Moves The Falcons Will Not Make: Cutting Dunta Robinson
by Dave Choate on Feb 7, 2012 8:00 AM EST
in Falcons Talk
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PrintYou can't start a discussion about the Falcons and their cornerbacks without someone calling for Dunta Robinson to be cut. The discussion usually goes something like this.
"The Falcons should cut Dunta Robinson and sign Brent Grimes. Dunta's useless and he makes too much money."
Folks, it won't happen. No matter how hard you pray and how many times you clean your plate of vegetables, the Football Gods will remain indifferent to your desperate pleas. Dunta Robinson will be an Atlanta Falcon in 2012. Take it to the bank.
Why? As I see it, there's three good reasons.
- It's cost-prohibitive to cut him. Everyone who advocates for cutting Dunta fixates on his $6 million cap number for 2012. Surely they could put that number to better use?
That ignores this simple fact: You cannot save that much by cutting him. In fact, a full $5 million of that salary is guaranteed. If you set him loose, you now have an extra $1 million and $5 million worth of dead cap space you can't do anything with. That's completely useless, and since the Falcons still view Dunta as a starter, they're not about to do that. - Brent Grimes may not be back. I love Brent Grimes. If it's at all feasible to do so, I'd love for the Falcons to lock him up. But I still believe he'll ultimately walk away.
If that happens, you can't cut Dunta. Doing so would leave you with three cornerbacks on the roster, none of whom has started a full slate of 16 games in his career. The Falcons would suddenly have little-to-no experience and not enough money to go out and land a big fish like Carlos Rogers, if they'd even be interested. - Dunta will probably be better in 2012. I view this as a make-or-break year for Dunta, who Pro Football Focus trashed for his performance in 2011. If he can't perform well this season, the Falcons will probably look at getting themselves out from under the remaining years of his contract in 2013.
But there's reason to believe he will be better. A physical corner who likes to hit, Dunta's much better-suited for tight coverage, and Mike Nolan seems likely to bring that back to Atlanta.
So that's my reasoning. What's your take?
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I find it very strange how when I go to other Falcon sites, everyone is 100% convinced that Dunta is gone. I do think he’ll be fantastic under the new scheme. I’d keep him and probably not Grimes
Really? No love for Optimus?
I think we need to keep Grimes – he may be short, but that dude can play ball! We’ve got the cap room to give him a nice deal, and if he balks we can always franchise him. And I don’t want to hear about how Franks is ready to start, because we need three starting CBs not two. I want to see what Nolan can do in his new scheme with Dunta, Grimes, and Franks all starting.
Keep him!
A zone cover scheme can tend to make a corner look lazy sometimes, but Dunta is not lazy. He’s aggressive and he loves to hit. Mike Nolans’ scheme could return him to the pro-bowl (unless they get rid of the game as i hope they will, zzzzz but that’s another story) IMO. I love Grimes, but if he walks we will definitely need Dunta to hold a young unit together.
He'll do better under Nolan
BVG’s scheme worked for the first half of a game, but the other team would make adjustments and then score at will. Nolan’s scheme is a little more aggressive and doesn’t give 10-15 yard cushions when it’s 3rd and 5.
I guess it is one of those things you just have to ignore
Along with the people who believe the Falcons have an unlimited ability to sign Carl Nicks and Demetrius Bell as well as resign Grimes, Lofton, and Abe. Since this is a salary cap league, all of those will not happen, much to the chagrin of many.
"He has lived up to the legendary billing... And the legend is born in Calvin Johnson!" -Wes Durham
by sportsfan4life2012 on Feb 7, 2012 8:42 AM EST reply actions
I thing BvG made our entire secondary look bad
The only one I truly want gone is DeCoud
by FLA_Falcon on Feb 7, 2012 9:35 AM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
I want to play devil's advocate here
I BVG made the entire secondary look bad, then why wouldn’t you want to keep DeCoud? He showed promise when he first joined the Falcons and just had an inconsistant year last year but led all DBs in interceptions. Why couldn’t he benefit from Nolan’s scheme too?
Nolan may have saved him
He definitely had a DeAnglo Hall type season, all talk, no substance. If he doesn’t produce this year he should be out.
I agree with that
He was a pretty terrible corner in 2011, one of the major reasons the Falcons struggle in pass defense at times.
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I wonder if the pass rush wasn't part of our problem, also.
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by Caleb Rutherford on Feb 7, 2012 7:21 PM EST up reply actions
It definitely is
But Dunta was just awful in coverage, easily the team’s worst corner. That’s not entirely due to the pass rush.
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Worse than Chris Owens or Franks?
