Players to watch in the 2018 Senior Bowl
January 26, 2018Cavs deal for George Hill is dead due to buyout discrepancy
January 29, 2018The WFNY grading period for the 2017 Cleveland Browns season is almost up as we finish the last couple units on defense. We have already graded the offense and have just a couple more positions on defense, along with the special teams. Today, we take a look at the cornerback group.
The Browns made some big moves before the 2017 season to change the cornerback unit around. Before the start of the regular season, the Browns released long time Browns corner Joe Haden. The move thrust newly signed Jason McCourty into the No. 1 cornerback role. McCourty was signed in free agency from the Tennessee Titans. The rest of the group was pretty much left intact.
So, how did the Browns cornerbacks perform in 2017? Here are my 2017 season grades for the Browns cornerback unit.
Overall Grade: B
Briean Boddy-Calhoun: A-
39 tackles and six passes defended
Jason McCourty: B+
65 tackles, two forced fumbles, 14 passes defended, three interceptions and a touchdown
Jamar Taylor: C-
62 tackles, a half sack, one forced fumble and 10 passes defended
Mike Jordan: D
20 tackles and three passes defended
C.J. Smith: INC
One tackle
Howard Wilson: INC
Reggie Porter: INC
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Top Grade: Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Briean Boddy-Calhoun is a hidden superstar on the Browns. The cornerback was a no fly zone in the slot and in some outside cornerback situations. According to Pro Football Focus, Boddy-Calhoun allowed just 0.46 yards per coverage snap, which the second best mark in the league. Also, according to PFF, the Browns corner allowed a reception in every 19.3 coverage snaps, which was third best in the league. He is a building block in the secondary and a player to rely on for years to come. I did not give him a higher grade because of his lower snap count compared to his counterparts in the unit. He should see a bigger workload next season.
Biggest Strength: Slot corners
The Browns are flush with slot corners. Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Jamar Taylor excel in the slot. The duo could be starting slot corners on almost any team in the league. The Browns played Boddy-Calhoun in the slot for most of the season this year, but last season Taylor had one of his best year’s in the league while playing a lot of snaps in the slot. The Browns are set at this position with whomever they want in that spot.
Biggest Need: No. 1 cornerback
Jason McCourty had a really good season as the Browns No. 1 cornerback. But, he seemed to tail off at the end of the season and he is an aging player. So, the Browns should look to find a No. 1 corner or a corner who has the potential to be a No. 1 corner to help solidify the unit. With an addition of a No. 1 corner, McCourty could slip to the No. 2 corner spot and Boddy-Calhoun can dominate as the slot and third cornerback in the depth chart. The corner unit is not bad, but this addition could make it elite.
Overall Thought
The Browns cornerback unit was hurt by the defensive scheme defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ran this season. The team consistently played off coverage and did not try to adjust when the other team amended to their coverage. It hurt the overall performances of the players, putting them in tougher positions to stop a completion from happening. Jason McCourty and Briean Boddy-Calhoun both had good seasons in the unit. Jamar Taylor took a step back from last season with the move to the outside and to Williams’ new coverage scheme. But, he was not bad. Mike Jordan came in when the unit was dealt with injuries and he struggled in that spot. The Browns have a lot of the talent in the cornerback room, but the production of the group was hampered by the situation they were put in.
The Browns have much of the talent they need already in their cornerback room. But, the Browns should look to add a true No. 1 cornerback this offseason. This could be a draft prospect who has the potential to be a No. 1 corner. McCourty was good in that spot this season, but he fell off late in the year and with his age contract status, he cannot be trusted to hold that role for very long. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams also needs to adjust his defensive schematics and game plans. He cannot continue to put his defenders in vulnerable positions like playing off coverage for an entire game. With these two improvements, the Browns corner unit can be one of the best in the league.
Bold Prediction
The Browns will draft a cornerback with one of their first four picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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2017 Browns Season Grade Series: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line, Defensive Tackles, Linebackers
24 Comments
I think maybe our corner’s grades may be inflated due the fact that opposing QBs abused us by throwing to wide open TEs.
Respect your takes, Joe, but when it comes to Jamar Taylor I go with your grade, not your positive written analysis. So many brain farts in coverage, missed tackles, lack of game sitch awareness. Taylor looks like the classic corner with all the physical tools but allergy to film study. If they keep him in the slot they’ll need two competent corners; McCourty played his heart out but the juice looks just about squeezed there.
that, more than our own awful QB play, that ill be my lasting memory of ’17. Gregggg blitzing over and over but rarely getting to the QB, who calmly flips the ball to a TE rumbling across with no defender even in the camera shot. And the defense’s sagging shoulders as they walk back to the huddle. I didn’t get the failure to adjust then, don’t get it now.
Maybe the BBC was so good that I forgot he was on the field because no one would throw his way…but I forgot he was on the field.
Also, sign me up for Jamar Taylor’s wife trying to get him out of Cleveland like she tried to get him out of Miami. He’s like a 4th CB at best.
days until free agency begins … https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a11d2935b758323ffbff5e79ae38eb47481ab7554b9ebd7d22843204a10017d0.jpg
Is this secretly a Baker Mayfield post?!?!
Conspiracy!
i know nobody’s counting on Howard Wilson , but I’ll be interested to see how he does this year.
no , no , no … FB Jaxon Uhles … Snark !! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/65d250c6b2725e052834e9be2d05255ae5dd7eab94d03371a182ed0f8c84719c.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bede995995fc4e13b9764d0627f23825291d6253c417ad612dc10132202b084b.jpg
Leon McFadden 2.0?
He’s our next Larry!
Let’s not risk it. Draft him #1.
could be , but I’d like to see if he has the goods to challenge for a starting position.
If he does, I worry that says more about the state of the Browns’ backfield than it does about Howie’s ability.
Sometimes it’s good to remember that normal fanbases aren’t left to ponder the likes of Howard Wilson. Or Glenn Winston. Or Carlton Mitchell.
I have a workplace proximity associate who still pines for Carlton Mitchell.
I lol’d at this.
I know I’ve beaten this dead horse since December but do we still have to clear the browser for the site to update?
yeah, I get daily jabberings from someone confident that Josh Gordon will anchor the receiving corp into multiple playoff runs. In my heart of hearts I’m still convinced there’s a future major league shortstop lurking in this middle aged body of mine. Maintaining an inner life is psychologically necessary. I’d just rather that Howard Wilson not be part of mine.
hi HARV … i only brought him up because today Howard Wilson is relevant … he is part of JOE’s column & he’s still in-the-mix at the CB position … he hasn’t even got to play yet due to in jury … my little mind is curious , that’s all. Come July or August he may no longer be relevant , or even on the team … but today , I am curious.
unleash that future major league shorstop inside of you !!
ugh, sorry Tiges, wasn’t intending to slam your reference. Intended more as a general commentary about how a beaten down fanbase fetishizes roster bubble guys, because it might not be a great leap for them to suddenly start for the league’s bottom feeders.
you’re good , HARV … just explaining why I even brought him up in the first place.
hi JM … I don’t know for sure , but I did it once & it’s still working.