Raiders CB's ranked #2 in the AFC

[R4Life]

Figures the AFC West would get 4 of the top 7 spots....

AFC focus: Broncos are champs at corner
May 31, 2007

Sporting News' AFC correspondents shift their focus to the top units of cornerbacks in the conference:

1. Broncos. Dre' Bly gives the team another ballhawking man-to-man defender to pair with seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey. Nickel back Domonique Foxworth has the top-end speed to match up with slot receivers.

2. Raiders. Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington excel in one-on-one coverage and have above-average speed, great instincts and solid tackling skills. Nickel back Stanford Routt has blazing speed but gets beat too often.

3. Ravens. Chris McAlister has the strength and speed to match up with any receiver. Samari Rolle struggled last season but still is savvy. Backups Ronnie Prude and Evan Oglesby lack experience.

4. Patriots. If potential holdout Asante Samuel returns, he and Ellis Hobbs will form a solid duo. Hobbs has the ball skills and temperament to be a No. 1 corner. If Samuel leaves, Eugene Wilson could move from safety to corner, his college position.

5. Jaguars. Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams have solid man-to-man coverage skills, are physical jamming receivers and are fearless in run support. Nickel back Terry Cousin (5-9, 185) lacks ideal size but is a savvy veteran who makes plays.

6. Chargers. Quentin Jammer has become a shutdown force and is an excellent tackler. Drayton Florence is fast and would be among the league's best if he were more consistent. Antonio Cromartie needs experience.

7. Chiefs. Ty Law and Patrick Surtain don't run as well as they once did, but they can hold up for at least one more season. Nickel back Benny Sapp has distinguished himself more as a blitzer than as a cover guy.

8. Jets. Rookie Darrelle Revis gives the team a corner with big-time potential. Andre Dyson is solid and won't embarrass the defense. David Barrett has been slowed this offseason by sports hernia surgery.

9. Steelers. Ike Taylor is proven but had a lapse in confidence last season. Bryant McFadden still has upside. Nickel back Deshea Townsend is steady but not a playmaker.

10. Titans. With Pacman Jones suspended, the team will rely on Reynaldo Hill and newcomer Nick Harper. Nickel back Cortland Finnegan was solid in 2006, and the Titans also would like to get first-round pick Michael Griffin on the field.

11. Texans. Hard-hitting Dunta Robinson, whose career has stuttered after an excellent rookie season, is due for a breakout year. Demarcus Faggins knows the defense and tackles well. Jamar Fletcher and Fred Bennett are vying for the nickel job.

12. Bengals. First-round pick Leon Hall will push Deltha O'Neal for the starting job opposite Johnathan Joseph. Hall is a smart, physical run defender who is effective in man, zone or press coverage.

13. Bills. Terrence McGee gets burned on double moves but has good quickness and ball skills. Recently signed Jason Webster is small but experienced and works well in zone coverage. Kiwaukee Thomas excelled as the nickel corner last season.

14. Dolphins. Will Allen is the strongest coverage corner. Andre' Goodman (shoulder) might miss the start of training camp. Travis Daniels could regain his starting job from Goodman, and Jason Allen's switch from safety to corner will add depth.

15. Colts. Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden will need time to adjust to being starters. The key to the transition is whether Tim Jennings settles in as the No. 3.

16. Browns. Leigh Bodden is talented, but his projected breakout in 2006 was ruined by ankle issues. Rookie Eric Wright has just one year of big-time college football under his belt. Journeyman Kenny Wright is an adequate backup.

TOP 5 AFC CORNERBACKS
1. Champ Bailey, Broncos. There's Bailey -- and there's the rest of the cornerbacks. He has the whole package: size, quickness, recovery speed, ball skills. On top of that, he's the best run-stopping corner in the NFL.

2. Chris McAlister, Ravens. He's a physical player who matches up best against big wideouts. His ability to take away receivers gives the Ravens' front seven time to get to the quarterback and allows their defense to take risks.

3. Rashean Mathis, Jaguars. His most impressive attributes are his closing speed, soft hands and change-of-direction skills. Though he's an excellent ballhawk, his technique could use some work.

4. Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders. The Raiders ask him to cover top receivers one-on-one, and he has the size, speed and strength to handle the job. With eight interceptions in '06, he emerged as a big-time playmaker.

5. Asante Samuel, Patriots. He's almost always in position to make plays, which he proved by intercepting a league-high 10 passes last season. He's not the biggest guy but makes up for that with smarts and excellent instincts.

You can find this article at:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=215714

 

[Whistle]

I'm impressed they gave us #2. But Mathis over Scrabble. Eh, guess that's a coin toss....I'd take Nnambdi's change of direction (strength) over Mathis' skills....

 

[007]

I agree with thier individual rankings, and I am okay with the overall CB rankings.

I like Aso and Fabs, we have a weaker NB than most of the top teams, but we are probably the deepest if you drop way down on the depth chart with Routt-Carr-Starks-Bowie and Huff...

I think they give Baltimore's CB's too much credit. I watched Rolle get beaten like a drum, and McCallister wasnt his usual self in 2006.

Chargers are too high and the Browns and Colts shouldnt be at the bottom, IMO.

Solid overall though.

 

[Madturk]

Yeah the individual rankings seem about right. Aso had his one break-out year but is going to have to follow that up again.

I think Dre Bly is a bit overrated. Denver's high ranking is really based on one player. I agree with 007, I think top to bottom, we're probably the deepest in the NFL. I think the Chiefs are a bit overrated as well as the Chargers who benefit from having the best front 7 in the league.

