Tag: Secondary

Safety Michael Thomas says Texans coach Bill O’Brien is a ‘straightfoward guy, very fiery’

New Houston Texans safety Michael Thomas says that his new coach, Bill O’Brien, is a “straightforward guy, very fiery” in a recent interview.

The Houston Texans added a safety in the offseason with veteran Michael Thomas.

The former Houston Nimitz High School product has taken part in the video conferencing to create a virtual offseason for the Texans, the same avenue the other 31 have to take amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent interview with Thomas by Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the former 2018 Pro Bowler revealed what he admires about Texans coach Bill O’Brien.

“(O’Brien) is a straightforward guy, very fiery,” said Thomas. “What I love about him is he sets the expectation, lets you know what he wants from you and how he sees you.”

O’Brien isn’t the only coach on the staff that Thomas appreciates. First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has also made an impression on the 30-year-old, even though he has yet to take his instruction on the practice field.

“Coach Weaver played the game and understands different roles,” Thomas said. “There are superstars who are cornerstones, and there are other guys doing the grunt work. Everyone is important.”

The Texans already have a starting safety in Justin Reid, who enters his third season in the NFL with uncanny maturity on the back end. Houston signed Eric Murray, a former Cleveland Brown, in free agency, and he could take over as Reid’s starting partner.

As Jahleel Addae and even Mike Adams towards the end of 2019 proved, there are still opportunities to get involved as a reserve in the Texans secondary.

For Thomas, who went undrafted out of Stanford in 2012, the prospect of playing for his hometown NFL team is seen as a stroke of good fortune.

“It’s surreal to even think that I’m playing back at home,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know it would mean that much to me. To get a chance to be here and help this team win and play for the hometown team, it’s amazing. It’s a blessing.”

Is Justin Reid the most underrated Texans player?

Pro Football Focus says that safety Justin Reid, who enters his third year in the NFL, is the most underrated Houston Texans player.

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The new approach from coach and general manager Bill O’Brien is to build layers of productive players throughout the 55-man roster.

As a team adds layers of productive players, it also means there will be underrated players who may not get the recognition from the rest of the pro football world.

According to Pro Football Focus, the most underrated Houston Texans player heading into the 2020 season is third-year safety Justin Reid.

Reid made an instant impact on the Texans’ defense coming out of Stanford as a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. His eight combined pass breakups and interceptions were tied for 10th among all qualifying safeties, and he was one of the best tackling safeties in the league, missing just five tackles all year on nearly 80 tackling opportunities. Reid followed that up with his second consecutive season with a grade north of 75.0 last season. The safety position is loaded with talent right now across the league, but Reid has already emerged as one of the better young safeties in the NFL and should continue to get more recognition.

Reid gets the recognition from his teammates, who voted him the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award winner for his extra efforts on and off the field, along with the ability to overcome great adversity. In the 2019 offseason, when free agent safety Tashaun Gipson was integrating into the secondary, the former Pro Bowler said that he leaned on Reid as if he were a season veteran, not a player entering his second season.

The former 2018 third-round pick from Stanford may not get the recognition that he would from the rest of the NFL in terms of Pro Bowl voting. After all, inside linebacker Zach Cunningham and defensive tackle D.J. Reader were listed as the team’s Pro Bowl alternates. However, the rest of Houston is well aware of Reid’s prowess, and 2020 may be the year the rest of the league finally catches on.

2 Seahawks make Touchdown Wire’s best cornerbacks in man coverage

Seattle Seahawks defensive backs Quinton Dunbar and Tre Flowers have landed on Touchdown Wire’s list of top NFL cornerbacks in man coverage.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently took a look around the league at the best NFL cornerbacks in man coverage and two Seattle Seahawks have landed on the list – Quinton Dunbar and Tre Flowers. Here’s what Farrar has to say about each player.

“It’s unknown what will happen to Dunbar as a result of his legal issues at this time, but when the Seahawks traded a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Redskins for his services in March, it sure looked like a great deal,” Farrar writes. “Last season, Dunbar allowed the ninth-best opposing quarterback rating in the NFL at 56.9, and that excellence worked in his ability to play man coverage, as well. In those instances (the Redskins played man coverage on 34% of their snaps), Dunbar allowed 14 catches on 29 targets for 222 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent QBR of 46.1 — eighth-best in the league. If Dunbar is able to play in the 2020 season, the Seahawks might want to consider playing man coverage at a higher rate than their 19% last season (31st in the NFL), because they have two starting cornerbacks on this list.”

