Tag: Bradley Roby

The NFL’s best cornerbacks in man coverage

The ability to play man coverage has always been highly important in the NFL. Who’s best at it coming into the 2020 NFL season?

Through the NFL’s eras, the ability to play man coverage at a high level has separated the best defenders from the rank and file in the minds of many. Al Davis built several historically great defenses on the backs of great man cornerbacks from Willie Brown to Lester Hayes. Deion Sanders’ ability to erase his section of the field without boundary help allowed his defensive coordinators to take all kinds of risks in other areas.

And today, the NFL’s best secondary belongs to the Patriots, who have combined the ideal man coverage defensive backs with a high rate of Cover-0, Cover-1, Cover-2 Man, and certain kinds of combo coverages that allow those players to bring out their best attributes. When you have NFL offenses relying more and more on quick-game passes, one-step drops, and RPOs, playing quality man coverage, especially at the short and intermediate levels of the defense, it just as important as it’s ever been, albeit for new and challenging reasons.

Who are the NFL’s best man coverage cornerbacks heading into the 2020 season — the ones who play with a unique combination of speed, quickness, aggressiveness, and a convenient amnesia to move on to the next play when things go wrong? Based on tape study and metrics from Sports Info Solutions and Pro Football Focus, here are the league’s most efficient defenders when it comes to this highly valuable skill.

Kevin King | Marcus Peters | William Jackson III | Bradley Roby | Quinton Dunbar | Steven Nelson | Tre’Davious White | Tre Flowers | Stephon Gilmore | Jason McCourty | J.C. Jackson

11. Kevin King, Green Bay Packers

(© Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-W, Appleton Post-Crescent via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Last season, the Packers played man coverage on 32% of their snaps, 18th-highest in the league, but when they did, King was there to make sure it mattered. In 2019, he allowed 29 catches on 39 man coverage targets for 349 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, three more dropped picks, and an opposing QBR of 56.14.

At 6’3″ and 200 pounds, King is one of the better new wave of big, physical press conerbacks developing right now. Aggressive to a fault off the line of scrimmage (and occasionally too grabby), King makes quick slants and drag routes very difficult for opposing receivers, because he has the size, physicality, and short-area quickness to erase those concepts. He will occaionally get lost on the back stem of longer routes, and smaller, quicker receivers can give him fits at times, but that can be said of most bigger cornerbacks, and when King trusts his instincts and doesn’t over-concentrate through the route, he’s just fine. The third-year man from Washington is one to watch.

Kevin King | Marcus Peters | William Jackson III | Bradley Roby | Quinton Dunbar | Steven Nelson | Tre’Davious White | Tre Flowers | Stephon Gilmore | Jason McCourty | J.C. Jackson

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Bill O’Brien is ‘really excited’ about the Texans’ secondary

Houston Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien has great enthusiasm about the team’s secondary heading into 2020.

Bill O’Brien’s overall thoughts on the Houston Texans’ secondary couldn’t be any clearer.

“I would say that I am really excited about the secondary,” O’Brien told Houston media on a conference call Thursday. “I think we have a very diverse secondary.”

The coach and general manager’s retooling of the secondary goes as far back as the end of the preseason in 2019 when the club was trimming down to a 53-man roster. With the philosophy of “versatility” in mind, the Texans added cornerback Keion Crossen in a trade with the New England Patriots on Aug. 31.

However, the additions didn’t stop there. Prior to the Texans’ Week 8 tilt with the Oakland Raiders, Houston traded with Oakland for former 2017 first-round cornerback Gareon Conley. The Texans picked up former 2016 first-rounder Vernon Hargreaves off waivers in November.

Hargreaves was released early in the 2020 offseason, but the Texans brought him back, as they did with Phillip Gaines and Bradley Roby.

Roby, a former 2014 first-round pick for the Denver Broncos, is another versatile cornerback that helps the Texans’ scheme.

“One of the things about Bradley Roby is the versatility that he brings, the ability to play outside, the ability to play inside, the ability to play a lot of different positions, play man-to-man, play zone,” said O’Brien.

One of the overlooked cornerbacks is Lonnie Johnson, who enters his second season after Houston took him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Kentucky Wildcat has been keeping in touch with strength and conditioning coach Mike Eubanks as he seeks to take a developmental leap in 2020.

“He’s another guy when you ask about off-field workouts and things, he’s doing a great job working out and staying in touch with Mike Eubanks,” said O’Brien. “Expecting big things out of him.”

The versatility isn’t limited to the cornerbacks. O’Brien likes the versatile roles that the safeties may be able to play in first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s scheme.

Said O’Brien: “If you look at the safety position, Justin Reid, Eric Murray, Jaylen Watkins, A.J. Moore, just a real diverse group of guys. You know, Eric Murray played corner. Jaylen Watkins has played nickel. They’re not just safeties.”

