Cardinals' Cornerbacks Wassup?
By Walter Mitchell
Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic just wrote a very interesting article about the positive flashes that Max Melton and Denzel Burke made last Sunday versus the 49ers. It's a good read. Have at it:
Things that make you go hmmm...
Fascinating --- because Max Melton just basically confirmed what some of us have been seeing for four years:
1. CBs often give way too much cushion in this "caution and cushion" Gannon/Rallis hybrid.
Even here at the top left of your screen, look at the 12-yard cushion that Garrett Williams is giving Jaxon Smith-Njigba and yet 20-yards downfield on a "go route" JSN has crossed Garrett Williams' face and has a step on him. Williams winds up slipping and falling just as the pass is arriving. 44-yard TD early 1st Q, makes it 7-0 SEA.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/NFL/status/1987629529217876302/video/1
2. When the CBs press (which isn't very often), they press "straight up" which often means they rarely ever can initiate, establish and maintain leverage. Plus, and this is a big plus, when do you ever see Cardinals' CBs in press play bump and run to try to spoil the WR's route and the timing of the pass?
Here Max Melton is playing straight up press (no bump) on JSN. On JSN's stutter step release, Max drop steps to his right and thereby opens up the middle for JSN. Now, credit Max for quickly recovering but just as he is in a position to break on the ball, he slips, just like Garrett Williams did in the previous video.
In both cases, Williams and Melton have their eyes on the ball and are close enough to break up the pass. Also in both cases, neither Williams nor Melton are given proper safety help, which going into Seahawks games should be of paramount importance in defending the NFL's most productive WR.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/new_era72/status/2101796799434334379/video/1
3. Hard bites on double moves with at times a severe lack of recovery effort.
If Will Johnson was taught to defend this double move from JSN in the thoroughly unacceptable way he did, then it's no wonder why Max Melton says he's been asked to defense plays in terms of positioning and technique much differently in Arizona than what he was taught in high school and college.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/new_era72/status/2101771681463160970/video/1
Here from last week, Denzel Burke bites a little too hard on Mike Evans' stop and go but to Denzel's credit he flips his hips and runs as hard as he can to recover. If he gets his left arm up sooner, this is likely an incomplete pass and not a TD.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/NFL/status/2104311795200762325/video/1
4. Unnecessary PI penalties. In this case, Kei'Trel Clark makes legal contact with Bryson Tremiane, but once the 5-yard contact area is gone, Clark has to disengage and shadow the WR. Wrestling matches downfield rarely if ever benefit the CB.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/SportsFanInAz/status/2085522602924351580/video/1
5. Poor recovery efforts. Every CB is going to get beat on the first 5-10 yards of as route a few times a game. The good CBs show the speed, high effort and tenacity to recover. Here is a great example of how persistence and maximum effort can pay off.
SEE THIS!
https://x.com/_RyanFowler_/status/1690199752598491136/video/1
6. Inexcusably poor tackling.
Overview
Outside cornerback with the footwork/athleticism to match routes with good balance and smooth transitions. Williams possesses average size but can be a willing tackler when the opportunity arises. He can mirror and match the release but is inconsistent playing with his back to the quarterback. On the flip side, he’s instinctive and twitchy from zone and off-man but must become more aggressive at attacking passing lanes rather than playing the man. He suffered an ACL tear in October 2022, but if his pre-draft medical exams check out, he could go in the middle rounds and have a chance to become a CB3.
Strengths
- Trusts his technique and had no penalties over the past two seasons, per PFF.
- Footwork and agility to match routes from his pedal.
- Plays under control and with smooth lower half in transitions.
- Adequate recovery burst to close out separation.
- Swoops in to wrap up receivers after the catch.
- Balances between quarterback’s eyes and route combinations.
- Flashes moments of plus physicality as a run defender.
Weaknesses
- Has had issues staying with long speed from man.
- Below average finishing position when phasing downfield.
- Too content to play the man rather than the ball.
- Allows too many contested catches to be completed.
