Saints are running out of room for scars with free-agent cornerbacks (1 Viewer)

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By Larry Holder, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

You can be a glass-half-full person when examining the New Orleans Saints' recent history in landing cornerbacks via free agency.

Jabari Greer and Keenan Lewis brought the Saints viable starting cornerbacks to a defensive backfield habitually void of talent. Randall Gay deserves a mention as well, given his versatility from 2008-2010.

Greer provided stability as soon as he arrived to New Orleans in 2009 and played a key role in the best three-year run in Saints history. Lewis came back to his New Orleans roots in 2013 and was easily the team's best cornerback for two seasons.

The glass-half-empty fans, however, need only point to Jason David and Brandon Browner.

David and Browner can poison any argument of the team's positive notes at the position. You might as well throw Champ Bailey in that group (I blame the Saints more than Bailey on this one)....

Full Story - NOLA.com
 
Our luck has to turn at some point. Lord knows we've had our fair share of injuries over the recent years.
 
The Saints have never drafted a great cornerback. Guys like McKenzie, Greer, and Lewis have come in from the outside. You also have the "throw at the rookie corner" syndrome that is irresistible to opposing quarterbacks. Let's get a starting CB in free agency and a potential starting CB in the draft.
 
The Saints have never drafted a great cornerback. Guys like McKenzie, Greer, and Lewis have come in from the outside. You also have the "throw at the rookie corner" syndrome that is irresistible to opposing quarterbacks. Let's get a starting CB in free agency and a potential starting CB in the draft.

While not "great". Tracy porter had the 2 biggest plays in saints history and was drafted in the 2nd
 
The Saints have never drafted a great cornerback. Guys like McKenzie, Greer, and Lewis have come in from the outside. You also have the "throw at the rookie corner" syndrome that is irresistible to opposing quarterbacks. Let's get a starting CB in free agency and a potential starting CB in the draft.

I have high hopes for P.J. Williams.
 
Our CB situation since 2010:

2010- Draft Patrick Robinson
2011- Draft Johnny Patrick
2012- Draft Corey White; Lose Porter to FA
2013- Sign Keenan Lewis; Greer gets hurt
2014- Draft Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Keenan Lewis gets hurt
2015- Draft PJ Williams and Swann; Sign Brandon Browner and Delvin Breaux; Keenan Lewis, PJ Williams, and Swann get hurt
2016- Keenan Lewis is cut; Delvin Breaux, PJ Williams, and Swann get hurt

There can't be another team in the league that has had this much bad luck at the CB position within the same time frame. Look at all those busts and injuries. This has to be the year where we have some good fortune at cornerback.
 
I have high hopes for P.J. Williams.

He was playing really well before the injury. I thought he was going to turn into a really solid player this past year and then into a stud the next year. But, he had that horrible injury and if I were the team I would go into the off-season assuming that he won't be able play this upcoming season. Maybe you get lucky and he is able to, but I don't think we can make any FA or draft decisions with the thought of he or Swann being dependable alternatives. We have seen with Swann that a head injury like that lingers for a long time.

It really sucks because both guys were so promising. But football isn't fair and they both had two of the worst concussions I've ever seen.
 
I'm really not sure how to put this eloquently, but it seems like the corners we draft are always guys with slow 40 times or developmental guys, the types that we go into draft days and most of us self-proclaimed "draft gurus" have never even heard of them. We rarely seem to draft the types "people are talking about," with attitudes, flashy return skills, blazing 40s, "dawgs" from top schools, the SEC, etc.

In this draft, I'm talking guys like Sidney Jones, Adoree Jackson, Marshon Lattimoe, Tradavious White, etc. Those are the types we rarely seem to draft.

Not saying these guys are busts, but we seem to draft the no-name, non-special types like Rasul Douglas from West Virginia, Brendan Langley from Lamar. Stop taking mid-round fliers and go after special types that have played in big games and run 4.3s/low 4.4s and have first or second round grades. Guys with attitude and cockiness, guys from big programs with outstanding tape against top competition.

Stop drafting corners that run in the high 4.5s or worse and guys that were "just a guy" at their program that other teams barely feared or game-planned for. Focus on the types above, and our bust rate will drop considerably.

Even taking corners in the mid rounds are fine, guys like PJ Williams and Damian Swann were steps in the right direction, rather than project types like Johnny Patrick or Corey White (yeah I realize hindsight is 20/20). Yeah you may miss out on a Josh Norman every so often (4.66 speed from Coastal Carolina), but guys like him come around only once every few years and are like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Lastly, when you have a clear, glaring need at the position along with a high pick, don't pass on a guy with speed, attitude, spunk, production (Marcus Peters) for a backup offensive linemen that you clearly had no vision for and wasn't even a need at the time. We're whiffing at corner because we're not allocating our resources towards the position properly.
 
He was playing really well before the injury. I thought he was going to turn into a really solid player this past year and then into a stud the next year. But, he had that horrible injury and if I were the team I would go into the off-season assuming that he won't be able play this upcoming season. Maybe you get lucky and he is able to, but I don't think we can make any FA or draft decisions with the thought of he or Swann being dependable alternatives. We have seen with Swann that a head injury like that lingers for a long time.

It really sucks because both guys were so promising. But football isn't fair and they both had two of the worst concussions I've ever seen.

So true, plus in this era of football they must watch these guys closer after they have had bad concussions. Any corner that plays on our defense is going to be attacked over and over and over, hence having more snaps, more chances for injuries. With this FO always going to the bargain bin in one way or another, I would continue to expect the same results. If we sign a top guy that has respect from the opposing QBs as a don't throw that way corner, then maybe our guys can stay a little healthier.

We have all heard the potential deals or trades or signings of top cornerbacks that the Saints have been rumoured with, but until we do actually sign one of these stud guys I see more of the same next year.

And expecting Breaux to be a number 1 corner is an example of why we get torched year in and year out. Because we have extremely low expectaions. I think this is the year that we have to take a CB with the top pick, to make sure we have a blue chipper in the secondary.
 
I think this is the year that we have to take a CB with the top pick, to make sure we have a blue chipper in the secondary.


A blue chipper will look like a scrub if there is no pass rush. I think our lack of a pass rush has hurt our DB's over the past 5-6 years.
 
Free agent + Tre'Davious White/Adoree Jackson and we'll be in good shape.
 
Micah Hyde anyone? Versatile and has play making ability.
Yes he does! It's why I'll find it shocking if GB lets him walk. They know what they have in him.

"Hyde can line up at safety, outside corner or in the slot. He’s a punt returner. He’ll be playing guard next. Ted Thompson just needs to make sure it’s in Green Bay."

~LombardiAve

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
 
Yes he does! It's why I'll find it shocking if GB lets him walk. They know what they have in him.

"Hyde can line up at safety, outside corner or in the slot. He’s a punt returner. He’ll be playing guard next. Ted Thompson just needs to make sure it’s in Green Bay."

~LombardiAve

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

Micah Hyde would be a nice signing. I don't think we would want him as our #2 corner though.
 

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