Coverage and pass rush are intertwined aspects of a defense that feed off of one another. If the Texans’ coverage can improve, then the Texans ought to be able to improve upon their 31 sacks from 2019, tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus can’t identify the best move the Texans made in free agency

Pro Football Focus says the Houston Texans did not make a best move in the 2020 NFL free agency period.

Pro Football Focus is at it again, and this time the football analytics firm claims the Houston Texans did not make a best move in free agency.

Author Anthony Treash listed the best and worst moves of all 32 teams in the 2020 NFL free agency period. According to Treash, the AFC South champions for the past two seasons did not make a best move at all.

Outside of the obvious trade, Houston re-signed cornerback Bradley Roby and brought in wide receiver Randall Cobb on contracts that were larger than many thought. Neither of those moves was really that great considering Roby was the 68th most valuable cornerback in 2019 and Cobb has ranked above 50th at his position in PFF receiving grade just once in the last five years. That said, let’s just move onto Houston’s most notable and controversial move made from last week:

The evaluation is a little harsh and even unfair given that the whole premise of the article is that each team made a good and bad move in free agency. Even the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were also selling off talent and have thus far failed to reach a long-term agreement with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, had a “best move” in free agency.

If the Texans need to be excoriated more for their trading of DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson and a couple of draft picks, then so be it. However, they have made a “best move” in free agency, whether it is the signing of Cobb, safety Eric Murray, or even re-signing their own players. The question is whether or not those moves will be sufficient enough to help the Texans retain their division title, let alone compete for a Super Bowl.

Houston’s impact in free agency was minimal with regards to team building. Now, the Texans must use their draft picks wisely and churn the priority free agent class to find quality depth.

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11 best remaining free agents the Ravens should be interested in

The Ravens made some noise in the early part of free agency but could still be looking for help. These 11 free agents could be the answer

With the first wave of high-profile free agents being signed, we now enter the next phase of free agency. This is where the second and third tier of players end up getting short-term contracts as a way to finish out their careers or hopefully rejuvenate them. This is also when the Baltimore Ravens typically are a little more aggressive in signing free agents.

While many of the big names are off the market, it’s these smaller deals that help round out a roster and can actually make a bigger overall impact for a team. For Baltimore, this is where they’ve added guys like Robert Griffin III, Mike Wallace, John Brown and Brandon Carr over the last three years.

So who is still available and who makes sense for the Ravens to sign? I picked out 11 free agents still on the market that could be on Baltimore’s radar still.

Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney was the top free-agent outside linebacker this offseason, largely thanks to so many others getting tagged instead. With such a shallow market, Clowney doesn’t seem to be getting the type of attention he was hoping for, which might have lowered his value considerably.

While the Ravens are a little cash strapped at the moment, teams have a way of finding the money to get deals done when they need to. If Clowney is looking at a bunch of one-year deals, Baltimore being so close to a Super Bowl and having a major need at outside linebacker might be able to boost his value for next offseason.

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Former Ohio State DB Bradley Roby gets 3-year contract extension with Houston Texans

Former Ohio State DB Bradley Roby has inked a 3-year contract extension with the Houston Texans.

Former Ohio State defensive back Bradley Roby has a new contract. According to multiple reports, he has been re-signed to a three-year, $36 million contract extension by the Houston Texans.

Roby was originally taken late in the first round of the NFL Draft back in 2014 by the Denver Broncos. He spent five seasons there, winning a Super Bowl in February of 2016. In 2019, Roby was signed by the Texans as a free agent on a one-year deal worth about $10 million.

And now, the Texans like what they saw from Roby enough to give him a three-year deal reportedly worth $36 million just a couple days prior to the former Buckeye star becoming a free-agent.

Roby started in ten games for the Texans and recorded 38 tackles and two interceptions (once that was returned for a TD against Tom Brady).

Bradley Roby was the best cornerback for the Texans in 2019

Bradley Roby was the best cornerback for the Houston Texans in 2019, and Pro Football Focus has the numbers to back it up.

The Houston Texans almost had no choice but to re-sign cornerback Bradley Roby.

According to Pro Football Focus, the 5-10, 194-pound cornerback was worthy of his three-year, $36 million contract. In 2019, despite playing in 10 games due to a hamstring injury, Roby was the Texans’ best cornerback. The former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round pick generated a career-low 77.4 opposing passer rating, which was the lowest among Houston cornerbacks in 2019. Furthermore, the figure was the 24th-lowest among 133 qualified corners, PFF says.

The Texans are already losing two-time Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph in free agency after the two parties came to such a mutual decision. Houston needed consistency and a high level of play at cornerback. Therefore, it only made sense to bring back Roby.

Free agency begins on March 18 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time, though the legal tampering period starts on Monday. With cornerback seemingly locked up, the Texans can be freed up to address running back, edge defender, or perhaps find a healthier receiving option.

What will Bradley Roby bring back to the Texans’ cornerback unit?

Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby is returning on a three-year contract. What will he give back to the secondary?

With the re-signing of Bradley Roby, the Houston Texans will get consistency among their cornerback group.

