A Very Falcoholic Discussion: The Starting Cornerbacks

by Dave the Falconer on May 12, 2009 8:00 AM EDT in Editorial Comment 22 comments

Given the steady rotation at minicamps, I thought this would be a particularly tricky one to forecast.

You know the drill by now, I expect. Use this post to discuss the cornerbacking corps and the two who will emerge triumphant from under a pile of lesser corners to take their rightful spots atop the depth chart. Or something.

My personal choices are still Chevis Jackson and Chris Houston. How about you?

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I’m gonna trust TD and say Owens will be the starting CB…

...catsports...

by bwellnjonesco on May 12, 2009 8:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Houston will start and Grimes/Jackson battle for the other spot. Owens I think we’ll see in the nickel/dime package much like with Chevis last year.

"If you can’t get excited for Ryan throwing to Gonzalez, you’re either a robot or clinically dead. Or you’re a zombie robot, which is just plain awesome."
Dave the Falconer

by Pregame with Pabst on May 12, 2009 9:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with this 100%...

I think Owens and Jackson will be the starters in 2010. I expect Houston to be moved after this season. IMHO Jackson and Owens have a higher upside. However, I don’t feel any of these guys are a true #1 corner, and we’ll get that through the draft next year (with Eric Berry to play FS hopefully).

"We're not maxed out, ... The best is still ahead of us."

Bobby Bowden

by NaGaNole on May 12, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Houston

Why would they move Houston after this season? He’s signed on his rookie contract (4yrs-$4.25M) through 2010, at a reasonable price… Even if he loses his starting job this year or next, I don’t see why they’d want to ditch him (unless a team made a ridiculous offer). Now if you say they’ll let him walk as a FA after 2010, then maybe…

Also – he might not be as physical as the team wants out of the CB’s, but he still doesn’t turn 25 until October, and he’s only played 2 years – so I’d still say he has plenty of “upside”.

by orang3b on May 12, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I’m a big fan of Houston’s. I think (hopefully) he’ll take off this year.

"If you can’t get excited for Ryan throwing to Gonzalez, you’re either a robot or clinically dead. Or you’re a zombie robot, which is just plain awesome."
Dave the Falconer

by Pregame with Pabst on May 12, 2009 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why not trade him for additional picks...?

When he’ll be entering the last year of his contract following this year. That’s assuming he doesn’t keep his starting spot…which I don’t think he will…

"We're not maxed out, ... The best is still ahead of us."

Bobby Bowden

by NaGaNole on May 13, 2009 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Owens will be second team this year.

Regardless of his speed, his skills need to be honed. Jackson and Houston, totally. Gotta agree with our fearless leader on this one.

"If the Falcons ever manage to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, I'll french kiss a toilet." - a friend.

by tlozwarlock on May 12, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

this is a tough call

though Grimes is small, his athleticism make him in the running for that starting spot (again).

I am hoping Jackson wins the spot, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it is Grimes.

Or… the Falcons might change their starting CB lineup based on who they are playing. Grimes is very efficient against smaller and faster receivers, so you could see him starting against Chicago. Whereas Jackson and Von Hutchins are physical at the line of scrimmage and could see action against Carolina and New Orleans. Owens is fast enough to be effective as a surprise pass rusher and there is no doubt he’ll make an immediate impact on Special Teams.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on May 12, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm behind this...

Play the matchups. Our current cadre of cornerbacks has guys that are above-average at certain facets of the game, but weak at others. We don’t have that all-around, polished “true #1” guy, so we need to mix and match on defense. Find someone smaller and speedier (Houston, Grimes) to go up against the likes of Steve Smith, the Bears WRs, etc and someone taller and/or more physical (Hutchins, Jackson) for the guys like Marques Colston et al.

The tall and physical receivers who are also fast (Moss, Fitzgerald)? Um….I’ll get back to you on that one.

by BigManChili on May 12, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it will be Houston and Jackson.. I think Owens, Grimes, Hutchins will be used as nickel and dime. Houston wasnt great last year but he wasn’t horrible.. Besides the game against the cardinals, he never really gave up big touchdowns.. just my opinion!!

by MTB33 on May 12, 2009 1:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Von Hutchins will start...

