Tag: Secondary

A.J. Bouye plans to be a play-making cornerback for Broncos

“I know I can make plays in the right situations,” new Broncos cornerback A.J. Bouye said.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio demands that his defenders are good tacklers so it’s no surprise that new cornerback A.J. Bouye excels in that area.

During his time with the Texans and Jaguars, Bouye totaled 315 tackles and 14 interceptions. He is projected to be one of Denver’s starting outside cornerbacks this season and plans to make a big impact.

“I’m a physical corner,” Boyue said during a conference call with reporters on March 18. “You know I’ll come up and tackle. I’m always good in the run game. I feel like what makes me my best is just my instincts.

“I study the game. I study all the time. It’s just a lot of concepts that fascinate me. I know I can make plays in the right situations. That’s one thing I feel like, especially on the outside, I can do.”

Bouye flys around the secondary and has broken up 66 passes in his career. He should be an excellent fit in the Broncos’ defense.

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Chiefs secondary shaping up following Bashaud Breeland’s return

The secondary group looks very good for the Kansas City Chiefs as they head into the 2020 NFL Draft.

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The Kansas City Chiefs secondary is starting to take shape for the 2020 NFL season.

On Thursday, reports broke that starting right cornerback Bashaud Breeland would re-sign with the team. He was the only remaining starter from Super Bowl LIV that was a free agent. Breeland’s return means that all of the starters in the secondary from 2019 will return for the 2020 NFL season. Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward occupy the right and left cornerback spots, While Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill occupy the strong safety and free safety spots.

The Chiefs lost versatile defensive back, Kendall Fuller, in free agency to Washington. He’d previously been their starting nickel corner and late in the season played some deep safety for Kansas City, including in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs also don’t be too keen on re-signing Morris Claiborne, who remains a free agent.

Kansas City will return nickel linebacker and safety Daniel Sorensen, who figures to continue to fill those roles, as well as his role on special teams. Draft picks Armani Watts and Rashad Fenton will also return to the Chiefs. Fenton could be due for a larger role in sub-packages that require an extra cornerback on the field with his inside-out versatility.

Three players figure to compete for backup roles, those are Alex Brown, Chris Lammons and new free-agent acquisition Antonio Hamilton. Brown was elevated from the Chiefs’ practice squad ahead of Week 15 and appeared in six games for Kansas City, including Super Bowl LIV. He’s primarily been used as a special teams player. Lammons has starting experience from his time with the Dolphins and can play both safety and cornerback spots. Finally, Hamilton is a promising special teams player and could be first in line for a backup job behind either Breeland and Ward.

In any event, the Chiefs group is looking much more complete than it did just a day ago. Brett Veach doesn’t need to feel pressured into adding any defensive backs in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Breeland fills a big need and allows the luxury of selecting the best player available at pick No. 32. Cornerback still could be on the table for Kansas City at that pick or throughout the draft, especially when you consider that both Breeland and Ward are scheduled to become free agents in 2021.

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4 Chargers mentioned for Pro Football Focus’ ‘ideal secondary’

The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the best secondaries in the NFL.

How do you build an elite secondary in the NFL?

Pro Football Focus believes that it requires four Chargers defensive backs in order to do so.

Those four were cornerbacks Casey Hayward, Desmond King, Chris Harris Jr. (honorable mention) and safety Derwin James (honorable mention).

PFF named six players to their first-team list. Those were the Hayward, King, Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore, Vikings’ Harrison Smith, Titans’ Kevin Byard and Jets’ Jamal Adams.

Honorable mentions were James’, Harris, Rams’ Jalen Ramsey, Bills’ Tre’Davious White, Vikings’ Anthony Harris and Bills’ Micah Hyde

Hayward, King, James and newly acquired Harris have solidified themselves as some of the best players at their perspective positions, so to see them on this list should come as no surprise. Nonetheless, it’s very deserving.

Combined, the four have earned six All-Pro honors and have been to seven Pro Bowls in their professional careers.

Even with injuries affecting all levels of the defense last season, the Chargers managed to hold opponents to 21.6 points per game. With the key additions and if the unit stays healthy, that number will likely be lower next season.

Broncos select CB Kristian Fulton in Touchdown Wire’s new mock draft

In this new 2020 NFL mock draft, the Broncos select LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton in the first round.

In his latest 2020 NFL mock draft for Touchdown Wire, Mark Schofield has the Denver Broncos selecting LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton with the 15th overall pick in the first round.

In Touchdown Wire’s mock, top wide receivers CeeDee Lamb (No. 11; New York Jets), Jerry Jeudy (No. 12; Las Vegas Raiders) and Henry Ruggs (No. 13; San Francisco 49ers) are all selected before Denver goes on the clock.

Here is part of Schofield’s commentary with the Broncos’ pick:

The Broncos lost Chris Harris Jr. in free agency to the Los Angeles Chargers, and even though they acquired A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars, cornerback is another area they could address at this spot. With Jeff Okudah off the board, they turn to Kristian Fulton, the talented cornerback from the defending national champions.

Fulton (6-0, 197 pounds) is the second-best cornerback in this year’s class behind Okudah, according to Draft Wire’s post-combine rankings. Denver has already scheduled a pre-draft conference call with Fulton.

To read Touchdown Wire’s complete first-round mock draft, click here.

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CB Quinton Dunbar wanted to come to Seattle when forcing a trade

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar said that the Emerald City was his intended destination when forcing a trade from Washington.

The Seattle Seahawks recently snagged cornerback Quinton Dunbar from the Washington Redskins via trade, and Dunbar seems fairly enthusiastic about the turn of events.

