Good Problems At Cornerback

Cornerback was a weakness, but in 2017 it might end up a strength

Miami has three starters at Cornerback for the 2017 season

The Miami Dolphins have been so–so in the Cornerback department for many years, and the last good group was during the years of Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain.

Since the NFL is predominately a passing league, good Corners are a must have… if you want a competitive defense.

2017 could very well be the most solid group of aqua CB’s in years to defend against Tom Brady and the Patriots pass attack.

Nothing is guaranteed, of course.

But looking over the D-Back core, you get the feel it just might be.

So far, many Dolphins coaches and players have been quite vocal that Xavien Howard has been practicing at another level this off-season, and already appears to be the best Corner on the team.

While Howard flashed last year, he had a rocky Rookie Season due to injuries. He now appears to be as healthy as when he was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2016 draft… and from all early indications, ready to take the next step this season.

Cornerback issues might be a thing of the past for Miami

There’s going to be some bumps along the way, because he lacks game-time experience, but all signs are pointing to him being a very good Corner this season. The key to his season will be how he defends the deep ball. If he can make strong advances in that area of his game, he will be well on his way to making Miami look very smart in moving up for him.

Byron Maxwell is the other penciled in starting Cornerbacks. He came via a trade from the Eagles in 2016, and had a rough beginning in Miami. Early on it appeared that the Eagles had taken advantage of the Phins and were wise to take a $22 million dollar dead cap hit just to get rid of him. But after his benching in the fourth game against the Bengals, due to subpar play, he bounced back to lead the AFC in least amount of yards allowed ( when healthy).

The benching really hit home with Maxwell, and he transformed his game and effort after that. Maxwell’s growth was more signs of excellent coaching from Adam Gase and Co. In the next game against the Titans he played well in coverage and also forced a fumble. This type of play continued, until he got hurt late in the season. If 2017’s play continues where it left off in 2016, with extremely tight coverage, not only will he be an big asset, but a relatively cheap one at $10 million for the season.

Cornerback play will be key to winning the division

Considering this upcoming season is basically a contract year for him, because Miami doesn’t take a dead cap hit if he’s released 2018, Maxwell will give everything he has–if he wasn’t before. Unfortunately he is another one of those players that has a ton of talent, but also an issue with effort. Given the reality that he needs to play well to earn, Miami will get a hungry player looking to show the rest of the NFL he is worth one more big contract.

Then there’s Tony Lippett, who is entering his third year. 2016 gave him a lot of valuable game time experience last year, and he finished the year strong with 4 interceptions. He may not be able to beat out Maxwell and Howard, but he does give them depth and a formidable Dime Package. It could also give them flexibility in their Nickle with Lippett and Maxwell guarding the boundaries, and Howard, who is quicker and more compact, to handle slot receivers.

Lippett’s weakness is the reverse of Howard. Lippett does an excellent job of guarding deep, but struggles on slants. Maybe he–and the rest of the DB’s–will benefit from press coverage in their Press Zone scheme this season. Time will tell if he has improved. Even if he doesn’t, he’s a solid 3rd CB with big play potential.

Miami’s big corners need to use press technique more this season

Best case scenario is the three fight it out till the bitter end for who’s starting. It would be a good problem to have… a real good problem, if they are all playing well.

Miami also drafted Cordrea Tankersley, who is big and fast, and has been a ball hawk during his time in Clemson. He is raw, but he’ll at least serve as decent depth, and the thinking is that he can eventually compete with Lippett as Maxwell’s replacement after this season

Walt Aikens also has been getting a try-out on the boundary as a CB, rather than at Safety. This would seem to be a long shot to have impact and more about depth or situational play.

In the nickel corner spot, Miami currently has Bobby McCain, who is a feisty Corner, but has been picked on (and picked apart) in his first two seasons in the NFL. He definitely needs to improve, because he could be a big liability for us. His role is crucial, because his role is to defend each teams slot receiver.

Challenging routes is as important as pressure

However, Miami doesn’t appear to have many other options.

The slot coverage appears to be the biggest issue at the moment… and it’s a big one–at least that’s what the pay per head review sites are betting on.

Either way, it appears that Miami is going to have a lot of quality Cornerbacks on the roster, and this will be an extremely competitive unit, which will be much improved from 2016.  What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts about our Cornerback situation?

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