I remember watching him with the Texans – the guy has skills. Houston will be on the other side.

Martians Attacking Indianapolis

by joshmassey on May 12, 2009 1:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i agree

they brought him in to start last year, so im pretty sure he’ll get his shot this year. i like the guy.

by iloveroddywhite on May 12, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Corners

This will be the biggest position problem on the football team and I hope that I am wrong, but as others of you have said, there isn’t a No 1 corner. Having spent a three and a five on the spot this year, I don’t know if TD will want to go high with for a CB with next year’s draft, but if someone or two doesn’t arise from this group of what appears to be middling corners, he may have to. But next year’s draft will afford TD to move to more of a mix of best player as will as need, when this year was very strongly need driven, although well done (I hope).

If the ’Coons do as well as we all expect and hope, Eric Berry will be long gone before our pick unless we move up.

by Whopper Dawg on May 12, 2009 5:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A quick glance at the roster

shows it should be a dogfight to make the team this summer at CB. We have 10 corners in camp (4 rookies). Hutchins and Houston are the only ones with any real experience. I like the hard-nosed way Grimes plays the game but he could be the odd man out unless he gets moved to safety. His style of play seems better suited to safety and special teams than corner to me anyway.

"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something"

-Dick Butkus

by zooker on May 13, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then move up...!

Ed Reed type safeties make really good defenses great…

"We're not maxed out, ... The best is still ahead of us."

Bobby Bowden

by NaGaNole on May 13, 2009 10:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

bring him back

he’s a GA boy Falcons is where he belongs

by gritzblitz on May 13, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think....

both rookies will make the team

Wasn’t Grimes playing in the NFC championship game loss to the Eagles? Can’t really remember that far back but I think he was. If it was him he didn’t impress.

Who is Von Hutchins? I know we signed him as a FA last year and he came from Houston, but I’ve never heard of him before that.

My money is on Houston/Jackson starting and at some point Owens hopefully taking over the Nickel role, Middleton I don’t know much about him other than the info Dave posted but he sounds like he could be a Bob Sanders or Steve Smith type…smallish guy that plays bigger, like he has always been told he was too small and uses that as motivation to over achieve (not saying he will have the same kind of impact as those guys)

by FLA_Falcon on May 13, 2009 12:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes Grimes did play on KO, he was hurt and only played then because he wanted to play in his home town, and I am not sure if you are saying that is why we loss. One more thing, he is not playing to impress you.

by Debilah on May 13, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh wow, long time no see

glad to see you posting again.

I think Grimes looked great in the mini-camp and I think he has a really strong shot for a roster spot, but the competition at CB is going to be tough this year.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on May 13, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is when it gets good. I have calmed somewhat, just want the Falcons to win and the best man will get the job in all positions and who knows better than the coaches that work with them everyday.

by Debilah on May 14, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ooops...

Forgot to say this:

If corner is our only “weak spot” on defense….we don’t have any weak spots. Without a pass rush champ bailey will get lit up in coverage, a great pass rush makes mediocre cbs look like shut down corners. The pats have never had “big time” cbs (other than Samuel but he was a 4th? round steal) and their D is great. The Giants had a top defense and super bowl championship with great pass rush pretty good LBs and average at best cbs.

If anderson has this breakout season everyone seems so excited about and sidbury can come in and produce if…excuse me..when Abe gets nicked up and Nicholas is ready for the starting role and Moore comes in and plays like he did his junior year, combined with our offenses seemingly “unstoppable force” status our defense can be top half of the league at least, maybe higher

by FLA_Falcon on May 13, 2009 12:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I guess

I’d say the starters week 1 would probably be Houston and Jackson (maybe Grimes in this spot). Bring Owens along slowly as Nickle or #4, and when he’s ready and/or if one of the starters are struggling, give him a shot to start (maybe as soon as later in this season).

On a semi-related note: I guess there’s only about a 0.00001% chance that Ronnie Prude is going to make the team, huh? I liked him at LSU, and it seems like I’m always hearing decent things about him in the NFL, but he wasn’t able to stick in Baltimore… where I thought they needed young-ish CB’s… Oh well.

by orang3b on May 14, 2009 8:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs