Tag: Secondary

Broncos’ updated cornerback depth chart after the NFL draft

Damarri Mathis seems to be the favorite to start across from Pat Surtain, but rookie Riley Moss will get to compete for a role this summer.

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CB1 Slot CB2
Pat Surtain K’Waun Williams Damarri Mathis
Tremon Smith Essang Bassey Riley Moss
Ja’Quan McMillian Devon Key Delonte Hood
Darrious Gaines Faion Hicks Art Green

After selecting one cornerback in the 2023 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos have few changes to their depth chart ahead of OTAs.

Pat Surtain returns as the team’s star cornerback with second-year defensive back Damarri Mathis likely to start across from him in Week 1. Third-round draft pick Riley Moss will also compete for rotational playing time right away.

K’Waun Williams is poised to serve as the slot cornerback again this year, but the Broncos might have a long-term plan of moving another CB inside (perhaps Mathis) to get Moss on the field more often.

Tremon Smith joined the team during free agency and he seems poised to win one of the top backup spots. Ja’Quan McMillian impressed late last year and Devon Key could be a sleeper to watch this summer as a versatile defensive back who might also compete for a safety role.

Delonte Hood and Faion Hicks will face long odds to make the active roster. Denver also added Art Green and Darrious Gaines as undrafted free agents this spring. Of the team’s UDFAs, Green might have the best chance to make the 53-man roster.

The Broncos carried five cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster last year, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see six on the active roster this season given the team’s depth at the position.

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Broncos view Riley Moss as a cornerback, not a safety

The Broncos have a “clear vision” for Riley Moss as a cornerback in Vance Joseph’s defense.

Before the NFL draft, some pundits projected Iowa cornerback Riley Moss as a potential candidate to transition to safety in the NFL.

After trading up for Moss in the third round of the NFL draft last week, Broncos coach Sean Payton made it clear that Moss will not be a safety in Denver.

“[T]here [is] a clear vision for him and it’s corner,” Payton said.

Moss ran a 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the NFL combine, faster than the 4.46-second 40-yard dash Pat Surtain ran at his pro day in 2021. That kind of speed could prove to be a great addition to Vance Joseph’s secondary.

“[W]e picked and tugged and hosed down and looked at every tape,” Payton said of scouting Moss. “He was in [for a top-30 visit]. All the numbers, prototype — we loved the make-up. We spent as much time on this player because this was one of these players that we felt like in the very beginning was going to be one of these decisions. Sure enough, he was.”

In addition to Surtain, Moss will be joining a cornerback room that also includes Damarri Mathis, K’Waun Williams and Tremon Smith, among others. Right now, Moss and Mathis are likely the top candidate to compete for the CB2 job across from Surtain.

Moss will be a cornerback with the Broncos, and a starting job could be within reach as he enters his rookie season.

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WATCH: Darrell Luter Jr.’s best highlights from South Alabama

Darrell Luter Jr. figures to play a role in the #49ers defense after the team courted him throughout the pre-draft process

South Alabama product Darrell Luter Jr. is a prospect that the San Francisco 49ers showed obvious interest in during the pre-draft process, and could figure into their plans in the defensive backfield for years to come. A small-school product, he isn’t the most recognized in the class, but his talent is undeniable.

San Francisco waited as long as they could before feeling the need to finally get their guy before any other team had a chance.

Check out his best collegiate highlights below to get familiar with Luter’s game as he looks to make a huge impact for the 49ers in 2023:

 

 

Ravens host South Carolina CB Cam Smith for visit on Monday

The Ravens hosted South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith for a formal visit on Monday ahead of the 2023 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens are continuing to do their due diligence on draft prospects ahead of April’s annual selection meeting. They got off to a hot start to their week on Monday when they hosted University of South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith for a visit in a move that could indicate their interest to add talent to their secondary in the early to middle rounds.

Most of the Ravens talk on Monday was centered around Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and the massive extension he inked while Lamar Jackson remains unsigned. However, the news of Smith’s visit to the Charm City may prove to be more important in the short-term as the draft draws ever closer, as the team has plenty of holes to fill in the back-end of their defense.

Smith is a seasoned corner with ball skills that could help any secondary early in his NFL career. He came down with six interceptions during his time in Columbia, South Carolina, and made All-SEC teams in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before declaring for the draft this year.

Watch for Smith to be a name that many talking heads link to the Ravens throughout the draft and for his name to be called somewhere between the second and fourth rounds.