 

[Raidermania12]

I think we got overrated. Too many question marks after Fabs and Aso. As far as Bly is concerned, he gets beat much less often than darrent williams and also has a nose for Int's, fumble recoveries, and returning them for 6. He is a worthy #1 corner on many teams even if he does have trouble with the randy moss/terrel owens of the league. He's the type of guy BMW would have a field day on, but could cover Ronald Curry pretty well.

Again its not his coverage any of us should worry about, its his playmaking abilities. He gambles a lot and hard with better results than most who gamble as much as him typically. Denver needed and wanted that on the opposite side of Chump Bumly, so its a great fit for him especially if dungver gets alot of pressure on Qb's this year.

 

[R4Life]

He's the type of guy BMW would have a field day on, but could cover Ronald Curry pretty well.

So long as that puts Baily on Porter - I'm all good with that. Porter seems to do pretty well against Chump and we might get some mismatches across the field.

 

[Raidermania12]

Thats back when they left Chump on an island w/o much safety Help. Don't know if that'll be the case this year.

 

[R4Life]

Thats back when they left Chump on an island w/o much safety Help. Don't know if that'll be the case this year.

Isn't that why he makes the big bucks? So they can roll their safety help to Bly and run support? Nah. I'm pretty sure Denver's going to like most one on one matches with Champ and send their safeties elsewhere (except maybe over the top on Chump).

 

[Swords]

They need to give Aso the Moss money they saved and lock him up.

 

[R4Life]

Editor's note: Over the next two weeks, our series, "The Best," will look at the NFL's best in a number of key categories.

The Best: Player you've never heard of
ESPN.com


Nnamdi Asomugha
Cornerback
Oakland Raiders

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
50 48 2 1 1 8

Jeffri Chadiha: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Oakland

After not intercepting a pass during his first three seasons in the NFL, Asomugha picked off eight last season for the Raiders. He didn't generate much notoriety from that production -- primarily because Oakland limped through a 2-14 season -- but he did turn some heads around the NFL with his maturation. Asomugha has great size for his position (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and he thrives in press coverage. He's also in position to void his contract after this season, so don't be surprised if he finds a fat payday in the open market next spring.



John Clayton: Luis Castillo, DE, Chargers

The best player you might not know about is Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo. Sure, people might know his name from his positive steroid test prior to the 2005 draft and his first-round selection by the Chargers. But what people might not appreciate is how good he is. Wade Phillips, his former defensive coordinator, considers him one of the best young defensive ends in the game. In practice and in games, he's almost impossible to block. Linebacker Shawne Merriman draws all the attention on the Chargers' defense because he's the double-digit sack guy, but Castillo will continue to gain more prominence. The Chargers have perhaps the best one-two punch on defense in football with Castillo and Merriman.



Aaron Smith
Defensive End
Pittsburgh Steelers

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
64 46 18 1 5 0

Merril Hoge: Aaron Smith, DE, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith is the best player in the NFL that most people haven't heard of. The reason for that is because he plays in the trenches on the line and doesn't put up the huge sack numbers that other ends may put up. But the Steelers defense wouldn't be nearly as effective without him on the team. He creates havoc for opposing offensive lines because he has the ability to power through blocks to get pressure on the quarterback and also disrupt the running game. He also does a decent job of occasionally dropping back into coverage and disrupting tight ends that come across the middle, which allows Troy Polamalu the opportunity to roam freely.



Kevin Williams
Defensive Tackle
Minnesota Vikings

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
36 29 7 0 5 0

Len Pasquarelli: Kevin Williams, DT, Minnesota
It's difficult to maintain any degree of anonymity when you've been selected for a pair of Pro Bowl appearances. But outside the Twin Cities, it seems that not many folks are familiar with Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams, or how good the four-year veteran really is. The Vikings' first-round choice in the 2003 draft, Williams began his NFL career playing mostly at end, then sliding down inside on passing downs. He collected 10½ sacks as a rookie in 2003 and 11½ sacks in 2004, then moved full-time to tackle. His sack numbers are down, with just nine in the past two seasons, but Williams has emerged as one of the NFL's most complete interior linemen. He combines quickness and strength, uses his hands well, and has become a much better defender against the run than he was earlier in his career. That he is so active along the line, and such a good athlete for a 300-pounder, is best reflected in the fact he has 23 pass deflections in four seasons.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2889689&type=story

 

[Crow]

Aso had his one break-out year but is going to have to follow that up again.

He's actually had back to back great seasons. No picks in '05, but he did really well in coverage.

Last year, he just put it all together. I think he's for real.

 

[Rupert]

I'll piggyback that by saying he's a very good run stopper, one of the best in the NFL. We don't get to see it as often as his back is to the play though.

 

[Madturk]

He's actually had back to back great seasons. No picks in '05, but he did really well in coverage.

Last year, he just put it all together. I think he's for real.

Unfortunately no picks aren't going to merit you much pro bowl consideration. I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong about the guy. Initially looked like going the way of some of other 1st round busts, Brayton, Nap Harris. That's why I'm not ready to write off Sanford Routt just yet. I am cautiously optimistic that we can work out a deal to keep him in a Raider uniform.

 

[Crossbones]

Bones, the Guru of the 'Lil Al whiffed on Aso too when I said "who the fuck is that" when we drafted him.

Hey I love the guy . What can I say. Unfortunately I see trouble brewing and of course can't blame the player. He's gonna want to see what he's worth on the open market. So unless the Raiders tag him I see him leaving or the Raiders ending up with another Woodson clone (contract wise). That's a damn shame.

 

[Jack's sore libido]

Was it just me or was Daven Holly the Browns' best cornerback last year?

And he gets no mention at all in this write-up?

 

[007]

I think Leigh Bodden is a solid corner, Jack.

I didnt catch too much of Holley, but Bodden is a solid #1-2 corner.