As for Flowers, here’s a look at how he stacks up.

“And then, there’s Tre Flowers, selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma State,” Farrar starts. “While he’s still getting the hang of a lot of the things (quick routes and quick receivers) that tend to bedevil cornerbacks of his size (6’3″, 203 pounds), Flowers has proven to be an outstanding man cornerback in that he uses his big body to landmark receivers and take them through the route. Last season in man coverage, Flowers allowed 14 catches on 25 targets for 138 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and an opposing QBR of 38.4. Only the three cornerbacks who finished above him on this list allowed lower QBR totals. As we said in the Quinton Dunbar section, it might be time for the Seahawks to play more man coverage.”

You find the complete list of Farrar’s best cornerbacks in man coverage here.

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Denver Broncos depth chart prediction: Cornerback

Which cornerbacks will make the Broncos’ 53-man roster this season?

As we continue our 2020 depth chart prediction series for the Denver Broncos, today we’re going to be looking at cornerback.

Previously, we predicted the QB, RB, TE, WR, OL and DL depth charts.

Here’s a way-too-early projection for the team’s cornerback room:

Cornerback Slot Cornerback 
A.J. Bouye Duke Dawson Jr. Bryce Callahan
Davontae Harris De’Vante Bausby Michael Ojemudia
Essang Bassey Shakial Taylor Isaac Yiadom

There’s a chance that Callahan could end up being the slot cornerback, like he was with the Chicago Bears. Callahan spent time on the outside last spring, though, and Denver liked Dawson as a slot cornerback before he was injured last season.

Bouye is a locked-in starter — Callahan and Ojemudia might be the favorites to start across from him, depending on how the slot situation shakes out. Harris and Bausby had stretches of strong play last year so they should have decent chances to make the team again this season.

Bassey was one of the top undrafted free agents available in April and he could be a sleeper to make the 53-man roster. Yiadom, a former third-round pick, will face fierce competition to make the team. Taylor will also face long odds, but he could make the squad with a strong training camp.

The Broncos carried six cornerbacks on their initial roster in 2019.

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Is Quandre Diggs the Seahawks’ most underappreciated player?

NFL Network Analytics Expert Cynthia Frelund believes cornerback Quandre Diggs could be the Seattle Seahawks’ most underappreciated player.

NFL Network Analytics Expert Cynthia Frelund recently took a look at all 32 rosters using context-based models and selected one player she believes is the most underappreciated player on the team.

For the Seahawks, Frelund singled out cornerback Quandre Diggs.

“Diggs played only five games with the ‘Hawks last season after being traded from the Lions, but in that short time, he earned three interceptions to go along with three passes defensed and a fumble recovery,” Frelund notes.

“Seattle’s injury-plagued defensive front was not a reliable pressure generator (28 sacks, tied for 29th), meaning Seattle could get even more value in 2020 out of the 20th-ranked safety in terms of pay (per Over The Cap),” she continues.

With the league still looking for a way to play football this year, Diggs could get the chance to play a full season in Seattle to pad his numbers and prove why he’s deserving of the most underappreciated title.

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Texas offers intriguing cornerback from Plano

Texas is continuing their quest to strengthen the defensive side of the ball, most recently offering a 2023 cornerback from Plano.

Head coach Tom Herman and Co. have their eyes set on a 2023 cornerback out of Plano, Texas. Continue reading “Texas offers intriguing cornerback from Plano”

Broncos’ front seven poised to create pressure and turnovers

“You’re only as good as your d-line and vice versa,” Broncos cornerback A.J. Bouye said.

The best secondaries in the NFL are often complemented by great defensive lines. Just look at the Broncos’ 2015 defense — Denver had two great cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris but those defensive backs benefited from playing with a defense that featured Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

Talib and Harris benefited from quarterbacks rushing passes under pressure and Miller and Ware benefited from the secondary forcing the QB to hold the ball longer than he wanted to, often resulting in sacks.

This year, Miller and Bradley Chubb will aim to make life easier for the secondary by continuing to generate pressure, something that new cornerback A.J. Bouye appreciates.