So says Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire. Even though the former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round pick played in 10 games for the Texans in 2019, limited mostly to a hamstring injury sustained in Week 6, Roby demonstrated a playmaking ability that new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will need as he takes over for Romeo Crennel.

This 27-yard pick-six of Jameis Winston in Week 16 is an excellent example of what Roby does well. He’s aligned against receiver Justin Watson at the top of the screen, and watch how he jumps Watson’s route to take the ball away. You could argue that Winston should have read that, but Roby did a nice job of breaking late, and it’s not as if Winston is ever cautious about throws like that.

A first-round pick of the Broncos in the 2014 draft out of Ohio State, Roby has allowed 297 receptions in 492 targets with a 60.4% catch rate for 3,635 yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 91.6 in his NFL career.

Roby signed a three-year contract worth $36 million on Sunday. Bringing back the former Ohio State Buckeye gives the Texans stability as he is the only starting cornerback to return now that two-time Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph will hit free agency on March 18.

Texans get cornerback consistency by re-signing Bradley Roby

Last season, Houston’s cornerback situation was mostly a disaster with the exception of Bradley Roby. That’s why the Texans re-signed him.

Last season, the only Texans cornerback who allowed an opponent passer rating lower than 90.1 was Bradley Roby, who Houston had signed to a one-year, $10 million deal in March of 2019. That deal proved to be the one exemplar of consistency in a group of cornerbacks that generally exhibited anything but — unless you count “consistently bad” as a misbegotten attribute.

Veteran Johnathan Joseph will test the free market. Gareon Conley, acquored in an October trade from the Raiders, and Vernon Hargreaves III, signed after the Buccaneers waived him in November, were first-team castoffs who didn’t fare much better in their new home. Hargreaves was released in February. And Lonnie Johnson Jr. was the only defensive player in the NFL last season who allowed nine touchdowns with no interceptions — a rare feat in and of itself.

So, re-signing Roby to a deal giving him up to $12 million per year makes a lot of sense.

Last season, Roby allowed 37 regular-season receptions on 60 targets for 465 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 77.4. Like every other Texans defensive back, he was exposed by the team’s decision to play mostly man coverage against the Chiefs in the divisional playoffs. There, he allowed five catches on six targets for 74 yards, one touchdown, a 19-yard pass interference penalty when covering Tyreek Hill, and an opponent passer rating of 157.6. But when he’s used as a quick route-jumping defender in close coverage, and a smart slot defender, he’s an asset to any secondary.

This 27-yard pick-six of Jameis Winston in Week 16 is an excellent example of what Roby does well. He’s aligned against receiver Justin Watson at the top of the screen, and watch how he jumps Watson’s route to take the ball away. You could argue that Winston should have read that, but Roby did a nice job of breaking late, and it’s not as if Winston is ever cautious about throws like that.

A first-round pick of the Broncos in the 2014 draft out of Ohio State, Roby has allowed 297 receptions in 492 targets with a 60.4% catch rate for 3,635 yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 91.6 in his NFL career.

How Bradley Roby’s 3-year, $36 million deal with Texans impacts the Eagles

Bradley Roby signs three-year $36 million deal with the Texans.

The price for Byron Jones just rose exponentially and the Eagles can thank the Houston Texans for helping.

One of the top cornerbacks in free agency is off the market after Houston agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal with Bradley Roby.

Roby, a slot cornerback, is getting $12 million per year for 3 years. Roby has more career interceptions than Jones (9) but he’s nowhere the impact player and may have caused the asking price to rise on the Dallas cornerback.

The $12 million per season puts Roby in the top-12 for cornerback salaries per Over The Cap and only ensures that Jones and James Bradberry of Carolina will attempt to eclipse the $15 million Desmond Trufant will get next season while trying to approach the $18 million Stephon Gilmore of the Patriots is expected to land.

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Texans re-sign cornerback Bradley Roby to 3-year contract

The Houston Texans have re-signed cornerback Bradley Roby to a three-year contract.

The Houston Texans will have some continuity with their starting cornerback group after all.

According to James Palmer, Mike Garafolo, and Ian Rapoport, the Texans are signing Bradley Roby to a three-year contract worth $36 million.

Roby played in 10 games for the Texans in 2019, starting in all of them. The former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round picked collected 38 tackles, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, eight pass breakups, and a forced fumble in the fewest games of Roby’s career. The 5-11, 194-pound cornerback was limited with a hamstring injury, but apparently that is not enough of a concern for the Texans to bring back the former Ohio State Buckeye, who will be 28 years old come Week 1.

“I think that Bradley, he’s got a lot of talent, right,” coach Bill O’Brien said on Dec. 4, 2019. “He’s got good speed, good feet, good ball skills. The big thing with Bradley has been health. Just making sure that he can be available to the team, that’s the big thing. If he stays available to the team, he’s healthy, then he can help us.”

If Roby is healthy beyond 10 games for the Texans in 2020, he will certainly help them in their secondary, which will be new-look now that two-time Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph is set to hit free agency.