We do NOT need to draft another CB (or Safety for that matter), our Secondary is Fine

[oraphus]

i think in the first round you have to go with a Best Player Available, so if no worthy DEs are left there is no reason why we cant take a very good corner..

Spring hasn't had a healthy season in 4 years.. other then last year.. so there is a much higher chance he'll get hurt again.

Smoot is OK, but not a #1

then we have nothing... Springs has another 1-2 years tops left in the tank. We need another corner.

Again i am all ip for DE or DT... but if they do not warrant a 21 pic... i am all up for a good corner.. you can never have enough

[abu69]

We're thin everywhere. But a first round CB can step in and help immediately, on top of being a long-term solution. There was a thread on this a while back (wish I'd bookmarked it) where research has shown that the success rate of first day CBs is waaaaay higher than in later rounds, and waaaaay higher than first day picks at any other position.

DL, OL, these guys take time to develop and we're as likely to get an effective player in later rounds. CB, not so much.

[TURKEYTALKER]

i think in the first round you have to go with a Best Player Available, so if no worthy DEs are left there is no reason why we cant take a very good corner..

Spring hasn't had a healthy season in 4 years.. other then last year.. so there is a much higher chance he'll get hurt again.

Smoot is OK, but not a #1

then we have nothing... Springs has another 1-2 years tops left in the tank. We need another corner.

Again i am all ip for DE or DT... but if they do not warrant a 21 pic... i am all up for a good corner.. you can never have enough

This post makes a lot of sence to me. If the corner from Kanas is still on the board I hope we take him

[emor09]

if Torrence has to cover another teams #3 WR, there is no way we will win next year

look at Chicago, New York, and Minnesota games from last year, 4th quarter they realized that Leigh couldnt cover and they kept moving the ball on us with ease

[cjbrown]

Trade out of #21 for another 2nd and a third or fourth and get the oline and dline straight. If we could do that with two seconds and two thirds that would be a great draft, plus a few free agent pickups that would be a fantastic off season, and maybe a big wide receiver free agent. Then next year we concentrate on, secondary, LB injuries and losses, and if needed another WR.

Right now the first priority is to protect the quarterback, so he can learn and execute. Also, Portis is an elite back so why not support him properly rather than wait until he is too old or injured to produce at a top 5 level.

[Bzapf]

Our secondary could have been considered 10x better last season if it wasnt for Pierson Prioleau. We could use some depth but that is all.

[Veretax]

Rogers is not even suppose to be set til Oct. Springs is no young chicken. Smoot is a great asset but he will always be a #2 guy. Carlos Rogers may never be the same and his contract is ending soon

I understand the concern for Carlos, and I know both Springs and Smoot have some Injury issues, but let's be reasonable here. IF we draft a Corner, you assume he's a #1 right? Okay so you have who riding the bench or tapped for Nickel duties...... Okay and when Carlos is back healthy? I don't understand why people hate springs and smoot so much, both guys play their GUTS out for us every game.

Let me just say up-front that I'm with you on this and I would be shocked if we used a first rounder on a CB but I think there is some logic in addressing what will be a problem in the secondary in a year or two. Does anyone remember two years ago when Springs was hurt and we had Ade Jimoh in at #2 CB? I never want to see that again.

The fact of the matter is that Springs is getting older and is injury prone. Rogers and Smoot have also had durability problems. You're right that we do have some depth at corner, but that's provided that everyone is phsyically able to perform.

We have a depth problem at CB, not a Starting Problem, Smoot and Rogers have a lot of time left in them even if springs is in his last season this year. Secondly, there will be Corners in the 2nd or 3rd Round, we don't have to waste our top picks on Corners.

As for the draft, DL seems the most likely defensive option, although I would not be surprised at all if we took a WR in the first round under pressure from Zorn. I think that if our offense picks up and we still have a losing record, then that will look better for an offensive coach than if our D plays great and we lose. He'd be hedging his bets with a pick like that, and although the smart play for a first rounder in my opinion is on either side of the line, I just wouldn't be surprised if we took a big risk on a wide out.

Speaking of DL, that 2 Years ago, was also a year when we had a rather Anemic Pass Rush in s2006, I mean we set a Statistical record for futility at getting to sacks. We tried blitzing and that got us burned early in the year, so we dropped into coverage and got picked to pieces. So, there are two ways to solve that problem, one was draft Secondary help, the other is to get more push from the DL. Now our DL was better this year, but it can be even better than that. IF we take away the QB's time then we don't leave SMoot or Springs on the Island as much, and Torrence and whoever else. Draft DL before CB. That's all I am saying.

[skinny21]

We did fine with Springs/Smoot last season and our safeties can pick up slack if one of them misses a few games.