“I was kind of surprised at first, but it’s a great situation for me, so I’m glad to be here,” Dunbar told 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant show. “I feel like I’m right with those guys in my mentality and I just want to come in and play ball and help the team any way I can.”

Dunbar followed the famed Legion of Boom secondary when he was in college and has watched an abundance of film on them to improve himself as a player.

“Man, I know everything about them. I grew up, I was still in college watching those guys,” Dunbar said. “I wasn’t a DB at the time, but the Legion of Boom, watching Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, who, when I made that transition, I watched a lot of film on Richard Sherman and things of that nature. I know they’ve got great history there and I’m just looking forward to being part of that secondary and helping out all I can.”

Dunbar requested a trade out of Washington for a fresh start, and the Seahawks were the beneficiary as the team only had to deal the Redskins a fifth-round pick to acquire his services.

“Before the trade was (finished) I had opportunities with a couple of teams but I wanted to go to Seattle,” Dunbar said. “At the end of the day, I feel like it’s a perfect situation for me to go play for a team that competes for championships every year. I’m just looking forward to that and everything will take care of itself. I just wanted a new beginning, and I’m just going to go out there and help Seattle whichever way I can.”

Seattle’s secondary could certainly use some help, and Seahawks fans should hope that Dunbar can be a big factor in improving it.

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Quinton Dunbar’s arrival could present challenge for Tre Flowers

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tre Flowers faces a challenge in 2020 with the arrival of Quinton Dunbar, and the former must improve quickly.

The Seattle Seahawks traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange for cornerback Quinton Dunbar and this could set up a position battle with fellow CB Tre Flowers.

In 2019, Dunbar had the second-best grade among cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus (87.6) and is only 27 years old and could be in the prime of his career. He may be entering the final year of his contract, but Seattle could certainly use his services for the 2020 season, as general manager John Schneider has stressed about improving the secondary.

Flowers has had an up-and-down career in his two years in the NFL and must improve drastically to have a good chance of being on the roster beyond the next two seasons. If Flowers feels the pressure to contribute, he could either feel extra motivation to improve or wilt under the expectations. The 2020 season is do-or-die for him and Dunbar only adds to the pressure.

This is not to say that Dunbar is guaranteed to perform better than Flowers next season, but the former has more experience and a better track record. Flowers is also coming off a less-than-stellar postseason in which he gave up numerous big plays, particularly in the divisional round against the Packers.

No matter how Dunbar performs for the Seahawks, 2020 will be a big year for Flowers and he must rise to the challenge.

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Seahawks’ trade for CB Quinton Dunbar from Washington now official

The Seattle Seahawks have officially announced the trade for former Washington Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar for a fifth-round pick.

The Seattle Seahawks pulled off an impressive trade this week, acquiring cornerback Quinton Dunbar from the Washington Redskins for a fifth-round pick in April’s NFL draft.

Dunbar entered the league in 2015 as an undrafted, free-agent wide receiver out of Florida but was quickly converted to cornerback during training camp of his rookie season and ended up earning the starting nod in 2018.

For Washington last year, Dunbar started 11 games before he landed on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He logged four interceptions, eight passes defended and 37 tackles in 2019.

Dunbar has one year left on his current contract – a $3.25 million base salary with $250,000 in per-game roster bonuses.

Seattle has made it clear beefing up all aspects of the defense will be a focus this offseason and adding a proven starter to the competition in the secondary is a step in the right direction.

After the trade, the Seahawks have no selection in the fifth round of the NFL draft but have seven total picks remaining.

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Ex-Broncos safety Will Parks agrees to 1-year deal with Eagles

Former Broncos safety Will Parks is signing a one-year deal with the Eagles.

Former Denver Broncos safety Will Parks has agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer.

Parks (6-1, 208 pounds) was selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Arizona. He served as a rotational defensive back and special teams contributor as a rookie, totaling 22 tackles and one interception.

Parks has served as a fill-in starter over the last three years, earning 15 starts since 2017. Parks is a versatile player who was able to fill in at safety, dime backer and even at cornerback when Denver needed him to step up. He will likely get an opportunity to start in Philly.

The Broncos are spending a lot on three of their starting defensive backs and though the team likes Parks, they likely couldn’t afford to re-sign him. In 2020, Kareem Jackson will have a salary cap hit of $14 million, A.J. Bouye will have a hit over $13.4 million and Justin Simmons has received a franchise tag worth $11.441 million.

Parks, 25, has totaled 149 tackles and four interceptions since 2016.

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Report: Broncos targeting CB Kevin Johnson

The Broncos are interested in Bills free agent cornerback Kevin Johnson.

The Denver Broncos are targeting slot cornerbacks in NFL free agency, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Buffalo Bills defensive back Kevin Johnson is among the cornerbacks the Broncos are considering.

Johnson (6-0, 185 pounds) entered the league as a first-round pick out of Wake Forest with the Houston Texans in 2015. He battled through several injuries during his time in Houston and missed 29 games from 2015-2018.

After being released by the Texans last March, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. He managed to stay healthy for all 16 games last season and totaled 36 tackles and one sack. He also broke up five passes.

If he signs with Denver, Johnson would be reunited with cornerback A.J. Bouye, who played with him in Houston from 2015-2016.

The Broncos showing interest in slot cornerbacks might be a sign that Denver believes Bryce Callahan could play as an outside CB in Vic Fangio’s secondary. Assuming the Broncos will not re-sign Chris Harris, Bouye and Callahan are currently projected to be the team’s top CBs in 2020.

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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.