1. Darrelle Revis- Revis is easily the best cornerback in the NFL right now, and he breaks up almost as many passes as receptions allowed.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha- Despite a poor 2011, I still believe in his ability as a pure cover guy. However, Nnamdi is awful in run support and can't tackle.

3. Champ Bailey- I bet this guy could still be a premier cover corner into his late 30's.

4. Tramon Williams- He was so beast last season that only a "decent" 2011 doesn't detract from how great he was in coverage in 2010.

5. Brandon Flowers- Flowers shows us that you don't need height to be an elite corner.

6. Charles Woodson- Has had a poor season this year against the run and as a pass rusher, but he's starting to come around. Woodson is still playing solid- as always- in coverage.

7. Ike Taylor- Only Darrelle Revis has been better in coverage statistically, but stats don't tell the whole story. However, this physical corner has still been very good in 2011.

8. Asante Samuel- Samuel can't play the run or tackle at all, but he is still a top corner in this league.

9. Antoine Winfield- He can do it all, and his top ten ranking is a result from some really good pass rushing- for a corner- and run stopping.

10. Jonathan Joseph- Joseph was one of the best free agent signings, and he is having a shutdown year and playing at the high level he did in 2009.

11. Carlos Rogers- Have you seen him this year? The best signing of 2011.

12. Leon Hall- I miss it when he and Joseph ruled the world in 2009.

13. Jabari Greer- When will he ever have an injury-free season?

14. Joe Haden- Haden is proving that he was the better rookie from last year's class.

15. Brent Grimes- You don't need to be tall to be an effective corner.

16. Charles Tillman- But this guy disagrees.

17. Chris Gamble- Has been one of the best corners this season.

18. Devin McCourty- I'm going to patiently wait for a bounce-back, but he won't move into the top 15 until he shows he can be consistently good beyond his rookie year.

19. Antonio Cromartie- He gets beat, but he's still a good corner.

20. Cortland Finnegan- He's starting to turn it up again this season.

21. Vontae Davis- He's having a down year, and this is the reason why he isn't in the top 20. But look for him to start climbing up in the future and possibly getting into the top ten one day.

22. Josh Wilson- Wilson was a terrific signing for the Washington Redskins, even though he has been a little bit disappointing this season after a really good year that went under the radar in 2010 with the Ravens.

23. Corey Webster- I miss his 2008 greatness, but he's still a solid player.

24. Aqib Talib- A great talent when he is at his best, but that's usually tough to come by.

25. Chris Houston- He's having a a breakout year and is one of the main reasons why the Lions are where they are at.

26. Ladarius Webb- Has taken the place of Wilson to become the Ravens best corner.

27. Alterraun Verner- Makes up one of the best trios in the NFL with Finnegan and Jason McCourty, and Verner is a 2010 rookie corner who is largely overshadowed by Haden and McCourty.

28. Captain Munnerlyn- Underrated speed demon who can definitely hold down the fort.

29. Chris Culliver- An extremely underrated rookie corner who combines with Rogers to make one of the better cornerback duos in the league.

30. Stanford Routt- Nnamdi's replacement is overpaid but is still decent.

31. Seth Smith- He is in the midst of an awful year, but Smith is still one of the better corners in the league.

32. Brandon Carr- Might be a little low, but it's because he doesn't really blow me away and is more of a solid player.

33. Chris Carr- Another solid corner who needs some more playing time.

34. Quentin Jammer- Physical corner who has been a little disappointing this year, but not as much as last year's breakout Antoine Cason.

35. Ron Bartell- Easily the best cornerback on the Rams roster.

36. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- Loads of talent, but really nothing to show for it because he plays like he doesn't care.

37. Sheldon Brown- Doesn't give up many catches, but they end up being big plays when he does.

38. Leigh Bodden- I will never get why the Patriots released him, because he's an underrated player who is one of the best players in zone coverage; he was in the midst of a solid season amidst poor play from most of the other corners (McCourty).

39. Jason McCourty- Don't sleep on the "other" McCourty.

39. Terrence McGee- It's sad to see a perennially underrated corner going on the decline "thanks" to age and injury.

40. Sam Shields- He really impressed me last season and is one of the better slot corners in the league.

41. Patrick Robinson- Watch for him to shoot up the rankings soon, but I'm not totally sold on him yet.

42. Richard Marshall- He doesn't give up that many catches, but- despite his speed- gets a burned way too much.

43. Chris Cook- The off the field trouble mars some talent that isn't talked about quite enough.

44. Tracy Porter- Everybody remembers him for being a Super Bowl hero, but he has been struggling of late. However, Porter is still a decent corner who can make plays when needed.

45. Mike Jenkins- Jenkins is one of the most talented corners in the league, but he gets burned a lot.

46. Richard Sherman- I'm really starting to believe in this rookie, and he is an underrated player who is easily the Seahawks best corner.