I like both of those young guys- don’t get me wrong- but if they were honestly better than Robinson, he’d be gone. Robinson plays well, and he doesn’t give up a lot of big plays (can’t be said for Grimes, who more often goes for the pick than the breakup or tackle).
by TheAreopagite on Feb 18, 2012 9:38 AM EST up reply actions
I want to see Robinson in a more aggressive defense...
As we all know, Robinson is not a finesse player. He’s a physical player who can be an asset in Nolan’s system.
On the other hand, while I may be in the minority, I don’t see Grimes fitting as well into Nolan’s system. Between the two, I’d rather have Dunta.
GATA!
Agreed - it's the scheme.
Keeping Optimus in a Nolan system would be as dumb as signing Dunta to play in a BvG Defense. Brent Grimes is one of my favorite currently playing NFL’rs. Dude has more spring, bounce and heart than almost anyone. That is the heart talking.
The brain says he’ll be more expensive than we can stand for this Defense – let Franks, Owens, Wall show what they can do in a system which will play to their strengths (speed, size).
Is Dunta better then Houston was?
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Feb 7, 2012 10:45 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Definitely
for one he turns his head around when the ball is in mid air. That alone is enough to be better than Houston. However, he’s the perfect example of why we should keep Dunta. While Houston wasn’t the best by any stretch, he was clearly an above average starting corner this year for Detroit (when healthy). Changes of schemes can do miracles for corners. Dunta is my early pick for most improved next year.
by Turner_The_Burner on Feb 7, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
Reason to not cut Dunta
We cut BVG. Zone players don’t play man, and man players don’t play zone. It’s essentially that simple. Look at how the production of the Eagles new secondary (mainly Nnamdi Asomugha) dipped after a change in scheme. Dunta is never going to blanket a receiver if he keeps being forced to line up 10 yards off them. Let the dude play man coverage and we’ll see why we spent so much money for a man coverage corner.
by Turner_The_Burner on Feb 7, 2012 10:46 AM EST reply actions
Robinson is simply another example of misjudgement by Dimitroff.
The rose is off the lily. Mediocrity is not an option. Dimitroff must go when the Falcons miss the playoffs in 2012.
You don't even want to quality that with an if?
Ballsy.
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Mitt Romney and I are taking all $10,000 bets that the Falcons miss the playoffs in 2011.
BTW, very much enjoyed your salary cap insight regarding DR’s contract. The nuances of the cap is one area the fans need more info. Thanks.
So TD is more responsible than the DC and HC?
That is awfully short sighted.
The entire issue with the D was BVG and that is the reason why personel changes never improved the D.
LOL
You must have not been a Falcon’s fan very long….Just a heads up, the last 4 years have been the Falcons most consistent team in there Franchise history. I’m not a big fan of letting the architect who rebuilt this team from shambles to an annual playoff team (That unfortunately meets the Superbowl champ or NFC champ first game in the playoffs)
Like said before give the new cordinators a chance to tweek the team.
I think BG is a very good player
that has been great for ATL. He just isn’t what ATL needs at DB, especially with Nolan as the DC. ATL needs bigger, more physical DB’s and that just isn’t Grimes. He might be a very good fit at nickel but another team will pay him more to start.
Dunta should do very well under Nolan. If not, as someone said earlier, he’s gone after this season and might find himself playing nickel behind Owens, Franks, Walls and some FA.
He might do well in a physical attacking scheme at nickel.
Of all our DB’s, he is definately the hardest hitting. Send him after the QB a couple of times a game.
Finally, someone points out the obvious...
…thank you! I’m so sick of hearing how we should cut Dunta. It doesn’t make any sense. Think of his contract like a sunk cost, we can’t get it back so we might as well get the most out of him that we can. Glad to hear some optimism that Nolan might show us a better side of Dunta – I sincerely hope so too!
I agree 100% with this and you sir...get a Rec!!!
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It Just Hit Me
Since Dunta is a phyisical corner why not play him like the packers played woodson, as nickle and dime corner, but also play on outside on base defense. But think bout it, he can jam well hits hard good blitzer i think he’d be perfect for that role, just have owens and franks move out side then dunta becomes your wild card im sure nolan will try something like that and im confident hell get the most out of dunta
Pun intended?
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by Duff_Man on Feb 7, 2012 2:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Grimes
If you are a Grimes fan, check out www.footballcamps.com. Brent and some of his Falcons teammates will be holding a camp this summer for kids ages 7-18.
by SI FOOTBALL CAMPS on Feb 7, 2012 3:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Dave, I don't know if you're telling the whole story about the cap
While we’d only save 1 million if Robinson was cut this year, that’s because the next few year’s cap hit would be accelerated into this year. So only a 1 million saving this year, but 5 or 6 million savings in the next two years.
I still agree they’ll keep him, but cutting him would clear up some cap room down the road.
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