We're in worse shape if we lose a DL or OL. What if Andre Carter goes down? Griff? What if Thomas/Jansen goes down again? We're not as talented in the trenches to make up for it.

I'm with you for the most part, but the part I have to disagree with is depth.

With the frequency we play our nickle back and the frequency with which teams use three receiver sets, it's important to have three starting caliber corners and one viable backup. On the other hand, you only need 2 starting tackles and guards and a viable backup for each. With Heyer at tackle, we just need a viable backup at the guard position (if we assume Alexander does not fit this bill).

With the possibility of Carlos not returning until October (in addition to my desire to not pay Springs 16 mil over the next 2 years, no matter how much I love the guy) it seems we need at least one depth/starter at the cb position.

As my disclaimer, I'd love to see us get 1 or 2 d-linemen and 1 or 2 o-linemen. I'm certainly not rooting for a cb in the 1st, but I wouldn't complain as long as our lines were well addressed later in the draft (or in FA).

[skinfan2k]

I understand the concern for Carlos, and I know both Springs and Smoot have some Injury issues, but let's be reasonable here. IF we draft a Corner, you assume he's a #1 right? Okay so you have who riding the bench or tapped for Nickel duties...... Okay and when Carlos is back healthy? I don't understand why people hate springs and smoot so much, both guys play their GUTS out for us every game.

Highly unlikely that Rogers comes backs to play at a level where he can start this year. This year will be a test out year coming back from major surgeries. Sprigs is gone soon anyway soon. Smoot played nickel duties last year and he is a team guy that would likely do that if he is asked again. Cromatrie and Taqlib have #1 talent and can come in and play the 3rd nickel position until next year and rotate with Smoot

[Dance04]

great thread 99, well said

[Veretax]

Highly unlikely that Rogers comes backs to play at a level where he can start this year. This year will be a test out year coming back from major surgeries. Sprigs is gone soon anyway soon. Smoot played nickel duties last year and he is a team guy that would likely do that if he is asked again. Cromatrie and Taqlib have #1 talent and can come in and play the 3rd nickel position until next year and rotate with Smoot

I don't expect to see as much from Carlos to be honest, it may take another 6 months before he's up and going full steam. I realize that. I don't count him as a guy I need to count on. I don't see CB as a NEED, o ranything I would reach for, but that being said, I see probably 3 or Corners, at least two (Probably 3) DT and DE off the board before we even pick:

Corners:

Leodis McKelvin, Troy State

Mike Jenkins, South Florida

Domnique Rodgers-Cromartie, TSU

Aqib Talib, Kansas

(Reggie Smith, Oklahoma

Antoine Cason, ARizona)

Defensive Tackles:

Glen Dorsey, LSU

Sedrick Ellis, USC

(Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina)

Defensive Ends:

Chris Long, Virginia

Vernon Gholston, Ohio State

(Derrick Harvey, Florida

Calais Campbel, Miami (FL)

Phillip Merling, Clemson

Lawrence Jackson USC)

(im guessing Merling and Campbell may be taken higher if they have good combines)

Now Given what we know. The possiblity exists that one or two DEs may be htere, one DT (but probably not), And maybe one Corner (but it may be a reach).

I'd not be upset with Talib btw, I think he's a baller, but I don't want to reach too much with this pick either :/

Combine is today right? Let's see what happens there.

[refhaf4L]

Some people on here are actually calling for us to spend our 1st round pick on a CB....

I don't understand where this train of thought comes from. We have an excellent starting combo of CBs (not even counting Carlos Rogers) and a VERY talented young safety. The secondary is the one area of the team that we don't have to worry about right now.

Greg Blache has emphasized that he wants Shawn Springs back next season and the team is working the cap down to a manageable number as we speak.

If you remember, Springs had one of the best seasons of his career in 2007 and showed no signs of slowing down. That tells me that he's still going to be very effective for AT LEAST another couple of seasons.

Fred Smoot also had a solid season in 2007 especially the 2nd half; Springs/Smoot is an excellent combo and are more than capable of carrying the secondary again in 2008, especially with the help they're receiving from LaRon Landry.

If the Seattle game is any indication, Landry is not only going to be a hard-hitter but also a ballhawk of a FS come 2008. Reed Doughty deserves recognition too. He is not a Landry or Sean Taylor but he is a blue collar, diamond-in-the-rough, player that deserves to be starting at SS in 2008 given his improvement down the stretch last season.

