WhoDat!656

Champ Bailey wasn't able to reel in his first interception as a member of the New Orleans Saints.

Bailey couldn't pry his No. 24 away from Saints cornerback Corey White -- the number Bailey has worn throughout his 15-year career with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos.

But Bailey said it's no big deal. He didn't even bother to make White an offer for the number. He was content to take Malcolm Jenkins' old No. 27 instead.

"I'm not the one to get attached to anything like that. It's just a number. I'll make the number I have look like something," Bailey said. "I just asked him if he was attached to it. He was, and I just gotta live with it. I wasn't going to make him an offer or anything like that. I'm not paying for anything. I think if the roles were reversed, I probably would've considered it, but he didn't want to. It's his own decision."

White, a third-year pro, will have to work even harder to hang on to his starting job. White took over as the Saints' No. 2 cornerback late last season after veteran Jabari Greer was injured. White experienced some highs and lows on the job, but he showed some promise as a physical corner.

However, the Saints added Bailey in free agency. They have veteran Patrick Robinson returning from a knee injury that sidelined him all of last season. Second-year pro Rod Sweeting is expected to make that Year 2 leap, among other young contenders. And they drafted big cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste in the second round.

It could be the deepest and most compelling camp battle for playing time. And the competitive juices among the defensive backs are already flowing.

Make sure you have your roster handy to keep track of who's who.

Champ Bailey unable to intercept No. 24 from Corey White - ESPN

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

hagan714

Champ Bailey hmmmm recovery from the foot injury that should have had him on IR is more important. If he does not recover from it 100% then what number he wears is of little importance.

Marlboro Man

Well, I had high hopes for White due to his infrequent flashes, but that seems to be all he's got and I don't think he's done anything to distinguish that number for himself so he's just setting himself up for not getting the full monty of training from Champ. Guess he thinks he's all that. Better prove it this year is all I got to say.

Rugby Saint II

It's not the number that matters. It's the man wearing the number that matters.

Danno

Completely disagree. Champ is a professional and I'm sure he's not gonna hold a grudge against the kid for not giving up his number. If he does then Bailey can shove it up his ass.

BTW, do you realize that Corey White out-performed Greer after Greer went down? Granted its PFF stats so take it with a grain of salt.

And also, making the team gives a player the right to wear a number. New additions don't have the right to take a number from a guy already on the team. That's why its called a team.

D_it_up

I completely forgot about Sweeting.

jeanpierre

High Reward, Low Risk Signing...

If anything, the Bailey signing reduced the likelihood in the minds of the competition that'd we'd take a CB in the early rounds...

But, this whole my number thing is so new, lame school...

Let them compete for the number, best man wins, Saints win...

I think it's one of the fifteen story starters for new reporters - established free agent, young team draft pick, who gives in or is there a story...

burningmetal

The only person White outperformed was the injured Patrick Robinson. Nobody gives a crap about whatever PFF is. Everytime I see a reference to that PFF it says something completely absurd. I'm convinced it's run by teenage girls. But I digress. White should relinquish his number to someone who was actually worth a crap at one point in his career. I think it's a bit cheesy that he's attached to a number after three years and zero achievements.

Cheesy, but not exactly earth shattering news. They can wear 100 for all I care, as long as they pick it up and play well.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

hagan714

zero achievements? i would not go that far.

White has done well enough to stick with the club and has improved every year in pass coverage. is he a finished product? i hope not or he can be replaced down the road. sweeting is not a threat at this point.

Rod has some coaching needs but he is very smart and will keep the play in front of him and minimize the damage. White takes more risk and that leads to giving up position.

one draft and a FA added does not make the CB a deep talented group. It has made them better but in no way should the saints be happy with DB group as a whole. plenty of room for upgrading if players peek out.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

jeanpierre

Well, a sign of the armageddon...I'm in agreement with Danno...

White was in his first full year of service and performed very well; true, he was victim to some key long plays, but this wasn't a first round top ten pick either...

Now that they've grabbed Baptiste, I suspected they might move him to safety for which he was projected...

Hope White competes, improves because in my mind, the guy's been a steal for the mid-level production he gave and the best part is - He still has more ceiling!!!

And, finally, with real safeties guarding the back stop, the corners are not required to give as big a cushion which should only improve his advantages of size, strength in jamming at the line convincingly...

The secondary is the best it's ever been in the history of the franchise and White is a big reason for that statement...

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...