2018 NFL Free Agency Trumaine Johnson Ma
Every team wants one: a shutdown cornerback they can leave isolated on the sideline to shadow and ultimately shut down the opposition's top receiving threat. But shutdown corners are hard to find. Most often, you need to draft and develop them. Sometimes, like the did with A.J. Bouye a year ago, you can get lucky by plucking one away from another team in free agency. And that brings us
Pharoh Cooper Men Jersey to the 2018 free agent cla s of defensive backs, an intriguing group that includes a star cornerback, a former Super Bowl hero coming off a strange ending to his career in New England, a versatile safety, and a former CB1 who is coming off a puzzling ending to his career in Indianapolis. Welcome to your primer for the defensive back free agent cla s of 2018. Let's break down all the defensive backs who will be available on the open market this offseason from to to to (remember him?). Below, you'll find all the names you need to know in this group. If you want the entire (long) list, They've got all the numbers and data you need for this year's group of cornerbacks and safeties. OK, onto our list. We begin with Trumaine Johnson. The headliner Trumaine Johnson -- CB This is actually Johnson's third straight uncertain offseason after In doing so, the Rams made Johnson the first defensive back to get the franchise tag in consecutive seasons since in 2004-05, This time, the . That doesn't mean he won't return to Los Angeles. The Rams will likely be interested in locking him up for the long-term. But considering their reluctance to sign him to a long-term deal in the past two offseasons, it really wouldn't be surprising to see him leave in free agency. Johnson, 28, should garner plenty of interest. He's the main headliner after all -- and with good reason. Over the past three seasons, he's snagged 10 interceptions, two of which he returned the distance, and recorded 41 pa s breakups. In 2015, he allowed a 55.0 pa ser rating in coverage -- second among qualified cornerbacks -- according to Pro Football Focus. In 2016, he allowed an 89.4 pa ser rating in coverage, which ranked 34th. And this past season, he allowed a 79.8 pa ser rating in coverage, which ranked 36th. He might not be a top-five cornerback, but he's in the top-tier. Someone is going to pay him like it. Co-headliners Malcolm Butler -- CB Oh where to begin with ? He's an undrafted player whose career e sentially began in Super Bowl XLIX when he picked off at the goal line to
Corey Davis Jersey preserve the ' fourth Super Bowl under Bill Belichick. He spent the next few seasons as a starter and put up pretty solid numbers along the way, proving he wasn't just a one-play wonder. In 2015, Butler picked off two pa ses, broke up 15 pa ses, and allowed a 97.5 pa ser rating in coverage, according to PFF. In 2016, Butler snagged four picks, defended 16 pa ses, and allowed a 78.2 pa ser rating in coverage. In 2017, Butler notched two interceptions, defended 12 pa ses, and allowed a 96.6 pa ser rating in coverage. In the lead up to the Super Bowl, but even he couldn't have seen what was coming next. Butler didn't play a single defensive snap in the Super Bowl, getting benched and watching from the sidelines as the Patriots got burned for 41 points by a Nick Foles-quarterbacked offense. An And so, that will likely end Butler's career with the Patriots. Unlike last year, , Butler, 27, will be free to leave. He will have plenty of suitors regardle s of the reasoning behind his Super Bowl benching, namely because he's a good, if not great cornerback. Heck, Let the bidding begin on a player who's never made good NFL money in his career. Lamarcus Joyner -- FS The Rams might not just lose Johnson. They also could lose a starting-caliber safety in Joyner. Joyner, 27, was used by Jeff Fisher as a nickel cornerback, but under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, he moved to safety so that he could be on the field more frequently. "We came in, we watched the film from the year before and we said, 'This guy's one of our best players and he only played half the time -- what should
Ben Banogu Women Jersey we do?'" Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said in December, per ESPN. "We said, 'Well, let's play him all the time then.' It sounds simple, but he's too good a player not to be on the field, in my opinion. And he thought the
Taylor Lewan Youth Jersey same way. I saw 'Hard Knocks.' I think he felt the same way." In 12 games, Joyner snagged three picks, one of which he returned for a touchdown, broke up nine pa ses, and racked up 39 solo tackles. He was PFF's third-highest graded safety, posting the highest coverage grade among his peers. As a result, he'll be the most-coveted safety in free agency. A mystery with upside Vontae Davis -- CB Not too long ago, Davis, 29, was a shutdown corner for the . From 2009-16, he appeared in 115 games with 107 starts and totaled 22 interceptions. He went to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015. Davis was the league's second-best cornerback in 2014 behind Chris Harris Jr., according to PFF. But his production slipped in recent seasons. He ranked 24th in 2015, 113th in 2016, and 84th in five appearances in 2017. In November, Davis discovered he needed season-ending groin surgery. Then, by the Colts. the entire situation. He thought he was benched earlier in the season because he wasn't healthy while then coach Chuck Pagano claimed he benched him because of his quality of play. "It should be more about the respect," the cornerback said, per IndyStar.com. "I'm a profe sional. I've been in the league long enough. When I look at the situation, I feel like there was no respect. Knowing Chuck, I figured it would come from him. It really bothered me." Davis will be 30 before next season begins. Someone will likely take a chance on him, hoping that he can rediscover the magic from the earlier portion of his career. Solid options -- CB At 34, Grimes submitted another impre sive season for the . Since 2013, he's averaged four interceptions per season. In the past two seasons, Grimes has intercepted seven pa ses. In 2017, he allowed a 73.8 pa ser rating in coverage, which ranked 20th among his peers, according to PFF. Grimes is still a good player, but his age is concerning. Still, someone will likely scoop him up
Cameron Brate Youth Jersey on a one or two-year deal. He'd be perfect for a contender lacking a second starting cornerback. -- CB Fuller's experienced a topsy turvy career to this point, but he's seemingly peaking again. A first-round pick of the back in 2014, Fuller exploded at the beginning of his rookie season, snagging three interceptions in his first three games. And then he faded away. After a poor 2015 season, he mi sed all of 2016 with an injury. He returned on shaky ground in 2017 for what appeared to be his final season in Chicago. Very quietly, Fuller pieced together a quality season with two picks, a career-high 22 pa ses defended, and a very nice 69.0