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Slot Cornerback

spiketex

spiketex

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I would have bet anything that the Dolphins were going to draft a slot cornerback to compete with Bobby McCain and I would have lost big (or bigly for all the Trump fans).
I think that we addressed a variety of needs via Free Agency and the Draft but this is still one of the few roles with significant scope for improvement. Am I misreading it? Does Bobby really have significant upside that I'm just missing? Welcome feedback.

BTW - I hear the terms slot cornerback and nickel cornerback used by different people. I'm foreign and still eager to learn more about NFL. Are they exactly the same or is there a difference? What is the better term to use for Bobby McCain's role?
 
I guess the slot corner covers the receiver in the slot. The nickel corner comes in as the 5th defensive back (a linebacker usually goes out). I guess the nickel corner could cover any of the receivers at that point, but the terms are used pretty interchangeably.
 
Even if we are going with Mccain as the starter if he goes down who else plays the slot on the team!? Thomas again!?!
 
Lafayette Pitts will be given an opportunity to compete for the job as well.
 
I think the coaching staff really likes Bobby McCain. He's a battler. If he can become more consistent with his technique and improve his route awareness, I believe he will be a solid starter in the slot.
 
steevieb22 said:
Lafayette Pitts will be given an opportunity to compete for the job as well.
Click to expand...

I am wondering if the team has high expectations for him this year (that we dont realize). They praised him alot last year and havent made huge efforts to upgrade the slot CB position so hopefully he is the reason why.
 
I thought it was a big need as well, which is why i expected the FO to target someone like Chidobe Awuzie in the 2nd. He's diverse in that he could play the slot or boundary, similar to Tre'Davious White.

I also expected Jourdan Lewis to fall a bit more with his off-the-field situation and thought they may target him in the 3rd. The funny thing is the Cowboys got both guys, as well as picking up Taco, who was next up on our board in Round 1 according to some reports.
 
Agree with my man Spiketex. If you play back the Pats games, quick guys like Edelman ran quick slants and our defense was hopelessly lost. It was not just the slot guys. While we have good length in our corners, do we really have the guy with great hips who can cover shifty receivers? Guys like Lippett and Maxwell didn't have the hips to flip and contain the quick inside moves and slants by the Edelmans of the world. It was much more those routes -- not really boundary routes -- that killed us. What's worse, the routes were so quick, the QB had the ball out way too fast, nullifying any possible pass rush. Our defense has to get better in this regard.

Our safety play wasn't good enough either. Getting McDonald in here and a healthy Jones should help patrol the middle of the field better. That Steeler game in the cold was enough for Rambo to find a new line of work, bless his heart. That's maybe the worst free safety play I've ever seen. It's not the end of the world for Rambo. I'd be in awe playing free safety in the NFL just like he is. There are plenty of other careers out there.

As for McCain, I haven't given up. I've seen too many db's take a few years to figure it out. But we need competition there.
 
Tankersley is best on the boundary.

I've knocked McCain a lot for his play last season, but I think the coaching staff loves him. They love high character guys that are supreme competitors. I hope he can turn the page a bit so to speak. He has the quickness, toughness, and measurements for the job.

Nothing is worse than Michael Thomas one on one with an NFL caliber wide receiver.
 
I don't think buy into the idea that a "Slot Corner" has to be the smaller quicker type of guy. Because good teams will just line their big receiver up in the slot and take advantage of the size mismatch.. you can't teach size. This is a simple fix that can be done via technique. Big Corners like Lippett, , Maxwell and Tankersly can simply play an inside out technique to take away the quick inside routes. Force everything outside.. This forces the QB to have to throw OVER you to a shorter WR. If the Receiver runs a quick out (like the patriots like to do) then you play the angles and give up 4-5 yards but prevent the big gain. If a team wants to 5 yard out me all the way down the field... go ahead. I'll take my chances with them executing 15 play drive of 5 yard outs all the way down the field without making a mistake...

---------- Post added at 10:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 AM ----------
Michael Scott said:
Tankersley is best on the boundary.

I've knocked McCain a lot for his play last season, but I think the coaching staff loves him. They love high character guys that are supreme competitors. I hope he can turn the page a bit so to speak. He has the quickness, toughness, and measurements for the job.

Nothing is worse than Michael Thomas one on one with an NFL caliber wide receiver.
Click to expand...

Maybe... But whose to say he couldn't be better than McCain on the inside?
 
I don't think Bobby McCain and Mike Thomas are fast enough to cover slot WR's. New England once again will eat us alive with that genius Belicheat putting the perfect game plan to expose Bobby MCcain.

Apparently "Nate Allen" could be the answer at Slot CB when "TJ Burger King" comes back from an 8 game suspension.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/sig-stats-slot-cornerbacks/
 
As someone already stated, it's coaching and technique that limits quick slants.
The Phins FO obviously felt that Tankersly was the best CB available when they picked. Too much is made of boundary CB vs slot CB.
BTW, RM was the best pick in the 2nd round.
 
jlfin said:
As someone already stated, it's coaching and technique that limits quick slants.
The Phins FO obviously felt that Tankersly was the best CB available when they picked. Too much is made of boundary CB vs slot CB.
BTW, RM was the best pick in the 2nd round.
Click to expand...

In our scheme the perimeter CBs are press defenders and the guys we have fit that mold while the slot CB plays off the line, so there is a distinction and a difference when addressing the position prototypes.
 
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