- Rarely takes aggressive pathways to the throw.
- Slow in coming to balance as open-field tackler.
Overview
Clark is small but fast. He plays with twitchy feet and a competitive demeanor when challenging the throw. He’s capable of stalking short and intermediate routes with a feel for the passing lane, but his lack of size and length shows up down the field. While the ball skills and athletic traits work in his favor, trouble with run support and big slot targets could be difficult obstacles to overcome in the NFL.
Strengths
- Able to sink hips and phase comeback routes.
- Plus burst and top-end speed to close on throws.
- Excellent hustle and competitiveness at catch point.
- Overlaps zone coverage to make a play on the ball.
Weaknesses
- Looked uncomfortable from the slot in 2022.
- Can be mismatched by bigger, stronger wideouts.
- Missed out on interceptions due to lack of length.
- Below average as a run supporter and tackler.
Overview
Versatile inside/outside cornerback who displayed improvement every year at Rutgers. Melton carries good size and did a nice job staying with some of the better receiving options from the Big Ten. He's adequate from press and has the burst to make up ground when he gets behind early. He's at his best, however, when playing with his eyes forward from zone and searching for clues to jump in and make plays on the football. The ball skills can flip the field, and he's very aggressive in collapsing the catch point. He's capable in run support but needs to work on his angles of pursuit. His versatility, traits, instincts and ball skills could make him an eventual starter and an early CB3/4.
Strengths
- Plays inside and outside with good size and length.
- Able to slide and slow an inside release from boundary or slot.
- Highly instinctive when playing with eyes forward.
- Reads the receiver's stride length to clue in on when to jump the route.
- Possesses dynamic ball skills to beat receivers to the ball.
- Uses long strides to make up the distance when he gets behind.
- Plays with above-average aggression challenging perimeter run blocks.
Weaknesses
- Upright backpedal with slight hitch in his transitions.
- Beaten too easily across his face for goal-line and short-yardage slants.
- Average plant-and-drive acceleration from the top of his drop.
- Relies on reading the receiver's eyes over finding the football.
- Room for improvement with his angles to ball-carrier in run support.
Overview
Scheme-dependent cornerback with excellent length and above-average ball skills to harass and overtake lesser receivers when it's time to make the catch. Jones is a slender press-man corner with Cover 3 potential. His press is more irritating than disruptive, but he does a solid job of tracing routes and attacking throws for forced incompletions and interceptions. He can be beaten by route runners in off-man and can be late to open and chase vertical routes, creating long-ball opportunities. His long arms should help him compete against more muscular receivers when it's time to stop the catch, but he won't offer much in run support. Teams valuing ball production and length will move him up the board as a Day 2 prospect with CB3 upside.
Strengths
- Maintains his feel from the route using press and trail.
- Utilizes height and length to shut down contested catches.
- Pure speed to race back into the picture when beaten.
- Undercuts throws with a big burst to make plays on the ball.
- Flails and swats, creating measly man cover completion rate.
- Turns head and finds football when tracking deep routes.
Weaknesses
- Has a slender frame and is thin through his hips.
- Pops upright from his pedal, slowing transitions.
- Can be conned into declaring hips and beaten by route stems across his face.
- Success rate drops when asked to match route breaks from off coverage.
- Below-average run supporter.\
Overview
Nickel cornerback with above-average foot quickness and short-area twitch but lacking the ball production expected from a player with those traits. Davis will need to continue to refine his anticipation to improve his ability to challenge the catch point and create value as an NFL prospect.
Strengths
- Good athlete with compact build.
- Rare initial burst to break hard or recover on the route.
- Possesses above-average gather quickness with feet.
Weaknesses
- Disappointing career ball production.
- Short arms limit chances for pass breakups.
- Quick but lacked desired explosiveness in athletic testing.
