Hiding in the Corner

October 4, 2008 10:01am CDT

I have noticed a group of players masquerading as "shutdown corners" when in reality they are anything but. Everyone loves the highlight reel interceptions that we see over and over again on SportsCenter. I am in no way downgrading the importance of interceptions, but are they what really matters when judging a cornerback? What about yards allowed? Catches allowed? Yards per attempt? In this article I am calling out some "superstar" corners that should be sent to the bench in favor of their not so well known backups.

DeAngelo Hall (Oakland)

Where to start on Hall? I don't even know where the myth started that Hall was a quality cornerback. He was bad in Atlanta, and he has been even worse in Oakland. Al Davis traded a second-round pick and gave a huge contract to the abysmal Hall despite already having the best corner in the NFL already on the roster. To make matters worse, Nnamdi Asomugha is currently playing under a one-year contract that will leave him as a free agent at the end of the season. So exactly how bad has Hall been? Hall has given up the most yards (362) in the entire NFL and has forced just five incompletions in 34 attempts. He does, however, have two interceptions, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing in Hawaii this February, even though he certainly doesn't deserve it.

Andre Goodman (Miami)
There may not be a worse starting cornerback in the NFL. Goodman gives up big plays at an alarming rate. He has allowed 227 yards on just 11 receptions (20 attempts). Only four starting corners have a worse yards per attempts (11.35) than Goodman and he is yet to get his hands on a pass. How many big plays does Goodman have to give up before he is sent to the bench?

Ronde Barber (Tampa Bay)
There was once a time when Ronde Barber was one of the best corners in the league, but that time has come and gone. Barber is off to an absolute horrid start and may have lost one too many steps. Quarterbacks are 14-for-19 for 249 yards and two TDs against him. His yards per attempt (YPA) of 13.11 is third worst (for corners with 10+ attempts) in the NFL. It will be tough for the Bucs to actually pull the trigger and bench Barber, but with Aqib Talib waiting in the wings, it should be considered.

Tye Hill (St. Louis)
I hate to pick on a guy that is currently out with an injury, but Hill has been horrible this season. His 13.87 YPA is second worst in the NFL, his 319 yards allowed is third worst in the NFL, and his 16 catches allowed is seventh worst in the NFL. He has been targeted 23 times and has forced just four incompletions. It's hard to make excuses for Hill when his teammate, Ronald Bartell, is playing as well as any corner in the NFL. At this point, Marc Bulger would be a better option at corner than Tye Hill.

Antonio Cromartie (San Diego)
For the record, I think Cromartie will turn it around this season and greatly lower his YPA. Cromartie made a name for himself last season by dominating Peyton Manning on national TV. He went on to lead the NFL in interceptions with 10 and played at a high level in the process. This year started a little different for Cromartie. Only DeAngelo Hall has given up more yards (331), and only Brent Grimes has given up more TDs (3) than Cromartie. He has also allowed 22 receptions on 31 attempts and has a YPA of 10.68. Fellow corners Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason have greatly outplayed Cromartie so far this season.