47. Rashean Mathis- The veteran has really improved from an awful 2010 season.

48. Antoine Cason- I really can't take him seriously after what has happened this season, but he is another guy who is primed to move on up.

49. Nate Clements- Plays the run as well as any corner in the league, and he isn't terrible in coverage either.

50. Derek Cox- He has the potential to really shoot up this list with some more improved play.

His 2008 season was a wonder to behold

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rankings, CBs, Devin McCourty, Antonio Cromartie, Darrelle Revis, Seth Smith, Vontae Davis, Terrence McGee, Jonathan Joseph, Alterraun Verner, Cortland Finnegan, Jason McCourty, Ike Taylor, Leon Hall, Nate Clements, Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown, Chris Carr, Ladarius Webb, Antoine Cason, Quentin Jammer, Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, Champ Bailey, Stanford Routt, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nnamdi Asomugha, Corey Webster, Mike Jenkins, Josh Wilson, Captain Munnerlyn, Chris Gamble, Jabari Greer, Patrick Robinson, Tracy Porter, Aqib Talib, Brent Grimes, Charles Woodson, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Chris Houston, Charles Tillman, Antoine Winfield, Chris Cook, Carlos Rogers, Chris Culliver, Richard Marshall, Ron Bartell, Richard Sherman, Leigh Bodden FA

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8/2011 Team Scope: Carolina Panthers

August 13th 2011 18:34

Going into free agency, the Panthers had a ton of key players that they had to re-signed. To say their free agency period was a success would be an understatement. They were able to re-sign two very good linebackers in James Anderson and Thomas Davis, they re-signed Charles Johnson who was the second best end in the league last year, and they kept DeAngelo Williams- even though they paid too much for him.

You can tell that Jerry Richardson was gearing up for this though. He never signed anybody the past couple of years, and he was the most vocal about a new CBA that would "help out" the owners. Most coaches' contracts and player contracts were set to expire this year. This was all in Richardson's grand plan.

The Panthers have a very good roster in terms of overall talent, but their season rides on the shoulders of their number one pick. They were terrible last year with the worst starting QB in the league under center. Derek Anderson's one great year was under current offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski while with the Browns. I have no idea why the second worst starting quarterback last year was brought in. He's not a mentor, and he sucks.

Cam Newton is actually by far the best signal-caller on this roster, and that really has more to do with the ineptitude of the other guys. I think Newton is going to be subpar in his rookie year, but he'll do enough to keep the Panthers around .500 (think 7-9).

But Newton has the best running game in the league to back him up. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are two of the best backs around, and Mike Goodson is a very good all-around option. Tyrell Sutton is an underrated player buried on the back of the depth chart. The offensive line is also very good, as the Panthers have perennial All-Pros in Ryan Kalil and Jordan Gross. Travelle Wharton is seriously underrated and is one of the best guards in the league in pass protection.

However, the receivers are mediocre at best. With David Gettis sidelined for the rest of the year with an injury that Thomas Davis is all too familiar with, the Panthers really only have two playable receivers. Steve Smith is still among the best in the league, and Brandon LaFell has a ton of potential. But LaFell isn't a number two receiver at all, but he is a big guy in the red zone.

What helps Newton out the most is the two tight ends that Carolina recently acquired. Jeremy Shockey isn't what he used to be, obviously, but he is still a solid number two TE and can play some in the red zone. Greg Olsen is one of the best pure pass-catchers at his position, and he was not properly used by Mike Martz in Chicago. He's going to breakout this year, and Newton is definitely going to be looking for him a lot. But make no mistake, Smith is going to be heavily targeted this year, which means he will finally have the stats to show his skills. All he needs is somebody who isn't "beyond stink".

Defensively, Carolina has a stacked core of linebackers. Jon Beason is one of the best LBs in the game, and will have him blitzing more than he ever has in his life. Davis should be healthy and ready to contribute, and James Anderson emerged as an important playmaker on defense. Dan Connor is extremely underrated, and he is one of the best linebackers in the league against the run. It was a shame that his season was cut in half last year, and he should be back to full strength this year. Connor will be ready to make a name for himself.

The corners are very thin after the departure of Richard Marshall. Chris Gamble is still okay, but he has vastly declined recently. Captain Munnerlyn is crazy fast, and he's a solid number two corner. Brandon Hogan was an interesting pick, and I think he'll end up being a solid contributor on defense. Charles Godfrey was in the same great draft haul that yielded Stewart, Jeff Otah, and Connor, and he's a ball-hawk who can make plays. The other safety, Sherrod Martin, is a solid player; there's really nothing special about him.

The entire philosophy has changed in Carolina. They have gone from the ball-control offense employed by John Fox and , to an offensive attack that is more about taking risks. The same can be said for the defense with Sean McDermott at coordinator; expect a whole lot of blitzing. The Panthers are going to be solid defensively, but the offense is directly affected by Cam Newton. All he has to do is play average football out there, and the Panthers will hit .500.