Cornerback was a major need for the Packers even before Friday’s surprising trade that sent Damarious Randall to Cleveland. Now the position is almost barren – with only Kevin King guaranteed to still be in the league after Labor Day. Fortunately, there are quite a few intriguing corners available in free agency. Now it’s up to new GM Brian Gutekunst to get at least one of them to Green Bay.
The following are my thoughts on the top players at the position (in alphabetical order):
PRINCE AMUKAMARA (Bears): The 28-year-old (29 in June) has never lived up to being a first-round pick, but he’s better than people think. And while no GM should sign him to be a starter, he’s a good guy to have around for depth. He signed a one-year deal with worth $7M last March, but he won’t get that much this time.
BASHAUD BREELAND (Redskins): The 26-year-old is still maddeningly inconsistent, but he played better last season than Trumaine Johnson and Malcolm Butler, the consensus top free agent cornerbacks. He’s also faster and a couple of years younger. He’s a cocky player who’s not quite as good as he thinks he is, but some GM is going to pay him big bucks ($7M to $9M per). It might be a roll of the dice worth taking.
MALCOLM BUTLER (Patriots): The 28-year-old is now thought of as the guy who cried before the Super Bowl and then inexplicably didn’t play a down on defense the entire game. But before that fateful day he was the guy who went from being an undrafted free agent to being the hero of Super Bowl LV to being an All-Pro in 2016. What happened last month will keep his price down a bit, which could make him a pretty good value.
T.J. CARRIE (Raiders): The 27-year-old (28 in July) flew under my radar until I found out that the fine folks at Pro Football Focus rated him as the 21st-best corner in the entire league in 2017. So I checked the tape. He’s not the 21st-best corner in the entire league. That said, he does have intriguing talent and some GM will pay him a nice salary (perhaps as much as $7M per). That GM will more than likely be Reggie McKenzie.
MORRIS CLAIBORNE (Jets): The 28-year-old has been a pretty decent starter for years, but he’ll always be considered a huge disappointment because of where he was drafted (6th overall by Dallas in 2012). Injuries – he’s missed 34 games in his career – and inconsistency are the reasons why a player this talented had to settle for a $5M contract last March. He probably won’t get much more than that this time around.
ROSS COCKRELL (Giants): The 26-year-old (27 in August) also flew under my radar until I found out that PFF rated him as the 39th-best corner. So once again I checked the tape. He’s not the 39th-best corner. And while he’ll make some team a solid backup, I can only assume one of his family members works at that site.
AARON COLVIN (Jaguars): I still believe the 26-year-old is the top free agent at this position, but because he’s best-suited to play inside, he almost certainly won’t get paid as much as Butler, Breeland and Johnson. For probably around $6M to $7M per, some team is going to get an outstanding slot corner who also has the skill set to move outside if needed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the Packers are that team.
PIERRE DESIR (Colts): The little-known 27-year-old (28 in June) was a career backup until injuries forced him to start six games last season for the Colts. He played surprisingly well. Whether that was a fluke or he’s simply a late-bloomer is what GMs have spent the past few months trying to figure out. He played for new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine in Cleveland and I’ve been told the Packers will likely show interest.
E.J. GAINES (Bills): The 26-year-old picked the perfect time to have his best season. Pretty much an afterthought in the trade that sent Sammy Watkins from Los Angeles to Buffalo last August, he’s now looking at perhaps as much as $10M per in free agency. His skill set isn’t great, but he’s confident, physical and instinctive. This is what allows him to usually hold his own against more talented wide receivers.
DAVON HOUSE (Packers): The 28-year-old (29 in July) battled leg injuries in his first season back with the Packers. He had some positive moments, but he was always a little stiff and now doesn’t have the long speed to somewhat make up for it. He’s a terrific guy to have on a team, but certainly not as a starter. He’ll sign a one-year deal – probably not with Green Bay – worth around $2M and return to his role as a backup.
TRUMAINE JOHNSON (Rams): The 28-year-old is going to be paid like a No. 1, but it’ll be buyer beware. He was very ordinary in 2017 and considering his age and lack of speed (4.61), that could be the start of a downward trend and not just an aberration. He has the size teams love, and he did play well prior to last season, but he’s nowhere near as good as A.J. Bouye, last year’s highest-paid free agent corner ($13.5M per).
RASHAAN MELVIN (Colts): The 28-year-old (29 in October) might have the best tape of any player on this list, but he only started two games prior to the 2016 season. From 2013 to 2015, the former undrafted free agent spent time with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and New England – playing in a total of 12 games. Much like his teammate Desir, GMs are going to have to decide whether he’s a late-bloomer or a one-hit wonder.
NICKELL ROBEY-COLEMAN (Rams): I mentioned the 26-year-old a year ago as a player the Packers should consider, but I knew his diminutive size (5-8, 180) would keep that from happening. And while he’s not any taller now, maybe Gutekunst will care more about performance than stature. This guy a very good slot cornerback who relies on quickness and toughness to offset what is almost always a big size disadvantage.
PATRICK ROBINSON (Eagles): The 30-year-old (31 in September) is yet another player who’ll come with the buyer beware warning. He was terrific in the slot last season, but prior to that, his career was on life support. Some GM is going to pay him good money – perhaps $6M per – but that team better have a very strong pass rush. A lot of corners can look good playing behind Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, et al.
DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE (Giants): The 31-year-old (32 in April) was named All-Pro in 2016, but his play fell off last season and he was released on Sunday. He was also suspended in December after first walking off the field during a game and then getting into a heated confrontation with former coach Ben McAdoo. Would the Packers really want this type of volatile personality around their young corners?
TRAMON WILLIAMS (Cardinals): The 35-year-old is the Benjamin Button of corners. He played better for Arizona last season than he did when he left the Packers in 2014. I’ll have more to say about him later in the week.
Rankings
Slot
- Colvin
- Robinson
- Robey-Coleman
Outside
- Butler
- Melvin
- Gaines
- Johnson
- Breeland
- Carrie
- Rodgers-Cromartie
- Williams
- Amukamara
- Claiborne
- Desir
- Cockrell
- House