“I always believe — especially early and playing in high school, I had a good d-line — I always believed that you’re only as good as your d-line and vice versa,” Bouye said on May 14. “That definitely showed in Jacksonville. You’ve seen the sacks we were getting and the turnovers we were creating.

“Just to be able to bring that presence over here in Denver, I’m going to do my job. Everybody back there is going to do their job but we’re going to have some dogs up there getting after the quarterback. Now we just have to capitalize on these opportunities because they’re going to give us some.”

In addition to Miller and Chubb, the Broncos now also have a great interior pass rusher in Jurrell Casey, who owns 51 career sacks. Those three defenders should generate frequent pressure and force plenty of turnovers.

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Broncos CB A.J. Bouye aims to ‘prove a lot of people wrong’

“I’m going to have to prove somebody wrong,” Broncos CB A.J. Bouye said. “I embrace that. I love it.”

Denver Broncos cornerback A.J. Bouye went undrafted in 2013 and was a longshot to make the Houston Texans’ 53-man roster. He overcame those long odds and made the Texans’ team and won a starting job.

Bouye has been an underdog for most of his career and he has kept an underdog mentality even after arriving in Denver.

“Leaving Houston, I was told I was a one-year wonder,” Bouye said on May 14. “After whatever happened in Houston, I ended up becoming an All-Pro. They always said it was the scheme. It’s just always in my mind, I’m going to have to prove somebody wrong. I embrace that. I love it.”

Bouye left the Texans to sign a five-year, $67.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. He went on to earn a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro honors in Jacksonville. Now with the Broncos, he will be tasked with replacing future Ring of Famer Chris Harris.

Bouye still has doubters — and they still motivate him.

“That’s what helps me get up early in the morning, even going into Year 8, acting like I’m coming into the league and just grinding,” Bouye said. “It’s what motivates me on the inside. I believe that chip on my shoulder is why I’m still here, and I’m definitely out to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Bouye, 28, has totaled 315 tackles and 14 interceptions in his career. He’s under contract in Denver through the 2021 season.

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Jets, not Broncos, expected to sign CB Logan Ryan

The Jets believe they will sign cornerback Logan Ryan, according to a report.

The New York Jets believe they will be signing free agent cornerback Logan Ryan to a one-year deal, according to a report from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Ryan (5-11, 195 pounds) entered the league as a third-round pick out of Rutgers with the New England Patriots in 2013. After spending the first four years of his career in New England, Ryan joined the Tennessee Titans in 2017.

The 29-year-old Ryan has totaled 494 tackles, 11 sacks, 17 interceptions and 78 pass breakups in seven seasons in the NFL.

After losing Chris Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers during free agency, the Denver Broncos selected cornerback Michael Ojemudia in the third round of the NFL Draft. If Bryce Callahan plays in the slot this season, Ojemunia might be asked to start across from A.J. Bouye at cornerback.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio said he feels good about the team’s depth at cornerback after the draft but it’s fair to wonder if Denver could use some more experience at the position.

The Broncos have about $17 million in salary cap space and Prince Amukamara, who played under Fangio from 2017-2018, is still available.

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Trey Marshall will be asked to step up in Broncos’ secondary this season

Trey Marshall will likely be asked to replace Will Parks in the Broncos’ secondary this season.

After the Broncos lost Will Parks to the Eagles during free agency, Denver didn’t select any safeties during the NFL Draft.

That means Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson will serve as the two starting safeties — and there won’t be much depth behind them.

One of the most experienced safeties behind Simmons and Jackson is Trey Marshall, who will be entering his third season in 2020.

“[When I was] out those last two games, I think he stepped in,” Jackson said during a Zoom conference call on May 5. “I think he did some good stuff. I think he showed some signs. With him playing the way he did those two games, that would probably be the reason we didn’t sign or draft anybody.”

Marshall (6-0, 207 pounds) signed with the Broncos as a college free agent out of Florida State following the 2018 NFL Draft. Marshall served as a rotational defensive back last season and started the final two games of the year. This season, Marshall will likely fill the role Parks used to play.

“I’m very confident in what he can do,” Jackson said. “He has a ton of talent. I think he showed that in the last two games. Going into Year 3, I think for him it’ll be great. He can go into camp and take some more steps and show some more signs so everybody else can be confident around him. I think he’s ready for that role.”

Marshall, 24, totaled 25 tackles and forced one fumble last season.

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