Is Taylor a monster or what?

[Hogskin]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Also, comparing a safety and a corner in the tackling department really isn't fair. A safety is supposed to be able to tackle and support the run D, while a corner doesn't play into the run D as heavily as the safety.

You make a very good point, but on the other side of that, you would not normally be comparing a safety's 1-on-1 coverage with that of a CB. But from the reports I have seen, and from the very little I have seen of his play, it seems like you CAN make that comparison. Now, I am not saying you can compare his coverage skills to Champ (of course). But, Taylor is in VERY limited company with his coverage skill. Only Rodney Harrison comes to mind in that category. As far as Champ, I feel that in 2002 he was probably the best cover man in the NFL. But his coverage dropped off significantly in 2003. I'm not sure which one was the aberration. But as far as coming up to play the run - in those situations, I believe he was below even the average CB's in the league (without comparing him to safeties). When I think about guys like Springs, Smoot, Vincent, etc, etc, it seems that most CB's would stick a runner more consistently than Champ.

In any case, this season will tell a lot. I think we will hear some major grumbling from the locker room in Denver when their running game does not stay up to the level of the last 6-7 years, and when Champ gets beaten for a TD in a losing game. With Alex Gibbs gone, they have set themselves up for some serious dissention over the trade. There were many reports of player complaints about it in the Denver paper for the 2 weeks after the trade was made. The stage is set...