Free Agent Targets - CB
While the strongest position group on the defense cornerback is the hardest job in football, depth is a necessity
The Falcons enter the offseason with a surprisingly stable cornerback room with AJ Terrell and Casey Hayward making a solid starting duo while impending free agent Isiah Oliver is (hopefully) expected back as one of the better nickel players in the league. Dee Alford (for reasons unknown) wasn’t given an extended look down the stretch but his play as a rookie would give hope that at the very least he can round out the depth chart.
Cornerback however is the most volatile job in football and as a result depth is required to go 5 & 6 deep. We have seen in recent years that while AJ Terrell is a very good corner his fragility has limited his availability.
Casey Hayward missed a large chunk of the season while Darren Hall and Cornell Armstrong both spent parts of the season firmly out of the rotation before being reinstalled as starters.
We should also note that Hayward can be cut for a fairly small dead cap hit and at 34 maybe he doesn’t bounce back from his injury or simply doesn’t fit into the new DC’s scheme should they favour more man cover looks.
Cornerback is a position you judge by the bottom of your depth chart, not the top
As a result the Falcons are in a position where they can look to add a couple of bargain contracts for low risk, high ceiling players, Thankfully, the free agent crop is full of players once held in high esteem who should be available for minimal exposure.
Jamel Dean
Very much shooting for the stars here but should the Falcons be in a position where Hayward doesn’t come back maybe they fully embrace the coverage > pressure movement and look to add a second #1 corner opposite AJ.
Dean is a fantastic player and in truth probably doesn’t make sense in Atlanta unless they plan on trading or letting AJ walk as the money tied up in those 2 players would be detrimental to a position, which, as we have said, is best judged on your weakest link.
Emmanuel Moseley
Moseley will be an interesting player to follow this summer as he was quietly emerging as one of the better corners in the league before he went down in Week 5 and was lost for the year.
While Moseley has shown glimpses of elite cornerback play it remains to be seen just how much the market will covet him coming off injury.
Cameron Sutton
One of two ex-Steelers on the list, Sutton is probably overlooked for just how good a player he is. This is probably largely due to not being a playmaking corner and as a result not generating the headlines or high interception numbers of others. This is no bad thing however, as we know that good coverage is far more predictable than turnovers and is therefore far more indicative of future success.
Trevon Diggs for example is a player who was quickly catapulted into headlines with his 11 interceptions last season. Diggs however has allowed the same amount of TD’s in three years as Sutton has in 6. Diggs does have 17 interceptions as opposed to Sutton’s 8 and Diggs’ PBU numbers are also superior.
This isn’t to discredit Diggs or playmaking corners, but merely note that Sutton is a player who has produced for 6 years with above average coverage and yet he is not thought of in anywhere near the same terms as other, flashier corners, who in truth are simply more volatile and whose games are dependant on creating turnovers.
Rock Ya Sin
A former second round pick Ya Sin has largely gone under the radar despite putting together four solid years of cornerback play. Drafted by the Colts Ya Sin was traded to the Raiders on draft night last season in exchange for veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
While no star Ya Sin is a solid #2 or very good #3 option for any defense. Should Casey Hayward not return he would be a viable option to compete for a starting job opposite Terrell.
Tavierre Thomas
While not a household name Thomas has put together 2 impressive seasons in Houston and would be a logical target for the Falcons should they let Isiah Oliver walk.
Yes he’s coming from the lowly Texans and yes he only plays slot but Thomas’ underlying numbers are extremely impressive. Like Oliver, Thomas also brings value vs the run and as a tackle with a <10% missed tackle % the past two seasons.
Levi Wallace
Moved to the Steelers this year after emerging as an UDFA with the Bills, Wallace put together a very solid season and likely hits the market as a high end backup for most teams.
Mike Hughes
Another solid starter/quality backup Hughes offers inside/outside versatility and has thrived in heavy man coverage schemes.
Byron Murphy
One of the flashier names on this list Murphy has simply never lived up to the hype since he was taken at the top of the second round by the Cardinals. While Murphy probably isn’t going to turn into the elite corner he was penned as in college he’s a dependable, versatile corner whose best football, you could argue, is still ahead of him.
Not yet 25 Murphy is still young and is another player who you could envision taking a leap in performance simply from leaving the Cardinals.
We have said multiple times during these previews that low cost, high upside gambles are the exact type of risks the Falcons should be taking considering they need to essentially form an entire defense. Murphy is the epitome of one of these players.
We should note that Murphy ended the year on IR with a back injury.
Greedy Williams
Another former second rounder from the 2019 draft Williams has had a pretty ugly start to his career and in truth is only included as a minimum contract/training camp invite type with the hope he may rediscover some of the form which saw him taken as a high draft pick.
Overall an intriguing collection of corners with a couple of standouts at the top of the market joined by a plethora of solid backup types and a group of failed former high draft picks who will likely looking to sign 1-year prove it deals. While it remains to be seen just how big a need the Falcons have at cornerback there can be no doubt that the bottom of the depth chart needs filling out.