Tillman, Vashar- Which Do The Bears Keep?

by Adam T on Apr 23, 2007 7:44 AM CDT in News

I know there are differing views on which of the two cornerbacks the Bears keep at the end of next year, when both will be looking for new contracts/extensions. I have heard some ask why we can't sign both and aside from money I didn't know why we wouldn't either. This morning I came by an article over at PFT that referenced a piece by Len Pasquarelli on ESPN Insider. It discussed how the cornerback is possibly the least important piece in the Tampa-2. The move by the Colts to not match the offer sheet Jason David signed with the Saints per league officials was the correct one based on this.

In the Tampa 2, cornerbacks don't run down the field in pass coverage; they primarily cover short zones and chase down running backs who receive handoffs and receivers who catch the short passes that the Tampa 2 tries to force. In the Tampa 2, safeties (who are responsible for the deep zones) and linebackers (who need to be able to cover a lot of ground in the middle of the field) are a much more important commodity.

And the defensive linemen are vital as well, since the four of them typically are required to clog running lanes without linebacker help and to beat five offensive linemen and any other blockers who are kept in for pass coverage.

So, in the Tampa 2, cornerback is arguably the least important position -- and this means that teams like the Colts won't overpay for players like David and Nick Harper, since they'll be able to fill those spots with guys already on the roster or players whom they draft next week.

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Value of Corners

It's true that the Cover-2 devalues cornerbacks - it's the one position on the field it does devalue. But what I think made the Bears D so successful last year is that they didn't just stick to a Tampa-2; they were able to mix it up with some blitzes, some Cover-1's, some man-to-man coverage. Vasher and Tillman made huge plays trhoughout the playoffs that gave our team the ability to cover most receivers straight up, and allowed Rivera to mix and match our defense to the situation and opposition. In fact, the most haunting criticism of the Super Bowl was that the Bears allowed Peyton to dump off to short receivers too comfortably and gave Rhodes/Addai too much running room for 4-6 yd. pickups. That's [i]exactly[/i] what the Cover-2's weakness are. But because we were scared of Harrison/Wayne/Clark, and b/c Manning managed to burn the blitz on their 1st TD drive, the Bears settled into a more passive Tampa-2 defense that allowed the Colts 5-7 yards at a time, kept their D on the field, and squeezed the clock.
If we let Tillman - or worse, Vasher - go, then the Bears' ability to play defenses other than the Tampa-2 will be greatly damaged. Not only will we be unable to blitz when necessary, but opposing teams will know we are hamstrung, allowing to pick away at the Tampa-2 as they please. As you said in your mock draft analysis - the way to win is with a great, dominant D and solid offense. The Colts can win with a dominant offense and solid D< so they can let their corners go. We can't - not unless we get a Peyton Manning clone at QB (yes, another chance to shill for Quinn). Otherwise, the defense which we will need to make huge stops will come up just a bit short once again.

by IrishGush on Apr 24, 2007 5:05 AM CDT reply actions