Are Champ and Dre really the best corners in the NFL?

Question

I was hopeful, but the performance just seems shaky--I mean it seems like 'Dre is getting beat on virtually every long ball. I LOVE the Broncos, someone please tell me that this secondary is going to get its groove on and finally be as dominant as we all expected!

I miss Darrent Williams--I think he and Champ were the better tandem before Darrent's death than Champ and Dre.

And if you are so inclined--what is happening to the Broncos??? Can Denver only have one good team (go Rockies) at once?

Answer 1

I'm a Broncos fan also. Champ Bailey is slightly overrated. Physically he may be the most gifted corner since Deion Sanders and, has mostly been able to make up for mistakes in technique and unwarranted gambles with his great athleticism (in Deion's prime, 49ers-Cowboys, Prime Time would bait QBs, making them believe their WR had beaten him, and then Neon would turn on after burners that no one has seen before or since, and come out of no where to make the play.) Champ has been able to recover from his sloppiness most of the time - but perhaps he's lost half a step in the last year. I've seen him beat a couple times - including twice by Antonio Gates the week before last. Dre Bly is talented - but he's vertically challenged and has never lived up to his high draft pick - he remind me a little of another CB whose name escapes me - this guy bounced around the league, made multiple stops with the Packers -- anyway, Bly has been with a few clubs - there's a reason he hasn't stuck.
Darrent's death was tragic and, we'll never know how good he could have been. It's plausible he would be performing better than Dre right now - and it's even possible his play would be helping Champ - BUT - the real problem in the secondary is probably Lynch - I can't prove this but, I believe teams are taking advantage of his lack of foot-speed. On offense the Broncos lost Tom Nalen as well as the backup Center - both gone for the year. Travis Henry is a great talent and fits the scheme of the offense well but, his pending legal issues / suspension must be a distraction. Jay Cutler is doing well - but not well enough to take the Broncos to the level many people expected. Realistically Cutler is still a season and a half away from being the consistent, reliable, polished NFL QB all us Broncos fans wish for him to be right this moment.

Answer 2

Actually, I think Nnamdi is as about as good as Champ Bailey. I've been pulling for Nnamdi for a few years now, and I'm sure that he's the real deal. He certainly isn't a "fluke." I think Nnamdi and Bailey, in no particular order, are clearly the top two CBs in the league. I'm not so high on Hall. He has the athletic gifts to be the best CB in the league, but he has some problems with focus on the field. If Hall is really excited and into the game, he can be the best corner in the league, but just as often, he's unfocused and ineffective. As for Bly, I thought he was an elite corner until he came to Denver. He got picked on all season with a good amount of success. Bly isn't that great. Maybe he just needed a year to learn the defense though and he'll be better this year. Once you factor in the safety positions, Oakland clearly has a better secondary than Denver (Lynch doesn't do much in coverage, and Denver's free safeties were AWFUL last season, while Oakland has the very talented Huff at strong safety, and Schweigart, who is at least competent, at FS). Oakland also has better depth than Denver, particularly at corner. Bottom line: it's debatable whether the Raiders or the Broncos have the better corner tandem at this point, but the Raiders pretty clearly have a better defense.

Answer 3

Yes they still are the best tandem in the league. Purely on talent, these guys are awesome. The problem is the rest of the Broncos Defense, notably the LBs.

We all miss Darrent Williams you are right he was on his way to the next level and was a fantastic person.....they need to keep arresting these gang members in Denver.

The Broncos are in trouble. The talent doesn't seem to be there just yet nor the consistency......Cutler is young and will be good, but right now the growing pains are pretty obvious. Unfortunately their defense is not anywhere what it has been in years past - even with the Dre Bly addition - and they are clearly in need of leadership after Al Wilson was let go.

Denver will have two phenomonal teams once the Nuggets start playing......this just is not the Broncos year to be a part of that.....so go get your Melo jersey!

Answer 4

LOL at Matthew H - Champs obviously old and no one knows who Dre Bly is.... haha. Yes, they are the best in the league. Darrent was very good, but I still think Bly is an upgrade (at least for this season - Darrent would have been better next year).


Anyway, your problem is more on your run defense than anything else. You're giving up 187.8 rushing yards a game! That's next to last. You're really missing having Al Wilson. You're only letting up 145.6 passing yards a game (which is first in the NFL), but with your two corners, and that bad of a rushing defense, who is going to bother to throw on you? The only game you really got torched through the air was the Colts game.... and thats just Peyton having a good day.

The only complaint you can have about your secondary is that they're not getting the turnovers that you were expecting, and they have given up too many passing TD's. They only have 4 picks this season, which is 28th in the league. Considering that teams have barely thrown on you, thats not too bad, but with your secondary, that number needs to come up. In order to make that number come up, teams need to try and throw at you - thus you need to bolster your run defense somehow.

Offensively, Cutler needs to step it up. Thats all there is to it. He can't keep turning the ball over, and he needs to find receivers faster.

Answer 5

1. Yes, they are definitely the best corner combo in the NFL, and I'm not just saying th because I've always loved the Broncs. Champ and Darrent were the best until - you know.

Denver can and WILL bounce back.

2. It's obvious what's happened to them. They ditched a 7-4 record last season so they can put in Cutler who can't make a good pass to save his life. Also, it has not helped that in Rod Smith has not been playing. And Javon Walker, Mike Bell, Travis Henry, Stephen Alexander, and 1 or 2 more people are on the list of injured players. Combine that with the already-bad passer they have, and that makes for a broken down team. What's happened to the Broncos? Injuries and very bad coaching decisions


Nevertheless, i say they eventually climb out of their rut and strike fear into the hearts of the other 31 teams.

Answer 6

Champ IS the best corner in the NFL...

Hell, he's the best player in the NFL...

NO ONE dominates at their respective position like he does... NO ONE...

You could pair a pylon with Champ and they'd still be considered one of the better CB tandems in the league...

And the reason I think it seems like Bly is getting burned so much is because the opposing team throws to his side of the field EVERY time... Why risk throwing at Bailey??? Teams BARELY threw near him last year and he still tied for most interceptions...

And I agree that Bly isn't the CB Williams was...

Answer 7

they are one of the best tandems in the nfl but the broncos have alot more problem on defence than that when you cant stop the run the dbs have a tendency to come up closer to the line of scrimmage and that leave them more subseptible to getting passed on, the broncos will be ok im sure, shannahan is a good coach and he will more than likley get it corrected, but it may be starting to be to late to matter, be glad theres no real dominate team in the afc west it will give denver the chance to get back in the mix

Answer 8

Mathew, what are you talking about with Champ Bailey? He is the best shutdown corner in the game. You know how you know? No one ever throws to his side.

Just because you don't know who Dre Bly is, don't assume your ignorance on everyone else. Bly is struggling now, as are the Broncos, but they are the best when healthy.

Answer 9

They are the best tandem in the NFL. That is why the Broncos have the best pass D in the NFL. Champ is also the best corner in the NFL. Dre is up there, but not elite.

Answer 10

They are probably the best CB tandem in the league, but I wouldn't call Dre Bly the 2nd best in the league, but he is really good. 2nd best tandem is over in Green Bay. They play man-to-man on just about every play and that defense is rolling great this year.