Then you have Carlos Rogers, who despite coming off of a serious injury will be back to starting in September or October. Blache has recently stated that he is encouraged by the recovery of Carlos Rogers, and while being "encouraged" does not mean that Carlos will be 100 percent in September; with the talent of Springs/Smoot/Landry/Doughty we can afford to let Carlos work himself back to full health on a reasonable schedule as opposed to rushing him back onto the field.

I think that some of us have gotten a little too comfortable having 3 starting CBs and feel that we need to spend draft picks or cap space via free agency on a CB when other talented teams in the NFL do just fine with the 2 starters they have and much less talent in their Safety department.

With or without Carlos we still have one of the best secondaries in the NFL and we have more pressing needs (DL, WR, OL depth) that cannot be ignored any longer.

We finished with the #8 defense in the NFL last season with the secondary we have, and that's impressive considering the lack of pass rush that our team generated.

Some things that we lacked last season were:

-a consistent pass rush

-consistent QB protection

-consistent run-blocking

-a consistent red-zone/short yardage passing target

I would much rather see our draft picks and cap space go to fix these problems than to fix a secondary that is not broken. Also, we can wait another draft or two for age-related upgrades (if you're reasoning is that we need to groom another young CB because Springs is getting older).

So let's stop with the old ways of trying to upgrade positions that don't need it and let's save that cap space and save those draft picks and build a team that's going to be a contender for years to come.:2cents:

__:logo:_

I disagree with you about our secondary...First of all, Rogers has been FAR from living up to his top 10 draft spot. And he's coming off a major injury.

Springs played inspired football this year your right, but he's lost a lot of speed and normally can't be depended on for a full season---he's a 10 game guy from here on out.

Smoot--who knows...he gets picked on from time to time that's for sure.

Doughty--who knows...but technically, he's a back up who was giving the starting roll for an unfortunate reason--he, like the rest of our bench, played inspired football at the end of the year.

Landry--awesome...

But here's the thing, NE for example, killed us...murdered us in fact, and the secondary had a lot to do with that---you don't have safties hanging out 30 yards down field on every play if you secondary is good, that distinctly says we are not that strong and in fact scared of the pass--we did this against everyone by the way, not just NE...and that's also why we have a hard time intercepting the ball...

We need a CB, maybe not first round, but we need a good one.

[Redskins4ever]

If Snyder wants to sign Chad Johnson to a hefty contract, then why wouldn't he sign Asante Samuel to one? Samuel is the best cornerback in the NFL right now. David Tyree ran circles around him in the Super Bowl, but he was solid all season for the Patriots. Shawn Springs can still get the job done, and Fred Smoot is great in coverage. Carlos Rogers is good too, but not great. Leigh Torrence will develop into a fine CB in the future is Jerry Gray and Greg Blanche decide to keep him.

It would only aid our secondary to sign Asante Samuel during the free agency period.

[laythalumber2130]

This all sounds great and your thread has some good points that make sense but......

Rogers is not even suppose to be set til Oct. Springs is no young chicken. Smoot is a great asset but he will always be a #2 guy. Carlos Rogers may never be the same and his contract is ending soon

We need to draft a young corner in the 2nd round to groom under Springs while he's still around. Anyone think Brandon Flowers will fall to the 2nd ?? His highlights are unbelievable and he doesn't get talked about like Talib, McKelvin and Jenkins.

[#98QBKiller]

But here's the thing, NE for example, killed us...murdered us in fact, and the secondary had a lot to do with that---you don't have safties hanging out 30 yards down field on every play if you secondary is good, that distinctly says we are not that strong and in fact scared of the pass--we did this against everyone by the way, not just NE...and that's also why we have a hard time intercepting the ball...

If you think our secondary is the reason NE killed us then you missed the Super Bowl.

The Giants have one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL and guess how they beat the Patriots?

With an intense pass rush, and the Redskins' ability to rush the passer needs much more attention than our secondary does.

In fact, every team that came close to (and in the Giants case did) beating the Patriots got consistent pressure on Tom Brady.

The Ravens, the Eagles, the Giants and even Indy all got to Brady and frustrated him.

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[bmw2301]

We need a CB, but not with our 1st round pick. That should be addressed later in the draft. CB is also a fairly deep position, so that helps too. WE NEED A BIG WR, OL HELP, A SOLID CB, and more all around depth.

[lzeis24]

I don't know about using a first, but I think the Redskins would be smart to take a corner in the second or third for insurance.

[Koolblue13]

If you think our secondary is the reason NE killed us then you missed the Super Bowl.

The Giants have one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL and guess how they beat the Patriots?

With an intense pass rush, and the Redskins' ability to rush the passer needs much more attention than our secondary does.

In fact, every team that came close to (and in the Giants case did) beating the Patriots got consistent pressure on Tom Brady.