Chiefs S Justin Reid makes donation to Kansas City Public Schools STEM, Robotics programs

#Chiefs S Justin Reid made a significant contribution to the education of teens in the Kansas City area on Monday. | from @TheJohnDillon

Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid cemented himself as a key part of his team’s defense last season and is proving to be an equally crucial member of the community after making a significant donation to a local school on Monday.

Reid’s foundation, JReid Indeed, invested significantly in the STEM and engineering departments at Kansas City Public Schools, donating $15,000 to their robotics team as part of an outreach effort. A Standford graduate, Reid is known to be a firm believer in the value of education and seems poised to inspire a new generation of thinkers with this latest good deed in the Kansas City area.

“Technology is the game changer for our students to succeed,” Reid said in a statement, via KSHB. “Everyday technology is changing the future and it is changing how we live. I want to give children who look like me a fighting chance to have a better education, and to compete in life. That’s my ultimate goal.”

During his appearance at KC Central High School, Reid posed for pictures with the promotional check provided by his foundation and members of the robotics team who stand to benefit greatly from this kind gesture. The mission of his foundation is as follows:

 JReid InDeed is a charitable organization founded by Justin Reid that focuses on equipping and funding disadvantaged youth and communities through interactive programs, community engagement, and technology access. The foundation focuses on children in underserved communities of Houston, Baton Rouge, and Kansas City. 

Heading into his second year with the Chiefs in 2023, Reid is sure to become a fan-favorite in Kansas City’s secondary as he further ingrains himself both in his community and on the gridiron.

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Brandon Staley on J.C. Jackson’s return for 2023 season: ‘No timeline’

Brandon Staley told reporters on Monday that the Chargers have no timeline relative to J.C. Jackson’s return in 2023.

When the Chargers signed cornerback J.C. Jackson in 2022, hopes were high that they would have a lockdown corner to form one of the NFL’s top secondaries. Though the unit thrived last season, Jackson only saw action in a handful of games before his season ended due to injury, which had a major impact on the depth in their defensive backfield.

In his comments on Monday, Brandon Staley gave a brief update on Jackson’s injury, though his words won’t allay fans’ concerns about his return to the field in 2023. Asked about the cornerback’s disposition at present, Staley told reporters that his status is unclear.

“[We have] no timeline,” Staley explained. “He’s at the facility, just kind of same as [usual]. Improving. It’s good to see him on a day-to-day basis.”

Continuing his comments, Staley expressed Los Angeles’ unwavering commitment to having Jackson in an integral role in the Chargers’ defense and made it clear that he and his staff will re-evaluate the cornerback’s performance based on what they saw last season.

“What we’ve tried to do is look at training camp,” Staley said, “that’s when our purest evaluation of J.C. Jackson occurred. And we love J.C. Jackson. We have a lot of belief in this guy as a player. He showed us exactly why we went out and signed him.”

While the uncertainty surrounding his status for the 2023 season is certainly less than ideal, Jackson seems poised to make a huge difference for the Chargers’ defense if he manages to get back on the field at full strength. With the rest of the offseason to recover and rehabilitate, a more thorough update from Staley should be expected later this summer as the team works through OTAs and training camp.

For now, Michael Davis, who had a stellar 2022 season, will start on the outside alongside Asante Samuel Jr. Ja’Sir Taylor is slated to be the starting slot corner. But the depth behind them leaves a lot to be desired, with Deane Leonard and Michael Jacquet as the only backups. This is a position that the Chargers could upgrade in the draft next month.

NFL.com predicts Ravens will select CB in latest mock draft

Tom Fornelli predicted that the #Ravens would select University of Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks in his latest mock draft

The 2023 NFL draft is just a month away, and speculation abounds regarding the Baltimore Ravens’ big board heading into the annual selection meeting. No movement on quarterback Lamar Jackson’s contract seems imminent as the offseason wears on, and Baltimore has needs on both sides of the ball that will need to be addressed before the new season begins.

NFL.com analyst Tom Fornelli released his latest mock draft on Saturday and predicted that the Ravens would look to shore up their defense in the first round by selecting cornerback Deonte Banks. A University of Maryland product, Banks would be a great pickup for Baltimore, and a natural fit in their defense.

“Banks has everything you want from a corner as far as size, speed and athleticism are concerned. However, there is concern about his instincts as a defensive back. He only had one full season as a starter in college, so he may have to be brought along slowly, but the potential for an All-Pro corner exists.”

