. Beyond the top three guys, there’s not much other than depth. And not good depth at that. The pass rush better be much improved or Brees and Ryan might have an easy time. At least Carolina decided to gut their WR corps.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:36 am
Doesn’t change anything in HOU. Every one knew Schaub wouldn’t be back anyways. Their fanbase would’ve revolted.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:49 am
Top to bottom, the Bucs have way more cornerback talent than they’ve had in a long time. They could still use another CB in the third round.
Joe says, “Replacing Revis is how he’ll be judged, like it or not.” Why? Because Joe is going to continue the comparison. Other media outlets and fans are likely to get over it. Not Joe.
March 21st, 2014 at 11:58 am
Orca brilliantly says :
“Joe says, “Replacing Revis is how he’ll be judged, like it or not.” Why? Because Joe is going to continue the comparison. Other media outlets and fans are likely to get over it. Not Joe.”
Orca….I’m definitely one of those fans that’s already over it. I don’t think Lil Pup (some guy on the radio) and Joe will let it die though. Your right about that. I can hear the puppy now : they dumped Revis for this guy…wth?
Dear Joe,
Go Bucs Baby!
March 21st, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Joe, you are extremely harsh on rookies. Don’t know why you think all rookies must make the pro bowl or else they are potential busts. Especially when it comes to evaluating the cornerback position, possibly the hardest position to transition into as a rookie. Banks played about as good as a second round rookie CB is going to play, let alone the 5th or 6th or 7th CB taken off the board. Contrary to popular belief, it does actually take time for a player to develop into an NFL player, and of course there are always exceptions.
March 21st, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Do others see it possible the Bucs will draft a safety?
I believe MLB and free safety are high-value positions for the C-2. Jimmie Ward would look nice playing center field and should have better coverage skills than most other safeties.
March 21st, 2014 at 1:03 pm
No worries… This defense is already a guaranteed ten wins, right?
March 21st, 2014 at 1:08 pm
@ Brandon
I agree with your logic, however, I’ve come to the conclusion that Logic is not a strong suit in the Raider organization. :^)
March 21st, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Gaitor actually fits cover 2 very well im interested to see what he does if he is healtthy