Training Camp CompWatch: Cornerbacks

Two. Days.

Enough said.

Lets do this thing.


The Players:  Brent Grimes, Richard Marshall, Nolan Carroll, Dimitri Patterson, Jamar Taylor, Will
Davis.

The Heavyweight(s):  Brent Grimes seems to be primed for a huge season this year. He's healthy, has something to prove, and hasn't lost a single step from his pro bowl year in 2011.  The former Atlanta Falcon has received rave reviews from his teammates and coaching staff, and all reports indicate that he will absolutely be that shutdown corner this year that the Fins have been missing since good ol' Sam Madison.

Opposite Grimes, all signs point to Richard Marshall to man the other side of the field. Marshall, coming off an injury shortened 2012 season, appears to be back to full health, and, if true, is the clear choice to fill that second CB position.  Remember, before his back injury last year, Marshall was having himself a very solid season, something he's proved he's capable of from years past.

The Contenders:  This is an absolute WIDE OPEN race.  To be honest with you, I'm not even sure who the front runners are here.  Nolan Carroll is the presumed leading candidate for the number three CB spot behind both Grimes and Marshall, but that's only based on experience from a season ago. I'm not so sure the Fins should feel comfortable with Carroll (and I'm not so sure they do), especially with some of the miserable performances last year (check the Thursday night Buffalo game). So, with that being said, look for Dimitri Patterson, last years' mid-season pick up, to compete heavily with Carroll.

The problem here lies within Patterson's contract.  The Fins are set to owe him $4.5 million this year, roughly SEVEN times what his competitors make, so, barring a dominate training camp, my guess is that Patterson is in the danger zone.

The Dark Horse(s):  Look, I wanted to put rookies Jamar Taylor and Will Davis in the above section, but I just can't until I actually see them play. The potential for both is sky high, especially for Taylor, who some NFL pundits actually had going late in the first round, but the problem here is just the fact that absolutely nobody knows what we're going to get. And don't forget, Taylor is coming off sports hernia surgery, and missed a portion of offseason workouts, so that's another variable with the rook.  There are just too many unknowns to count on these guys just yet, but believe me, Joe Philbin and Kevin Coyle would love nothing more than for both to unseat the veterans in front of them, so expect both to be given long, hard looks in the coming weeks.

Two. Days.

48 hours.

It's on.