Banks’ six-foot-one frame and sub 4.4- forty yard dash time are exactly what scouts look for in modern boundary corners, and with Marcus Peters’ status for the 2023 season still undetermined, the former Terrapin would fill an immediate need for the Ravens.

Though the upside is evident for this blue-chip prospect, Banks still has some work to do on his technique and footwork to accel at the NFL level. He only managed to secure two interceptions over the course of his college career, which is a bit concerning, though not necessarily an indication that he won’t be able to produce at the next level with proper coaching and time to develop.

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Vikings get creative, save $2.1 million with adjustment to Byron Murphy’s contract

The #Vikings freed up more than $2 million in cap space by adding three void years to Byron Murphy’s contract on Tuesday

Finances have played a huge role in the Minnesota Vikings’ ability to construct a competitive roster ahead of the 2023 season, and with an adjustment to newly acquired cornerback Byron Murphy’s contract, the team managed to save over $2 million against their salary cap.

This shrewd maneuver involved adding three void years to Murphy’s signed contract, which will incur a dead-money hit for the 2025 season, but free up $2.1 million for them this season. It is worth noting that this move got Minnesota under the salary cap limit, which should enable the Vikings to continue pursuing free agents as the offseason wears on.

The merits of these void-year arrangements are debatable, but for a team that sees itself as being in a championship window, they could prove themselves to be necessary if the Vikings truly think they can compete for a Super Bowl in 2023. While borrowing money from future seasons seems like a desperate move now, the risk would surely be worth the reward if Minnesota manages to bring home a Lombardi trophy next season.

Former Chiefs S Juan Thornhill bids Kansas City farewell in letter to fans

Juan Thornhill took to Twitter to express his gratitude to the #Chiefs after signing with the #Browns on Friday

The Kansas City Chiefs saw another starter on their 2022 championship roster leave for a new team on Thursday when safety Juan Thornhill inked a deal with the Cleveland Browns. In a letter to fans put out on Twitter yesterday, Thornhill thanked his teammates, coaches, and the Chiefs’ training staff for their hard work during his four years in Kansas City.

Chiefs Kingdom!!!

What a journey the past four years have been. In 2019, you guys took a chance on a small town kid from Virginia, and immediately embraced me as your own.

My time in Kansas City has been an absolute rollercoaster, from my rookie year and suffering a season ending injury, to winning our second Super Bowl this past year. I am beyond grateful for all the memories and years of support this city has given me. It’s hard to say goodbye to such a great city.

To my teammates, coaches, training & support staff, thank you all for making these past four years the greatest so far. Thank you guys for all the memories and friendships that will last forever. Growing up as a kid I have always dreamed of hoisting the Lombardi, we did to TWICE!!!

While this chapter of my life has come to an end, I am excited for what the future holds and to chase another Super Bowl in Cleveland. 

Thank you Chiefs Kingdom!

Though his departure is sure to sting for many Chiefs fans who grew accustomed to Thornhill’s presence in Kansas City, he is likely to get plenty of run with the Browns next season as a starter in Cleveland’s secondary.

With more attrition seemingly on the horizon for the Chiefs, the team’s front office will have to lick their wounds and pick up their pace in signing free agents to fill out their roster ahead of the NFL draft in April. The team is nowhere near the 90-man roster limit after the first week of free agency and has plenty of room to sign valuable talent that might be able to fill the gaps players like Thornhill are leaving in the Chiefs’ starting rotations.

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Camryn Bynum among top earners in NFL’s 2022 performance-based pay program

Bynum was among the NFL’s most rewarded players when the numbers for the league’s performance-based pay program came out on Friday

Camryn Bynum has come on strong for the Minnesota Vikings since joining the team as a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and was rewarded for his exceptional play via the NFL’s performance-based pay program to the tune of nearly $700,000.

After starting in every regular season game for the Vikings in 2022, Bynum established himself as a consistent contributor to Minnesota’s defense, cementing his status as one of the NFL’s best young defensive backs. He hauled in two interceptions in the 2022 campaign and added 81 combined tackles and two fumble recoveries to his exceptional sophomore resume.

While he still has room to grow, Bynum should be considered one of the Vikings’ most promising defenders ahead of the 2023 season and is set to take another big step forward in the near future. Minnesota’s defensive additions in free agency will free up Bynum to make even more game-changing plays from his safety spot in the Vikings’ defensive backfield and should lead to even more impressive production when the regular season commences.