Overview
Teams love big, fluid cornerbacks with ball production and that is exactly what Johnson offers. He’s instinctive and plays with good body control and change of direction in space. He can play man coverage, but he’s at his best when playing with his eyes forward instead of chasing routes downfield. Johnson displays good pre-snap recognition and can read and anticipate routes/throws at a high level. While he plays the role of thief in coverage, he needs to balance that mentality with a healthy respect for NFL route-runners, as he might lack the recovery speed to close the distance at a desired rate. He has coveted traits and his areas of concern fail to stand out as impediments for what could become a long, successful career as a future Pro Bowler.
Strengths
- Big, smooth and instinctive.
- Presses with patient feet and strong re-routes.
- Connects quickly from press and can run with the route.
- Good body control and change of direction in space.
- Pre-snap play recognition makes it seem like he was in the offensive huddle.
- Reads passer and anticipates routes for takeaways.
- Transitions are fluid and well-timed from his pedal or off-man.
- Digests combinations and balances versus high/low concepts in zone.
- Races downhill to strike pass catchers with force.
Weaknesses
- Suffered a season-ending turf toe injury in October.
- Ball greed makes him susceptible to double-moves.
- Struggles to factor once he’s stacked by receiver.
- Average recovery burst and speed when beaten inside the route.
- Can afford to become more aggressive in block take-on and run support.
- Open-field overruns lead to missed arm tackles in space.
Sources Tell Us
“Good production and good instincts but we need to see if he can run and he better get a whole lot better at tackling.” – AFC executive
Overview
Productive four-year starter with the ability to press and navigate zone coverages. Burke possesses NFL size and strength to slow and control the release from press. His coverage movements are smooth, but he’s not always instinctive or natural in man coverage. Burke struggles with change of direction as a pattern-matcher and lacks the closing burst to make up for it. He’s capable from zone but needs to prioritize the ball over the man when breaking on the throw. He’s fierce in run support and tackles with good technique to stop ball-carriers. Burke fits as a downhill zone corner with special-teams ability.
Strengths
- Press punch is heavy-handed and disruptive.
- Backpedal is low, smooth and rhythmic.
- Uses play strength to bully wideouts on short targets.
- Possesses adequate recovery speed when needed.
- Very willing in run support with hostile fill and finish.
- Should be able to step in and help on special teams.
Weaknesses
- Man coverage doesn’t come naturally for him.
- Demolished by Oregon wideouts in their first matchup.
- Struggles to gather weight and shadow comebacks.
- Stiff-strider with limited burst forward from the top of his drop.
- Gets beaten over the top despite positive positioning.
- Misses opportunities to make plays in the passing lane.
Walter, the slips by Williams and Melton look like the same issue to me: upright at the snap, big cushion, then no balance when they break on the ball. Coaching a lower, more compact start could help a lot. One suggestion: add completion rate or yards per target allowed to your PBU chart. It would show whether Etheridge is making a real difference as the season goes on. Great stuff as always.
ReplyDeleteMy read is that tackling is the first thing to improve under a new position coach, since it's pure fundamentals and drill work. Coverage technique takes longer. So Burke's grades jumping there is encouraging.
Love!
DeleteHey pals, just a head's up. We are taping Red Rain Podcast later on Monday. It's likely to be posted around 4 pm Arizona time. L'il Rock is going to be at Soldier Field with his brother to watch Bears versus Jets. Or is it that the Bears want a closer look at Gardner Minshew?
ReplyDeleteI really thought when they brought Zac Ethridge from Miami they would use some of the ESV concepts..excitement swarm violence. Pass rushers would get verticsl not read and react. I would be embarrassed as a defensive coordinator to even use half the terminology Rallis is installing in these defensive backs. We need to wipe the entire software package these players have been asked to use. I remember watching Will Johnson in camp last year. He was aggressive breaking on balls and reacting. By mid-season he didn't look like the same player. He was just a passive soft contact player. The quicker we get away from this defense the better.
ReplyDeleteLike- another week to see improvement or more of the same but you are correct on all accounts. You’ve identified a perfect example in Johnson’s play
DeleteBravo, Flash!
DeleteWe have some playmakers on defense. Frustrating to watch them deteriorate in this system.
Delete