C-Mac
04-24-2007, 07:10 AM
Chiefs haven’t cornered market on cornerbacks
The position hasn’t been a high priority in past drafts, but that may change.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
If such a thing was logical, the position of cornerback could rightfully sue the Chiefs for neglect.
Since selecting Dale Carter with their top pick in 1992, the Chiefs have drafted only two corners in the opening three rounds since: William Bartee (second round, 2000) and Julian Battle (third, 2003).
Both moves failed. Bartee started for a time but is now a reserve safety. The Chiefs released Battle last year.
Cornerback is best served by younger players, but this draft neglect leaves the Chiefs with two 30-plus starters, one acquired by free-agency and the other through trade, and little else of substance.
The Chiefs again will be desperate for corners in the draft this weekend. They need to come away, at worst, with a nickel back who could then step in as a starter in 2008 for either Ty Law, who will then be 34, or Patrick Surtain, who will then be 32.
A couple of corners would be even better. By happy coincidence, this appears to be a good year to load up on them.
“I think it is a pretty good year for that,” vice president Bill Kuharich said. “Obviously, the corners that go early are going to be the premier ones, but you can find a corner late in the first day and maybe into the fourth round. It all depends on how it falls. If you get into a situation where you get midway through a round and all of a sudden there’s a run at a certain position, now it’s your turn.
“You say, ‘Well, we’d better take this position now because we’re not going to get it down the road.’ You’ve got to be careful of that.”
As the Chiefs have learned, though, corners do go early. Twenty-nine have gone in the first three rounds in the last two years.
Coach Herm Edwards has said cornerbacks are also available late in the draft. The Chiefs have had no luck with this method. They drafted a cornerback in the fifth round in each of the last two seasons, Alphonso Hodge of Miami of Ohio in 2005 and Marcus Maxey of Miami of Florida last year.
They released Hodge before he ever played in a game while Maxey has a lot more to show the Chiefs before he’s a candidate for playing time.
At any rate, this isn’t the time for the Chiefs to be taking chances. Behind Law and Surtain, Benny Sapp is their only experienced cornerback, and the Chiefs don’t view him as anything more than a spare.
The Chiefs have tended to draft big cornerbacks who could match up with bigger receivers. That’s what Battle and Bartee were.
Under Edwards, there is more of a premium on speed and tackling ability.
“The NFL is a speed-first league right now at almost every position, but especially the (secondary),” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “You’re looking at world-class athletes with great speed, great footwork.”
Texas’ Aaron Ross, Nevada-Las Vegas’ Eric Wright, Fresno State’s Marcus McCauley and Arkansas’ Chris Houston are corners who should be available when the Chiefs make their first pick at 23. All have turned in fast times in the 40.
All were college cornerbacks. Bartee and Battle played plenty of safety in college and had to learn the new position in the NFL.
“You can’t put a guy who’s not athletic enough at that position,” said Russ Lande, a former NFL scout who now runs a draft site at www.gmjr.com. “You have to be quick and explosive at corner anymore. You’re not going to see guys who run 4.6 moving to corner. They just can’t. You can’t get away with slow corners. If you play a safety at corner, you’ll get killed.
“These days, if a guy has played corner and he’s at least 6 feet tall and runs about 4.4, he’s going to get drafted high. Every team wants tall corners, and you can’t find many of them.”
The position hasn’t been a high priority in past drafts, but that may change.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
If such a thing was logical, the position of cornerback could rightfully sue the Chiefs for neglect.
Since selecting Dale Carter with their top pick in 1992, the Chiefs have drafted only two corners in the opening three rounds since: William Bartee (second round, 2000) and Julian Battle (third, 2003).
Both moves failed. Bartee started for a time but is now a reserve safety. The Chiefs released Battle last year.
Cornerback is best served by younger players, but this draft neglect leaves the Chiefs with two 30-plus starters, one acquired by free-agency and the other through trade, and little else of substance.
The Chiefs again will be desperate for corners in the draft this weekend. They need to come away, at worst, with a nickel back who could then step in as a starter in 2008 for either Ty Law, who will then be 34, or Patrick Surtain, who will then be 32.
A couple of corners would be even better. By happy coincidence, this appears to be a good year to load up on them.
“I think it is a pretty good year for that,” vice president Bill Kuharich said. “Obviously, the corners that go early are going to be the premier ones, but you can find a corner late in the first day and maybe into the fourth round. It all depends on how it falls. If you get into a situation where you get midway through a round and all of a sudden there’s a run at a certain position, now it’s your turn.
“You say, ‘Well, we’d better take this position now because we’re not going to get it down the road.’ You’ve got to be careful of that.”
As the Chiefs have learned, though, corners do go early. Twenty-nine have gone in the first three rounds in the last two years.
Coach Herm Edwards has said cornerbacks are also available late in the draft. The Chiefs have had no luck with this method. They drafted a cornerback in the fifth round in each of the last two seasons, Alphonso Hodge of Miami of Ohio in 2005 and Marcus Maxey of Miami of Florida last year.
They released Hodge before he ever played in a game while Maxey has a lot more to show the Chiefs before he’s a candidate for playing time.
At any rate, this isn’t the time for the Chiefs to be taking chances. Behind Law and Surtain, Benny Sapp is their only experienced cornerback, and the Chiefs don’t view him as anything more than a spare.
The Chiefs have tended to draft big cornerbacks who could match up with bigger receivers. That’s what Battle and Bartee were.
Under Edwards, there is more of a premium on speed and tackling ability.
“The NFL is a speed-first league right now at almost every position, but especially the (secondary),” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “You’re looking at world-class athletes with great speed, great footwork.”
Texas’ Aaron Ross, Nevada-Las Vegas’ Eric Wright, Fresno State’s Marcus McCauley and Arkansas’ Chris Houston are corners who should be available when the Chiefs make their first pick at 23. All have turned in fast times in the 40.
All were college cornerbacks. Bartee and Battle played plenty of safety in college and had to learn the new position in the NFL.
“You can’t put a guy who’s not athletic enough at that position,” said Russ Lande, a former NFL scout who now runs a draft site at www.gmjr.com. “You have to be quick and explosive at corner anymore. You’re not going to see guys who run 4.6 moving to corner. They just can’t. You can’t get away with slow corners. If you play a safety at corner, you’ll get killed.
“These days, if a guy has played corner and he’s at least 6 feet tall and runs about 4.4, he’s going to get drafted high. Every team wants tall corners, and you can’t find many of them.”