Getting Defensive About Cornerbacks Part 2

By CHarris

Picking off From Part 1 with stats ,

Alterraun Verner, Tennessee Titans	1.49	44.0	49	0	23	0	5
Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins	1.48	34.0	52	0	16	0	4
Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts	0.48	18.8	41	0	12	0	1
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Denver Broncos	0.63	34.5	29	0	15	0	3
Aquib Talib, New England Patriots	0.83	31.3	36	0	13	1	4
Tramon Williams, Green Bay Packers	1.51	50.7	61	3	11	2	3

I know the statistics can be a little confusing, but +WPA and +EPA simply show how much of an impact a player’s actions on each play had on the outcome of the game. Higher number = better player. 

Shields seems…pretty mediocre. Maybe King was right. He’s a good tackler and interceptor, but he doesn’t add much value to the game on his own. Was this because he wasn’t thrown at much or because, like usual, he was caught peeking in the backfield? The cornerback position is a difficult one to measure and many times people just use interceptions to measure how good one is, but by these stats, it doesn’t seem Shields is worth that much more than his contemporaries, but before we cast final judgment, we need to evaluate 2 things:

First, it’s doubtful Shields will make it to the end of this contract at this price point. I would be shocked if Thompson and Russ Ball don’t try to restructure that contract at some point with an extension. Secondly, Shields, at least for this season, isn’t even a number one CB. While Shields seems mediocre, Tramon Williams is at the top of many of these categories and he’s the Packers’ number one CB. 

When considering all these factors, Shields might be a little overpaid. While Williams and Shields certainly combine to form one of the best corner tandems in the NFL, it seems absurd to pay the second best corner on your team $39 dollars over 4 years. The Packers smartly structured the contract so that it’s back-loaded for cap purposes – giving them the ability to see how Shields progresses and if they need to cut ties with him in some way.

No matter how you feel, this is a deal the Packers needed to get done and fans should be grateful they did.