Saints Mailbag: Cornerback competition will be intense behind starters Greer, Porter
Q: The current cornerback group is really deep and young. How do you see the final roster playing out with Robinson in his second year and Patrick coming in with some decent credentials. Who on the current roster do you see on the outside looking in? A related question is whether you believe Robinson in the eyes of the coaches is ready for a significantly increased role this year? Joe, Jacksonville, Fla.
A: Joe, I think the Saints will own one of the deepest and most talented groups of cornerbacks they've ever had this season. Greer and Porter are obviously entrenched as starters. But I really think Johnny Patrick has a chance to win the nickel job. He's a very underrated prospect, and I don't say that just because he went to my alma mater, the great University of Louisville. I think Patrick could follow in a long line of standout Louisville corners in the pros, from Frank Minnifield to Dwayne Woodruff to Ray Buchanan to Sam Madison to William Gay. Patrick was a top recruit when he came out of Daytona Beach, Fla. Florida recruited him to play corner but he wanted to play receiver and chose Louisville so he could play in then-coach Bobby Petrino's high-powered offense. Once Petrino left, Patrick wisely made the switch to corner, where he excelled. My point is this guy was good enough to start at Florida but circumstances dictated otherwise. He and Robinson give the club two quality young athletes. The staff remains high on Robinson and, with a year under his belt, he'll definitely have the inside track for the nickel spot. Robinson is one of the fastest players on the roster and started to really shine down the stretch once he became more comfortable with the scheme. That said, Patrick impressed the veterans during the offseason program and I expect him to push Robinson all the way. And let's not forget veterans Randall Gay and Leigh Torrence. Both have played a lot of good football over the years, are solid leaders and great fits in the locker room. Gay, however, has salary issues. He's due a $3.5 million base salary and likely will be asked to take a pay cut to remain on the roster. If he fails to win one of the top four spots, he might be a victim of the numbers game. The club's fifth corner will need to contribute on special teams and that hasn't been one of Gay's strong suits over the years.
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Saints Mailbag: Cornerback competition will be intense behind starters Greer, Porter | NOLA.com |
