Asante Samuel

I'm saying that I just don't think there's much to this notion that there are corners who are so lacking in run support abilities that they can't make it in this defense. They won't make it in ANY defense!!! Everybody has to know how to tackle. People who can't won't make it in football. It's my belief that when we all say, "oh, we don't need this cornerback, he can't tackle" -- that's fan-speak. If Gregg Williams' defense is so nuanced to the point that it can't work with prototypical corners, then there would be no cornerbacks on his roster -- there'd be nothing but strong safeties.

And just where is it written that Asante Samuel "can't make a tackle in the open field"? Do we have actual proof of this claim? Would Bill Belichick keep someone on his roster than can't make an open field tackle? Of course not.

That's why all this talk of cornerbacks like Asante Samuel not being suitable for this particular defense in the judgement of Warpathers is absolute nonsense.

I completely disagree with everything you've said regarding this CB run support issue.

Yes, every player must know how to tackle to play pee wee football. That doesn't mean they're all good at it at the NFL level.

And run support isn't always tackling in the open field. Sometimes it's having the speed to come up on a sweep to your side of the field, and take away the sideline, forcing the RB to cut up the field towards the swarm of LBs that's racing towards him. You don't have to make the tackle, but you have to either slow the RB down, or you have to redirect him back to the heart of the defense. That takes speed, recognition to quickly diagnose the play as a run to your side, and aggressiveness to willingly attack the ballcarrier and defend the sideline.

GW's defense is predicated on flexibility. We want our safeties to cover so that he can feel free to blitz corners sometimes. We want our LBs capable of covering a Jeremy Shockey just as well as they can tackle a Brandon Jacobs. We want our defensive linemen, especially the backups, to be capable of shifting from DE to DT.

And we need our corners to be capable of coming up and delivering a blow to RBs so that we can feel free to blitz our LBs or safeties, and still be able to prevent an RB from taking a screen pass to the house.

If you want flexibility to move your players around on the field and attack from unexpected angles, then you have to have versatile players. When the LBs are on a blitz and attacking the QB, there better be someone there who can do the LB's job when he's not there. Sean Taylor can't be everywhere, as good as he is. If you want to be a blitzing team, you need CBs that can hit.

Nope. Not buying it. Anyone who cannot tackle a ball carrier in the open field won't be in the NFL. I don't care how complex or nuanced a defense is.

If Asante Samuel is out of the question for this team because he's too expensive, fine. But if a guy who had 10 interceptions last year isn't being considered because he's not "right for our system", then that only further illustrates the buffoonery of this front office, and serves as more proof that Williams shouldn't be in the position of evaluating the talent that belongs on our roster.

Nope. Not buying it. Anyone who cannot tackle a ball carrier in the open field won't be in the NFL. I don't care how complex or nuanced a defense is.

LOL, ok

How would you explain Deion then?

So you're saying that even for the right price, Gregg Williams would pass up on a cornerback who can smother a wideout, even if his game isn't centered on stopping the run -- Darrell Green for example?

To paraphrase you:

"LOL ok"

If I recall - GW defense is based on pressure. His defense works better when he has corners that can cover one on one due to the blitzes both on run downs and passing downs. His defense is a version of the 46, which corners are asked to cover one on one a lot. I dont care if a corner can tackle or not, to me they shouldn't be making 10 tackles a game. RB's should not be cosistantly getting to that level like they were last year. the Safeties in this D are asked to be more flexible. Cover and run support. I am not buying the whole big , physical corner stuff. I will take a cover/shut down corner any day of the week.

So you're saying that even for the right price, Gregg Williams would pass up on a cornerback who can smother a wideout, even if his game isn't centered on stopping the run -- Darrell Green for example?

To paraphrase you:

"LOL ok"

I think you're misunderstanding here.

I never said a player like Samuel wouldn't fit here or wouldn't be considered at the right price, but the truth is there are players that are better fits for a cover 2 system like Williams runs.

That's why he favors bigger corners who can play the run and blitz, and safeties who are flexible enough to play the nickel and dime positions, and even corner in a pinch.

To completely disregard the fact that there are cover 2 corners and cover corners is ridiculous.

I think there is a legitimate case for one corner being preferred over another because of a more desireable skill set. But to suggest that we pass on a guy that snagged 10 ints. simply because he doesn't fit makes me scratch my head a little. I think at the end of the day, it's about the most rudimentary defensive football skill - tackling.

Somewhere down the line, if Gregg Williams' defense is so dependent on corners that provide "run support" and we don't have any, and there aren't any at a reasonable price on the market, then it necessitates that he change what he's doing.

To be clear I wouldn't pass on Samuel because of his size or tackling ability, I would pass on him because of the contract he's going to command.

To be clear I wouldn't pass on Samuel because of his size or tackling ability, I would pass on him because of the contract he's going to command.


Agreed.

Asante Samuel- 5-10, 185
Fred Smoot- 5-11, 178

Is size really the issue here? It's money.