Shutdown Cornerbacks

[Shockers]

Let me just start by saying that more so now than ever, I am going to start watching for wide receiver matchups. After seeing how Denver went after the shutdown corner they were looking for in Champ Bailey, and seeing how they are going to use him this year, it has opened my eyes. Normally a receiver can move around, line up in the slot and do something to get away from a match up, but Champ was with a tight end the entire game! It makes perfect sense, but it still blows my mind... I have never seen that before.

So what I would like to do is ask everyone's opinion on who they believe are true shutdown corners. What I have done is come up with the list of pro bowl corners from last year and a couple of other (very obvious) things I have noticed.

pro bowl corners (both afc and nfc) - Vincent, Bly, Champ, McAlister, Law and Surtain

stud corners not listed - Bobby Taylor, Charles Woodson, Terance Newman

Seattle acquired Bobby Taylor and have Marcus Trufant on the other side

Baltimore already has McAllister and has Fuller and now Deion in the secondary

The only true shutdown corners I see out of these names are Champ and a healthy Charles Woodson, but I would think twice about starting a second-third tier wr against Baltimore. I think Seattle is getting there, but is Bobby Taylor the corner that he used to be? Who am I missing?

[Vlad the Impaler_ffc]

Taylor is a big, physical corner who is still effective. However, I think age and wear is starting to catch up with him, and IMO, he may struggle against the quicker receivers in the league.

I consider Chris McCallister and Surtain shut-down corners, slightly below Bailey, but above Woodson. I like Woodson, but he is not physical enough, and I think he lost half a step when he had that goofy surgery a few years ago; when he came back from a cracked fibula in only a few weeks.

[King Titan]

Shutdown corners who are the best right now would go like this - not neccesarily in any order:

Bailey
Law
Surtain
Rolle
McAllister

[Flux]

Taylor didnt beat out Ken Lucas for the starting job

[Shockers]

Good point, flux. Is Taylor the nickelback then? I like Lucas. If Seattle can get a decent pass rush, they could have the best secondary in the league. They are young, too. Lucas, Trufant and Hamlin have all been in the league for less than 3 years.

[Cornbread Maxwell]

There was a thread that evolved into a shutdown cornerback discussion yesterday:

http://www.fantasyfootballcafe.com/foru ... hp?t=80326

You might find a couple ideas in there.

I still have Woodson as one of the best 3 shutdown corners in the league when healthy - and he is apparantly healthy now.

Bailey is obvious.
McAlister in BAL would be the other.

Law and Surtain would be in the 2nd tier.

[King Titan]

There was a thread that evolved into a shutdown cornerback discussion yesterday:

http://www.fantasyfootballcafe.com/foru ... hp?t=80326

You might find a couple ideas in there.

I still have Woodson as one of the best 3 shutdown corners in the league when healthy - and he is apparantly healthy now.

Bailey is obvious.
McAlister in BAL would be the other.

Law and Surtain would be in the 2nd tier.

I'm sure I'll catch flak for this but to me Woodson is severly overhyped ... I'm seen him look stupid and disinterested on numerous occasions ....

[Cornbread Maxwell]

There was a thread that evolved into a shutdown cornerback discussion yesterday:

http://www.fantasyfootballcafe.com/foru ... hp?t=80326

You might find a couple ideas in there.

I still have Woodson as one of the best 3 shutdown corners in the league when healthy - and he is apparantly healthy now.

Bailey is obvious.
McAlister in BAL would be the other.

Law and Surtain would be in the 2nd tier.

I'm sure I'll catch flak for this but to me Woodson is severly overhyped ... I'm seen him look stupid and disinterested on numerous occasions ....

well - Im sure I have my own bias from watching him destroy everyone in college, but his natural athletic abilities alone are jaw dropping. He has been fighting minor and major injuries for the better half of 3 yrs now, and yes, at times he looks disinterested because of that. If he is fully healthy I think he can shutdown almost any WR in the NFL. There - my own little homerism.

[CC]

There was a thread that evolved into a shutdown cornerback discussion yesterday:

http://www.fantasyfootballcafe.com/foru ... hp?t=80326

You might find a couple ideas in there.

I still have Woodson as one of the best 3 shutdown corners in the league when healthy - and he is apparantly healthy now.

Bailey is obvious.
McAlister in BAL would be the other.

Law and Surtain would be in the 2nd tier.

I'm sure I'll catch flak for this but to me Woodson is severly overhyped ... I'm seen him look stupid and disinterested on numerous occasions ....

I was really impressed with Woodson matching up with one of the most physically gifted WRs in the NFL last week (Plaxico Burress) and absolutely locking him down.

Here is the list of corner's that can absolutely kill your WRs fantasy week.

Champ Bailey
Chris McAlister
Charles Woodson
Patrick Surtain
Ty Law

And these are corners that can hurt you, but shouldn't result in a terrible week for your WR.

Quentin Jammer
Terence Newman
Antoine Winfield
Both Bills corners
Both Seahawks corners
Both Packers corners
Samari Rolle
Sam Madison
Fred Smoot

[steelyeri]

I was really impressed with Woodson matching up with one of the most physically gifted WRs in the NFL last week (Plaxico Burress) and absolutely locking him down.

And this after he missed all of training camp! I saw him shutdown randy moss and help last year's raiders (emphasis on last year's) beat the vikings. I don't see how he is anything less than top 3 in the league. Personally I think he is #2 after McCallister, #3 would probably be ty law.