The Ravens, the Eagles, the Giants and even Indy all got to Brady and frustrated him.

___

I don't think a single person has said we don't need more of a pass rush, but that doesn't meen we don't also need a corner(or a saftey or a linebacker).

[blchizzleke]

if you look at the last 3 superbowl champs (giants, colts and steelers) none of them had any pro bowl caliber corners. they all, however, had a couple of pro bowl caliber pass rushers that greatly helped each of their teams to win each year. this league is becoming pass first and fact is you need pass rushers more than corners (though i know our new DC is in denial of this statistical fact). if a qb gets time it doesnt matter if we draft another darrell green someone will get open. however we have seen what pressure can do to elite qbs these past few years. that is why i completely agree with the OP, the last thing we need defensively is another first round guy in our secondary at this point.

[refhaf4L]

If you think our secondary is the reason NE killed us then you missed the Super Bowl.

The Giants have one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL and guess how they beat the Patriots?

With an intense pass rush, and the Redskins' ability to rush the passer needs much more attention than our secondary does.

In fact, every team that came close to (and in the Giants case did) beating the Patriots got consistent pressure on Tom Brady.

The Ravens, the Eagles, the Giants and even Indy all got to Brady and frustrated him.

___

I didn't infact miss the superbowl...The giants secondary played out of their minds in the playoffs and through the superbowl. Their pass rushers played better...but were you surprised by that? Do you think our secondary could hold up if we rushed 7/8 guys at Brady? We didn't think so? Those teams were able to do that. The Giants are an anomoly in that they could pressure Brady with 4 guys...you still can;t discredit what their secondary did though.

[Peregrine]

I think most people on here DONT want to draft a CB in 1st round. However, most people acknowledge that will most likely be what actually happens.

Now although I agree CB shouldnt be our primary concern in the 1st round, some of your arguments dont hold water. Yes, we have Springs and Smoot at the corners currently. Both are capable of starting. However, Springs is very old and likely wont be playing for more than a year or two, which means we need to start grooming a young CB now to replace him. Both him and Smoot have had injury issues over recent seasons, so a #3 CB for us is likely to start a lot in 2008. With Rogers injury as well, if we cant get a consistent pass rush, Leigh Torrence isnt going to cut it.

Who do I think we should get? A pass rushing DE. But I would be surprised if we did.

[[[ghost]]]

I don't think a single person has said we don't need more of a pass rush, but that doesn't meen we don't also need a corner(or a saftey or a linebacker).

Apparently wanting anything but a DE (even a DT) in the 1st round means you think our pass rush is fine.

[UltimateSkinsFan21]

I think we need a Safety to complement Landry. I just don't like Doughty. Every other play I saw it looked like he was getting burned. Any where else he would be a 2nd-3rd string Safety. I am not saying we need to get one in the 1st round though (I do like that Safety from the U though). The safety class this year is not very deep so we can get away with taking one in the later rounds.

We need a DE/DT in the 1st round. There's no denying that. 2nd round if there is a tall ass, good receiver left on the board when we pick take him. If not get a CB. Preferably Brandon Flowers (I'm a Hokies fan). Then a Kicker, Safety, and our other needs on Day 2.

[gorebd82]

Justin King in the 3rd. No way should we spend another 1st rounder on a DB. With the depth of CB in this draft, players are going to drop.

King was one of the most highly recruited and most talented players in college football. I think he was the victim of Penn State's current program, but he definitely showed flashes while he was there.

He has the size and talent to be an elite CB and we would have the luxury of playing him in nickel and dime packages while he develops under the tutelage of Springs and Jerry Gray, one of the best DB coaches in the league.

[RBClintonPortis]

Now although I agree CB shouldnt be our primary concern in the 1st round, some of your arguments dont hold water. Yes, we have Springs and Smoot at the corners currently. Both are capable of starting. However, Springs is very old and likely wont be playing for more than a year or two, which means we need to start grooming a young CB now to replace him. Both him and Smoot have had injury issues over recent seasons, so a #3 CB for us is likely to start a lot in 2008. With Rogers injury as well, if we cant get a consistent pass rush, Leigh Torrence isnt going to cut it.

.

The only thing I'll ad (to this and others like it) is:

1/7 one in seven (14%) - given his career that is the likelihood Smoot will be able to play 16 games

3/11 three in 11 (27%) - given his career that is the likelihood that Springs will be able to play in 16 games

100% - that is the likelihood as reported in the Post that Rodgers will not see the field until October.

CB is a top 3 need for this team unless we believe a series of Torrance-TO or Macklin-Plaxico match-ups bode well for our season. Over reach in the draft or desperately over pay? No. Not at any position - but we definitely need help at CB.